Not this time, Fate
by Coeur Al'Aran
Summary: When Jaune woke up back in his house with his sisters and family, all he could do was sigh. Every time he died he was forced to start over again, and this was what... the one thousandth time? More? If it doesn't matter how hard he tries, doesn't matter how much he fights. Then maybe it's time to just kick back and enjoy himself. Fate can find someone else to be its whipping boy.
1. Chapter 1

**Here we are, a new story – el gasp.**

 **Welcome to, "Not this time, fate" – a tale which has been in the planning stages for like… seven months? A long time, anyway… I just never got round to starting it due to having so many other fics on hand.**

 **So what will this be? Humour like Professor Arc, pure serious-ness like Stress Relief? It will be… more of a mix, something I don't want to categorise with a genre. There will be humour, it will make you laugh when it happens. But there will also be very serious moments, and maybe even times when you "aww." We'll see.**

 **Update schedule is every 2 weeks currently, and our beta for this story is College Fool – who you may know for a number of stories, or just from a propensity to drag flying vehicles from the sky at any moment. Worry not, no Bullheads were harmed in the making of this chapter at least.**

 **Pairing is SECRET – but** _ **again**_ **, no harem. It is a 1 - 1 pairing, and yes, it has been decided… and I suppose I'll throw a bone and say it's also not a pairing I have written before. I like to try out different pairings, as opposed to being that guy who just writes one thing.**

* * *

 **Beta: College Fool**

 **Chapter 1 – Back to Square One**

* * *

"Does it hurt?"

Jaune Arc let his head fall to the side. Thick smoke and rolling heat threatened to fill his lungs, creating a haze of dark shrouds before him. Muscles strained as he pushed forward, only to fall back with a silent grunt as the twisted metal pinning him refused to yield.

"I guess it would," the voice was punctuated by the rhythmic tapping of heels on a tiled floor. "You certainly tried your best, caused me no end of problems… more than a child should ever have been able to."

He was burning. Skin beginning to blacken, every part of his body screaming in agony. His aura was gone, utterly spent, yet even so, his dark eyes locked onto Crocea Mors, charred fingers reaching towards it.

"I think _not!_ " Something slammed down on his hand, bones and cartilage giving way in a flash of pain. Blood, wet and fluid slid between his fingers, and it was with a grimace that he realised her stiletto had pierced straight through back of his hand. "I underestimated you once, and lost more than a few valuable pawns for that mistake. Not again, Arc."

"You're usually a lot more reserved than this," he coughed, but still managed to plaster a weak grin on his face, "something not going to plan, perhaps?"

He was going to die. He knew that. It was as clear as the hair that burned away from his face, and the way he could hear his skin bubbling and popping. It ought to have been a new experience… and in some way it was.

He'd never burned to death before.

"And yet you still gloat?" The bane of his existence shook her head. "You amaze me, really you do. But at this point it doesn't even matter." Uncaring, she stepped into the conflagration, tearing her heel from his ruined hand with a sickening crunch. The very flames themselves flickered and moved before her – giving way to their master. One heel, slick with blood, came to rest by his head as she knelt down, cool hands touching his cheek, one thumb rubbing up and down.

"You've failed Jaune Arc," she whispered – breathing lightly into his ear, "everyone you believed in is dead. Your team, your friends... From your partner, all the way down to little Ruby Rose. They are all dead."

His eyes drifted shut, lips parting to whisper words neither could hear. Eager to know what despair had been released, the woman leaned closer. With his last ounce of strength, blue eyes snapped open, his broken and bloodied hand lashing out to backhand the grinning woman. It was a weak strike… more of a limp slap, and it did little more than shock her – and leave a smear of his blood across her lips.

"I'll kill you Cinder," Jaune Arc promised, even as she wiped bloody lips on the sleeve of her dress. "I'm going to kill you. I _will_ end this."

She rose before him, eyes smouldering like the fire that consumed him. Filled with so much hatred, yet it was nothing compared to his. She _would_ die. And he would relish it.

"No Jaune, I think it's going to be you." And with a snap of her fingers, the flames that had been keeping their distance rushed in, roaring heat and the sound of crackling flesh.

Echoed by a woman's laughter.

* * *

Azure eyes snapped open, body lurching forward as a fist swung. The knuckles whistled through the air, momentum bleeding dry as the reality of the empty room sank in. A few harsh breaths escaped him, chest heaving as adrenaline coursed through his veins. Until, with a tired sigh, his eyes drifted shut.

" _Fuck_ …" The mattress let out an unsatisfying sound as he struck it, though it did hurt his hand a little. His fingers flexed back and forth, even as he cradled the hand against his chest, rubbing the skin on the back of his palm. The phantom pain of her heel through skin and bone still lingered, along with the vile taste of smoke, ash and charred skin.

Soon to be nothing more than fading memories, one more death among the many that had come before.

Another sigh, this one filled with a fresh exhaustion, as he pulled himself from the confines of his sheets. Hot and suffocating, they reminded him of the flames. It was always best to just forget, accept that he'd messed up again and move on. Lingering in thoughts of what had happened… of what had happened to his friends…? No. That way led madness, self-condemnation and possible insanity.

Besides, he considered as bare feet hit the cool wooden floor, they were all alive right now, weren't they?

Like a man slowly adjusting to walking after a long recovery, he staggered his way toward the nearby window, drawing the synthetic fabric aside. Morning light assaulted his eyes, pain lancing through his skull as he held up a hand to deflect it.

Here he was again.

Alive…

Once upon a time that realisation might have brought him joy. As each new dawn offered opportunities, the potential to fix what had been broken – save those who had fallen. How long had it been now, sixty... ninety years? Had he finally reached the treble digits, or was he getting close to four? As time wore on, it became harder to keep count. The human mind was only meant to remember so much after all.

In fact, his death had come so many times that the process of waking back up in his younger body was more familiar than his last moments. Death, at least, was varied. Sometimes it would be quick, sometimes slow.

The slit throats were the worst. The feeling of drowning in your own lifeblood, it always seemed to take longer than you'd expect – long enough to really hammer home what was happening. Complete with the bubbling within the windpipe as air struggled to enter – the scratching in your throat, the frantic gasps – like you were trying to dig into your own neck with your fingers to remove some kind of blockage.

He shook his head, dispelling the morbid memories.

It wasn't a pleasant feeling… the explosions were better though! Sudden force, a rushing heat, and then… soft white blankets... they weren't so bad, really. Or such was _his_ fate anyway; no doubt the end for others was a bit more final.

How long had he managed to make it this time? Over two years… the longest he'd ever managed to survive… made it even past the fall of Beacon, and nearly a year into Haven. Just long enough to spark the tiniest flame within his jaded, bitter heart.

Just long enough to make him hope _._

Just long enough to _dash_ that hope upon the sharp rocks of reality.

"Should have known better," Jaune sighed as he watched the boy in the reflection of the window. The face was fresh and unblemished, lacking the scars and stress lines. Still… it was probably an improvement on what he'd looked like not ten minutes ago, with charred and melting skin.

 _No hope,_ his reflection mouthed.

Hope was for those who wished to have their dreams crushed, to face the cruelty of the real world armed with nothing more than idealistic dreams. His curse was a more powerful one, but it would eventually become his salvation as well. For every time Jaune Arc died, he would be sent back.

Life after death.

Failure after failure.

He could remember the first few times more vividly than any others. Maybe because back then he'd still been so confused, he'd experimented – tried to change the timeline. Aggressively used every advantage he had to try and fix things so that the people he cared for didn't have to die. He'd still been fresh-faced then as well, seeing this - his Semblance - as a boon that would save everyone.

And it would, in time.

Fate might be playing its cruel torture on him, forcing him to live his failure of a life over and over again, but the thing about infinity… was that so long as the objective wasn't impossible, the ending you wanted would certainly happen.

Eventually.

Sooner or later he would succeed, and the cycle would be broken. Until then, he just had to endure. That was why he wouldn't hope – because it only served to wear him down, mentally and emotionally, as the attachments he formed and the dreams he dared to foster were torn away. Time and time again.

He had to remain strong, resolute.

Which meant he'd better get moving, to be honest.

A new beginning meant a new set of plans. His mind travelled back each time, but the conditioning and physical skills he gained didn't. He could remember the forms, even knew the fighting styles of some of his most hated enemies. But that hardly mattered when he was as weak as… well… as weak as he had been as a kid.

 _Which is about as week as a ten year old by anyone else's standard, sheesh…_ he spared a rueful grin for the boy in the window, holding one weedy arm up. A polite person might have called his younger body lithe; an honest person would have had less kind words. _All this experience, all this knowledge… and all a ten year old Ruby would need to do is activate her semblance and I'm done…_

That was pretty damn embarrassing… but it wasn't something he couldn't fix.

How long had he survived this time, two years, a little over? Either way, that meant he had about two years until Beacon started. Figuring out the exact dates could wait til he got hold of a scroll. It was always the same, a pattern he'd managed to hash out after a few repeats. Correlation wasn't exactly causation, but after that one time he had been killed just six hours into initiation - thanks to not making friends with Pyrrha prior to his landing strategy - and had woken up back in the auditorium, six hours before they were to start? Well, even he wasn't _that_ stupid.

But with two whole years to himself, before Beacon even began? That was more than he'd ever been able to get before! It would allow him to attend Beacon stronger than he'd ever been. Might even allow him to save-

 _No! No hope!_

Deep breaths, eyes closed, as he cantered himself once more. Hope led to disappointment, he would do his best, would do everything in his power to save them – as he always did. It was all he could do after all.

Eventually it would work out, and he would save them all. It _would._

It had to.

That meant going back to the grind however, a routine he'd perfected over numerous repeats. His biggest weakness was his body, still unprepared and untrained. He didn't need a teacher per se, just a long period of time out in the wilds – where he could get some conditioning done. The sooner he could get out there, the better.

 _Early morning, judging by the position of the sun just cresting over the hills… I'll slip out tonight when everyone's in bed._

That would mean a delay of at least twelve hours, probably more… painful to say the least, but necessary. It wasn't exactly a matter of just wandering off into the wilderness. He'd need food, water, camping supplies – not to mention Crocea Mors. People _might_ just take notice if he started collecting all of that in broad daylight.

 _Failing to plan is planning to fail… there's no point rushing off to train, just to find I then need to waste time going to a town for food._

"And speaking of food…" the blond whispered to himself as his stomach did its best Beowolf impression. How long had it been since he'd had a proper meal and not those horrific ration bars? Well… physically probably only ten hours or so, whenever this body last ate – but mentally at least it had been at least a few days. "Alright, alright," he shook his head as his gut went off once more.

The corridors of his home felt awkward and unusual. Still dim, and with the lights turned off he felt like an intruder in his own home. But then again, this wasn't truly his home in any real way. Beacon was where he'd spent most of his life and he could recount every single corridor with almost perfect recollection. In comparison, this home felt more personal, yet from a distance. Like someone looking into a home through a frosted window.

It was neat and orderly, with numerous doors on either side, and between those, picture frames hung on the walls. Draped in shadow, but showing family scenes which, for the life of him, he couldn't remember. They could have honestly happened over fifty years ago to his mind, and time before Beacon – before the _real_ first Beacon? He couldn't remember that far back; it was just _too_ long ago.

"Morning sweetie," Juniper Arc greeted as he strolled into the kitchen. She stood at the counter, humming a gentle tune as she chopped fruit, knife moving up and down with practiced ease. The speed at which she wielded it seemed to add to the scene, like she was playing a soft staccato to accompany it – metal tap-tapping against wood in tune with her humming.

"Morning mother," he yawned as he took a seat at the family breakfast table, leaning back into the comfortable cushion with a sigh. The sound of metal on wood paused for a brief moment, almost tellingly, before continuing once more.

"What happened to calling me mum?" She asked; voice still bubbly but now with a sense of disquiet. He sighed within his own mind, already a mistake? He was out of sorts, how many times had he repeated mornings just like this one?

"Sorry mum," he cringed at the foreign word. As much as it pained him to admit, his relationship with his family was non-existent. Every repeat was just a case of him running away at the first opportunity to train. He didn't have the time or the luxury for school or family gatherings... not when his friends' lives were on the line.

To him, Juniper Arc was little more than a stranger who made him his one recurring meal.

"You look tired," she said, putting the knife down with a gentle clack before turning to face him. With a beatific smile she pushed herself back so that she was sat atop the kitchen surface, looking more like a twenty-year old woman than a middle-aged mother of eight. The women in the Arc family all seemed to have unnaturally good genes, long golden hair and brightly coloured eyes. His mother was no exception. And though there was the slightest sign of wrinkles at the edge of her lips, her bright green eyes still sparkled brightly, while gentle gold curls framed her face. "Those kids at school aren't still causing you problems are they?"

School, kids? Had he ever been bullied, he couldn't remember? School to him was Beacon, in which case Cardin did sometimes try to bully him, in those rare moments where Jaune forgot to do anything about it. It never lasted longer than it took him to put the teen in his place though. Most times it only got out of hand because Jaune honestly failed to even notice it…

"No, no… I'm fine, just didn't get much sleep." It was true enough. Rest had been a luxury they hadn't been allowed in the final days, too much running – too much chasing and fighting. To stop meant death, and it was amazing just how long you could run on fumes when you had to.

"I did wonder why you were up so early, I thought you'd been possessed by aliens," with a quick push she fell from the counter, padding towards him on bare feet. She stepped behind him, wrapping two arms around his shoulders, the cool skin of her hand coming to rest on his forehead. He closed his eyes, a soft sigh escaping him as he felt the last traces of pain from his recent death seep away. "You're burning up," she mumbled against his ear, and it pained him to admit she'd hit the nail dead on. Not that he would ever put her through knowing that… not since the first time he'd tried to tell his family, Ozpin, Ironwood – whoever he thought might listen.

He'd died alone… in an asylum.

"Are you sure you're not coming down with something?"

"Hmm, not sure," he shrugged, unsure of what to say. Literally nothing he did at this point in time mattered. He just needed to wait until the end of the day and slip away into the night. Idly, his eyes scanned about the kitchen, noting cupboards which might contain food even as his mother continued to run the palm of her hand against his forehead. Nicholas always kept good hiking packs in the cupboard by the front door, a concession forced by his wife's threats to kill him if he kept bringing dirty equipment into the house. There was always a few pre-packed with tools and camping equipment, just in case a surprise mission came along, so that would be easy enough.

As for food… canned food would be the best option. Things he could save for some time, yet cook over an open fire. He winced at the analogy, rubbing a finger across the back of his palm.

"I'll make you some hot soup," Juniper's words cut into his thoughts as she let go of him, "then you'll take some medicine - just in case. We don't need you coming down with something. Not when your sisters will jump at the opportunity to get out of school."

"Yes mum," he droned, scanning for the rest of the things he needed. Lien he could steal from the kitchen drawers, there was a small stash hidden in one of them that he knew about. Two years was a little longer than he was used to, roughing it out in the wild, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. There was work to be had, and money to be earned, if you were willing to bend the rules a little.

Some of the outlying villages and towns didn't care how old you were, so long as you could kill Grimm or chop wood.

So that only left his weapon, the ancestral blade of the Arc family – and the weapon he had relied on for so many years. That even now was hanging from its frame on the kitchen wa-

"Where's Crocea Mors!?" Jaune snapped, rising to his feet in shock as he stared at the empty frame – glass pushed aside and blade missing.

"Hmm?" His mother looked over her shoulder as she opened a can of soup, apparently not understanding the severity of the situation. "Nicky? He's on a mission sweetie, remember? He'll be back in two days."

"T-Two days?" The words slipped from his mouth before he could control himself. That was… that had never happened before! Of all the times he'd repeated the first day of going back, Crocea Mors had always been a constant factor. A comforting presence he could rely on for direction and purpose.

And now it was gone?

 _Calm down, calm down!_ He shook his head, training kicking in as he took several deep breaths and focused on the situation at hand. It was fine… there was nothing unusual about it. Nicholas had always been on missions; it was his _job_. He'd just been unlucky and come back on a specific day where his father was using the blade.

It was nothing more than bad luck.

"He wanted to be here Jaune, I swear," his mother took the seat opposite him, reaching across and taking his hand in hers. "Something came up last minute, some small Grimm seen around a nearby town. He didn't want to go, but he was the only one in the area."

"No, no – it's fine." He understood that, it made perfect sense. Two full days… it would be a loss… but there was nothing he could really do about it, other than see to his own training outside. It wouldn't be _that_ much of a big deal; it just caught him off guard.

That needed to stop. Maybe he was still running on a bit of adrenaline from what had happened before… maybe a day or two's rest would do him some good. He was wound up tighter than Yang on a bad hair day.

"It's his job after all," Jaune shrugged, more because it felt like his mother was waiting for a response than anything else.

"I know sometimes his job takes him away Jaune, but your father _does_ love you."

"I know, I know…" he scratched the back of his head as she let go of his hand. Nicholas… yeah, he guessed the man did. It was hard to remember him to be honest. For a while he'd focused on trying to get the man to train him – the early excuses had been that Jaune wasn't fit enough – yet when he'd managed to gain enough mass to disprove that, the excuse had morphed into something else.

In the end Jaune had given up. His training progressed faster if he just ran away to do it himself, and after repeating that so many times? Nicholas Arc was more a stranger than Emerald Sustrai.

A shame… but it was something that could be fixed when he was finally successful. A reunion with his family was long overdue, and once Cinder was dead, the White Fang stopped, and his friends saved? Jaune could take a long-deserved holiday, go back to see his family, and reconnect properly with his father.

Until then however, there were more important things to do, and that meant waiting for Crocea Mors to return so he could enact his plan. For now though? In the short space of time he had until it came back? Maybe… he stifled a yawn, one of the first he'd dared to let out in so many days… maybe it would be best… to finally take some rest…

Jaune's eyes drooped heavily, body slouching forward as he leaned his arms on the table, a cushion for his head. For the first time in so long, he finally allowed himself to rest, lulled into a deep sleep by the pleasant melody of his mother's voice.

* * *

He didn't as much _wake_ , as was he roughly woken up. The world flipped, something gave way beneath him, and although his instincts saw him landing in a crouch with his eyes wild, it still didn't stop his feet being tangled in the blankets, dragging him to the floor.

"Wake up!" A feminine voice growled, tearing the blankets off him as he looked up towards a blonde figure above him. His immediate thought was Yang. Because really, who else would feel the need to wake him up by literally flipping the mattress? But the sudden recollection of where he was quashed that thought. Yang was dead, no, well… alive, she was alive.

But she was at Patch with Ruby, or Signal, depended whether this was term time or not really.

The girl above him _was_ blonde however, and had purple eyes just like Yang, though maybe a few shades darker. Her blonde hair was tied into a short ponytail however, something he doubted the bombastic brawler would ever entertain the thought of.

"Why are you looking at me so stupidly, bonehead!?" The girl sighed, throwing a pair of jeans at his face. Ah, of course, this was one of his sisters.

Uh…

"Jade?"

"Ugh… you're blind as well as stupid it seems, it's Hazel – Jade gave up on waking you up like half an hour ago." Hazel crossed her arms beneath her budding breasts, making sure he could see just how unimpressed she was at being called up. Right… Hazel, she was… a little older than him, if he recalled.

"Sorry," he stumbled to his dresser to try and find a shirt, "I was tired." He took a moment to look at the mess across the floor, now including a mattress and two pillows. "Couldn't you just have shaken me awake?"

"Are you _joking_!?" The girl laughed, though it was less in genuine amusement than to drive a point home. "We tried that oh… two hours ago? Everyone has tried, you just slept through everything."

Was that so? Maybe it was his body's way of trying to catch up with all the sleep he'd missed. Well, his mind's way – his body was actually fairly fresh.

"Sorry, sorry," it was easier to give in then argue the fact, "how long have I been asleep for then? Last thing I remember was breakfast?" And his stomach was giving him some painful reminders about that broken promise.

"Yeah well, mum said you fell asleep at the table, so she carried you back to your room. It's been like… maybe six hours since then? It's gone noon." The girl rolled her eyes, before leaning in with a leer on her face. "What were you doing that got you so tired Jauney? Were you giving yourself a good clean? Polishing your rocket, maybe?"

"Hilarious," he deadpanned, pulling off his top and pulling the white shirt on. His sister turned away the moment he started getting changed, making a disgusted noise as she side-stepped towards the door.

"Yeah well, don't forget we're off to the lake today – so make sure you bring something to swim in," the door slammed shut as he pulled his trousers down, before a moment later opening back up, "and a towel – eww my eyes! I'm scarred!" He rolled his eyes and buttoned the trousers, even as he faintly heard her shouting about having seen his bum, or something.

What a weird family.

A trip to the lake though? That didn't stir any memories, though that didn't mean much. Maybe it had been a boring thing in his first life, or just something that did every now and then. It didn't really matter since he had to wait for Crocea Mors anyway, he might as well go along with whatever they said. Another yawn escaped him as he leaned down to pull some shoes on. Gods, he was still tired?

He did vaguely look back to his sheets, eyes heavy as he considered them – before a thumping through the floor caught his attention. It sounded like someone smacking an object against the ceiling below.

"I'm coming," he shouted as he rolled his eyes and staggered towards the door, "sheesh..."

The whole family was waiting downstairs, or rather the female side of it, which did make up 80% of the Arc household. Not a one of them had a hair colour other than blonde, no doubt an offshoot of two blonde parents, though one or two had lightly dyed parts. A desperate attempt for individuality in a family that for the most parts, looked quite similar.

He could only remember a few names off the top of his head. The youngest Amber, memorable mainly because she was so small – somewhere between the ages of ten and twelve, he supposed. There was Hazel of course, and her twin sister Jade, who she was now talking to. Other than that, he could just recall a few names… Coral, Sable… uh… Saffron?

Jaune didn't get a chance to consider the rest, for the moment he entered the room a pack was thrust into his arms, his mother saying something about looking after it, before she started distributing baskets to the girls. A few moments later and they were turfed out of the house, and trekking through the nearby woods.

* * *

Juniper Arc watched her children play with a fond smile. This was _her_ family. One she had made with Nicky, and that she had raised from childhood to where they were now. Little family outings like the monthly trip to the lake were the norm, little things to help build solidarity in a house with so many people. It could be tough sometimes, especially when the kids wanted to have a bit of peace and quiet.

Or when she and her man wanted to have some time to themselves…

Tempers would inevitably fray, and it wasn't unusual for her to be stuck prying girls from one another, making sure they stopped pulling on each other's hair. If it wasn't one thing it was always another.

"Mummy," a little voice cut into her thoughts, a figure climbing into her lap with no regard for the sandwich she was trying to eat. Juniper simply chuckled, putting the treat down on a nearby container as she helped to sit Amber up, stroking the back of her short hair. A pair of baby blue eyes looked up towards her, lighter than her husband's, but beautiful nonetheless.

"What's wrong baby?" She didn't _think_ there'd been any fights yet, Coral and Lavender were sunbathing near the trees, Jade, Hazel and Sable were in the water having fun, and Sapphire was reading with her feet dipping into the lake.

"Mummy, why's big brother still sleeping?"

He was? Green eyes trailed across the surface of the lake in the direction her youngest was pointing, to eventually come to rest upon her one and only son. Jaune sat with his back against the bark of a tree, eyes closed and chest rising and falling with each breath. She had no idea how he could find that position comfortable, but Amber was right… he was asleep.

Again.

"I think he's just tired sweetie," she pressed a kiss to the top of Amber's hair, giggling lightly at the affronted look the girl gave her. He had seemed tired that morning, but then again, he'd woken up early too. On most weekends he would sleep in until the crack of noon anyway, so maybe he was just making up for lost time now.

She hoped he wasn't coming down with anything… he just hadn't seemed… _right_ earlier. She wished Nicky was here. He'd be able to help, maybe tell her if she was just panicking about things… he was fourteen after all – puberty and teenage years could change a man.

But that look in his eyes… that was one she knew she'd seen before. He'd inherited so much from the both of them. It made sense that he would have that same expression Nicky sometimes did. The look that said the mission hadn't gone as well as hoped. That he'd seen things, and wanted desperately to forget them.

Being married to a Hunter, you had to get used to those things. That sometimes the man or woman you loved would come back somehow less whole then they'd left.

 _You're imagining things,_ she rebuked, _there's no reason for Jaune to have that kind of look – you're just over-analysing._

"Why don't you go and see if big brother wants to play then?" Amber looked up towards her for a second, the little cogs in her head whirling behind those bright eyes. Juniper pushed her up a moment later, watching as she rushed over to her sleepy son.

* * *

"Ugh…" his eyes opened slowly, one hand coming up to shield his face from the bright light, even as he grumbled against the incessant figure prodding and poking at his face. "Ruby, no…"

"Who's Ruby?" The question slammed into him, delivered by a voice that – while young – was definitely _too_ young for his fellow leader and close friend. Instead, as he blinked away with heavy dust from his eyes, and let out a long yawn – he found himself face to face with an altogether younger figure.

"No one," he sighed, pushing himself a little further up against the tree, "what's up brat, what do you want?" Amber, if he recalled, she'd be about… ten maybe, eleven or twelve, at a push?

"I'm not a brat!" The girl yelled, tiny hands on her waist as she towered over his slumped form. "I'm a princess, and you need to play with me."

Play? He, Jaune Arc?

"Maybe another time," his eyes began to drift shut once more, that great expanse of slumber calling out to him. A sigh escaped him a second later, fighting its way past the small finger pushing against his cheek. "Amber…" he complained.

"Jaune…" she echoed, matching him tone for tone.

 _Knew there was a reason I hate kids, ugh…_ the girl cheered as he grunted and pushed himself up from the tree. His body still felt sluggish and unresponsive, a stark reminder of how weak at the moment. In fact, he still had his aura locked away – he was effectively a civilian. _Have to do something about that later, I can force it open myself if I have to…_

"Alright, alright," he yawned, reaching out to place a hand on the girl's head so she'd stop hopping around, "what do you want to play?"

"Hmmmm... what do _you_ want to play?"

The question made him pause. What did _he_ want to do? When was the last time he'd actually _played_ at anything?

When he wanted some fun he'd… well, maybe spar with Pyrrha or Ruby, or go out to kill some Grimm with Nora. Or he could talk to Yang and convince her to go into Vale with him, visit a club and get hammered – before inevitably ending the night by either metaphorically tearing up the dance floor – or _literally_ tearing it up. There was always doing homework with Ren, or just catching some rest… but between all the fighting, and trying to fulfil his duty?

There hadn't exactly been a lot of time for childish games.

"Hide and seek?" And nor was there now. Crocea Mors might be missing for the next two days, but the moment it was back he would be gone. Until then he'd take advantage of what rest he could get, to prepare his body for the training to come. At least with this game Amber could run off to hide, and he could pretend to look for her until she got bored. That sounded promising.

"Okay, you count to thirty!" Amber giggled, reaching out to take his hands and push them over his eyes, "and no peeking!"

"One," Jaune started, rolling his eyes as he heard her scamper away. He didn't even bother to continue counting.

"Amber, don't go far!" His mother called out, even as the sound of her rushing through the nearby bushes reached his ears. Lowering his hands, he leaned back with a short sigh, closing his eyes.

"Aren't you going to look for her?" His mother's voice blocked any attempt to fall back into his pleasurable nap, grass shifting as she walked up to stand beside him.

"I hadn't intended to," he shrugged, "figure I'll give her ten minutes before I look, let her have some fun."

"I'd…" she hesitated, "rather you went for her now, actually." That caused one eye to crack open, regarding the older woman as her feet shuffled nervously in the grass beside him. A boy his age might not have been able to see the signs so easily, but it didn't require over fifty years of experience to see she was nervous about something.

"You think there might be Grimm around?"

The question seemed to startle her. "What? No!" A shake of her head, "there's never been any Grimm this close, why would you eve-? Never mind, it's just… well you know how she is? Normally I'd be fine with you all playing in the woods, but without Nicky here there's no one to find you all if you get lost."

 _I could,_ he almost said, before catching himself. He could track any one of them through the woods if he needed to, but still, he could see her point. He was used to young girls being... well, like Ruby. Independent, trained, able to look out for themselves. Amber, on the other hand, was just a child.

A child he'd encouraged to go run off alone in a forest she was hardly familiar with. There might be no Grimm, but there was still a host of accidents she could run into.

"I'll find her," he promised, pushing against the grass as he climbed to his feet. Juniper seemed a little relieved, though not by a vast amount. She likely expected him to get into trouble too, which was a little galling.

To be fair, he _had_ been a bit useless back when it all started.

His neck cracked as he moved it left and right, hand reaching to seek comfort in a familiar hilt – before realising it wasn't there. Instead he settled the belt about his waist, glancing at the bushes she'd run through. Broken twigs, leaves crunched into hard dirt... this was what he'd been relegated to? She could at least make it a challenge.

"Jaune, are you-?" his mother spoke as he made to move by her, prompting a raised eyebrow from him.

"Hmm?"

"No… never mind…" She looked uncertain, with one hand clutched beneath her chin as she watched him. He thought about telling her it would be okay, that he'd have no difficulty finding her, but instead decided better. What reason would she have to trust him on that fact, when all her experience would have shown otherwise?

She'd calm down, he supposed, once he had Amber back safe.

 _Looks like I'll be playing after all,_ he sighed, feeling no amusement in the thought, even as he pushed his way into the treeline, eyes scanning the floor for signs of her.

They were abundant.

The sun was high in the sky, and there'd been no rain for a day or two it seemed, for the ground was hard and earthy, with a layer of dust and soil atop those patches where grass wouldn't grow. Even if he couldn't see her prints in those patches, he would have had to be blind to have missed the branches she had stepped on – that lay broken on the ground. Or the wildflowers nearby, which had a suspicious parting in the middle, flowers poking to the left and right as though to make way for someone.

He'd learned hunting – or at least, the art of tracking – from the best. Ren might not have had the most in terms of stamina, but there was never any doubting his intelligence. He'd been an absolute machine when it came to stalking down his prey, or – as was more often the case – hunting Nora.

Which was an altogether more difficult task.

"Amber," he called out, brushing the tall reeds and flowers aside as he followed her path, "Juniper wants us back with the others, come out!" He rolled his eyes with a sigh, "no, I'm not tricking you either – I'm serious."

Jaune let out a long sigh, shaking his head as he pushed on. Of course she wouldn't come out, that would be too easy. _Do this the marginally less easy way then,_ he mused as he stepped over a rotten log, noticing how the moss atop it had been scuffed away. Animals wouldn't have done something like that, they preferred the path of least resistance – which would mean under, over or around.

It was only about fifty metres of so into the treeline where the tracks became more fresh, if they could be called that when less than a minute had passed. Broken twigs still wobbled back and forth, clinging grimly to their original branches, but unmistakably knocked aside. Strands of grass still looked to be springing back up, recently pushed down by a small child's gait.

"Amber!" He called again, cupping his hands around his mouth. "Come on out."

"RAW-" a voice howled from his left, a shadow leaping for him.

Jaune knew the sound of a Beowolf, or the differences between one and an Ursa. In fact he could identify most Grimm simply by the noise they made, or even the rhythm of their breathing. This was not a Grimm. He realised that the moment he heard it… but after years of being attacked by just about anyone, that knowledge did nothing to stop his hard-won instincts kicking in.

He saw it happen in slow motion. Her bright eyes grew wide, before she could remove the expression of pure glee from her face. His forearm connected with her cheek less than a second later, tearing the smile from her – even as she collapsed to her knees in shock.

Jaune could only stare in horror. First at her face and the red mark on her cheek – then down at his hand, fist opening and closing slowly.

If he still had Crocea Mors… she would… he would have…

"J-Jaune?" Her voice cracked, light blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears as she looked up at him. In pain, distress…

And fear.

She tried to hold it in, he could see that. From the way her lip quivered and eyes watered, with one small hand clutching at her cheek she looked down at the ground, blinking rapidly - before looking back up at him once more. He could _see_ the confusion clear in her gaze. Why had her big brother hit her, why had Jaune hurt her?

And he realised, with a sudden bout of clarity. That he had no idea what he was supposed to do. As she looked up at him like she was waiting, no – desperately hoping for something. Two small hands reached out towards him, asking for something.

He couldn't figure out what it was. So he stood there, frozen. Until, with a choked off gasp, the tears broke through the dam, the girls hands balling at her eyes as great sobs wracked her body. _Do something,_ his mind cried as he watched her. His mind whirled, trying to recall those times he'd comforted others when they were in tears… but all he could bring up was memories of his friends…

He could remember drinking with Yang, washing away their pain with alcohol and violence. Then there was standing behind Nora, offering silent comfort as she wept over the body of her childhood friend. There were the moments too with Pyrrha, of sharing a bed in an effort to seek comfort in a moment of transient pleasure.

Ruby, staring down at the body of her sister in muted shock, as he stood nearby – one hand on her shoulder.

It was that nebulous memory he grasped onto, as he knelt down before Amber and touched one hand to her sore cheek. He had no idea what it would do, or how it would help… but the next thing he knew, she had thrown herself at him, burying her face in his chest.

"I'm _sorry_ ," she cried into him, clutching at his shirt with both hands. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" And yet she apologised to him? After he hurt her, it was Amber who felt the need to apologise? That… didn't make sense, and why did she look so hurt still as she glanced up at him? He didn't know what he was supposed to do, arms slack at his sides as she waited for something.

Was that what she wanted?

He settled his hands on the back of her shoulder blades, drawing her close. Amber sniffled but pressed her face into his chest. She wanted a hug, to be held by her brother, a sign that he didn't hate her.

It made a small amount of sense… when was the last time he had been properly hugged by someone, other than the brief touch of his mother that morning? If his memory served, it had been Ruby. She'd held onto him when they had buried Pyrrha. Not the last repeat… maybe one, or was it two, times before?

"It was my fault," he said softly to the child, as soft hair tickled his neck. Small and warm in his arms, in a way she reminded him of Ruby. Except that - unlike his old friend - Amber would never grow up knowing her older sibling. Because time and time again, he would run away, leaving her behind. "I'm really sorry." _For everything._

"S'okay," she huffed and pushed herself away from him, trying to hide her red-rimmed eyes, "it didn't even hurt, I'm a big girl."

"You are," he agreed, something heavy slipping from his shoulders as he held her close. The way she looked at him, despite her small denials and efforts to not say it – he could see nothing but unconditional love in her eyes.

That hurt him more than the red mark on her face did. Because he knew how much it would hurt her when he left. _I'm sorry Amber,_ _but I need to save them. When this is all over, I promise I'll come back to spend more time with you._ It was the best he could offer, because like it or not he _had_ to save his friends – they needed him at Beacon.

It was his duty.

"I'm sorry for hurting you," he said once more, meaning more than she would ever realise, as he touched her cheek. A little sore judging from her wince, but thankfully his mind hadn't accounted for his gangly, younger body. He'd hit her with his forearm, rather than the back of his hand.

Or a sword…

"The arcade," Amber whispered, looking up at him with suddenly narrowed eyes. "I want you to take me to the arcade tomorrow, to say sorry!"

He chuckled at her expression. What a scary little sister, to go from pain and sorrow to extorting him so quickly. Her puppy-dog face didn't have a chance against Ruby's, but he nodded nonetheless. His father wouldn't be back with Crocea Mors for another day yet. He could afford to give up a single day's training to spend time with her. With the little girl that would soon have to grow up without him.

"Promise?" A small smile, like the morning sun rising on her face.

"I promise."

* * *

Juniper let out a sigh of relief when the two appeared from the woodlands, the tension slipping from her shoulders at the sight of her youngest balanced on her boy's shoulders. She seemed enthused, arms waving back and forth as he carried her back to them.

 _Thank you,_ she mouthed at him, though she wasn't sure he caught it.

For the rest of the afternoon she simply watched them all, as the seven girls slowly drew Jaune into their games. He indulged them all. A little woodenly at first, as though he wasn't quite sure of himself… but with an expression that said he would give in to any demand they asked of him.

And her girls took wanton advantage of it.

Maybe, she thought to herself – finally losing that last bit of doubt. Just maybe… everything would be okay after all.

* * *

 **So here we go, I'm never very good at first chapters – call it a curse. This was more a case of setting the scene, and importantly, showing what effect a life of repeats and death has had on Jaune as a character. What adaptations he's had to make, both in terms of personality and actions.**

 **Anyway, I want to answer a question I'm sure nearly 100% of readers who still want to see more chapters of this are probably asking.**

" **How long will it be before Beacon?"**

 **Well, normally I wouldn't say – but I don't think it's spoilery to say when.**

 **Chapter 5 SHOULD (capitalised for a reason here) be when he arrives at Beacon, though he'll start interacting with some canon characters next chapter – the main cast will start to play in chapters 2, 3 and 4. So don't worry, we're not going to have ages of Jaune in a pre-Beacon life. Most of it will be handled with time skips, but stopping every now and then to show important parts in his development.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Friday 18** **th** **March**

* * *

 _ **If you enjoy (all) my stories then please consider supporting me on , in an effort to enable me to dedicate more time to writing full-time. I offer writing lessons, advice articles, and support to those who do.**_

 _ **All my fanfiction will remain free, regardless.**_

 _ **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey all, second chapter here. A lot of comments on the last chapter, including a few people pointing out what they believe are plot holes.** **Obviously not much has been covered yet, but have a little faith. This story has been carefully planned and what many are suggesting are holes, are actually important plot points . Simply put, they're important - just not explained yet. Delve deeper, think on them... ask why - don't just assume they're wrong, because you might be on to something intentional. I get that a lot in my other fics too, where people say "you've made a mistake here because..." and I'm thinking "You noticed something I did on purpose, I just wish you'd think on it and dig deeper, instead of assuming it's a mistake."  
**

 **And then those same people ask other questions and I'm like "Argh... but you had the answer right there! You just assumed it was wrong!" xD**

 **Anyway, this chapter might answer a few, while also explaining why Jaune is in the current situation he is in. And for those commenting that the summary doesn't match the content – i.e. the summary suggested a holiday, but he isn't taking one. Well, before he can take a holiday – it needs to be shown why he "needs" one – but also why he would "take" one, in a way that doesn't make him seem out of character. Story will match summary, don't worry.  
**

 **Anyway, enough shenanigans – enjoy this ridiculously long chapter. Oh, and as always, got to love the pairing theories, which have sprung up already. Some have raised valid points, including the fact that yes, indeed I have said on my profile that I won't be repeating pairings. Hmm… da theory-crafting.**

 **My Beta College Fool - who really does a lot of work helping me - is also going to add some comments at the bottom too. Hope you'll check them out.**

* * *

 **Beta:** _College Fool_

 **Chapter 2 – A Long Time Coming**

* * *

He saw it the moment he walked into the room. Past the sleep in his eye and the yawn fighting its way past his hand - its presence struck him with the weight of a hammer blow.

Crocea Mors was back… early.

The ancestral blade adorned its rightful place once more, within the glass display case affixed to their wall. He couldn't keep his eyes from it, even as he tucked into the fried eggs and bacon Juniper had so lovingly created. It felt like a weight upon his shoulders, a reminder of the duty he had ahead of him.

"Jaune's taking me to the arcades!" Amber forced the words past the food in her mouth, spilling crumbs out onto her plate.

"Oh?" Nicholas leaned forward to rest his chin on one hand. "I'm gone for a few days and my little angel has already replaced me?" And there was that too… obviously Crocea Mors hadn't travelled home on its own. It was the first time he'd seen his father for a few years... but decades since he'd tried to connect with the man.

He was a stranger in all but name.

Apparently he'd done his best to finish the mission early, and instead of coming back tomorrow had managed to make it today. Either way that was good news for Jaune. A single day, or two days even, might not seem like much - but to him it was a serious matter.

Back when this had all started… when things had been new, exciting and filled with hope. Jaune had focused on experimentation. Trying as many different things as he could to influence the future, to see what could save them all.

It was only natural really, a chance to re-do life - at least however much of it he had at Beacon. That was hardly something he could afford to give up. Plus, he could take things in a different way, prevent certain disasters…

Such had been the theory… a shame it hadn't held up.

There were certain things that always happened, that would continue to happen no matter what he did. Cinder _would_ attack Vale. It didn't matter what team he was on, how strong he was, or what he ate for breakfast on any given day. It was her plan, and she would enact it. It would be at the breach or it would be at Amity.

And that one time, where he'd managed to actually sabotage the Vytal Festival, so that it never happened?

It had been in the dead of the night... when they had no warning.

There were some things he could change, that he could affect – but there were things he just couldn't. Ruby would get into Beacon. Cinder would attack Vale. The White Fang _would_ be involved. General Ironwood and his robots would come to the city. Blake would be discovered as a faunus and have her panic moment… those were just a few events that occurred which didn't rely on him.

As much as he went back in time whenever he died, it didn't mean life revolved around him. It wasn't the same as picking a team… he could let Pyrrha's javelin hit him, in which case she would be his partner. Or he could duck out of the way, in which case his partner could be just about anyone. Again, it depended upon which launching pad he used and who he was placed near. Each one shot into different locations, and in many cases it was random chance - unless he specifically hunted someone down.

There were other things too, which he'd tried again and again. Telling Ozpin, Ironwood, hell – even trying to tell Roman on the off-chance he'd be able to swing the thief to his side. He'd tried using future knowledge, hidden secrets, even codes and passwords they might give him in the future. None of it worked… too suspicious, too crazy an idea… even those rare moments where he managed to reveal intel they should have _known_ it was impossible for him to acquire? They simply assumed he was a spy for Cinder. Insane asylums had been bad enough, especially when Cinder would send Neo to remove him as a loose end… but being tortured by Ironwood – with Ozpin's reluctant approval, no less? That had been the final straw.

It had been a sober wake up call for the idealistic fool he'd once been. He couldn't tell anyone.

Railing against that fact – or any of the things he couldn't change – was pointless. The trick, he'd realised _far_ too late into his new life, was not to change things so dramatically – not to go wild and make great alterations. It was better to have forewarning of events that were to come, rather than roll the dice with his friends' lives. The more radical the changes he made, the worse things got. He'd learned that one time, early on, when he'd managed to set a bomb in Cinder's room – killing the three of them in one blow, before they could even enact the Breach.

It had seemed like the perfect solution… up until the White Fang attacked with Adam. Cutting off the head of the snake had only caused the body to thrash about wildly. And suddenly – what had once been a targeted attack on Beacon – was a massacre among the streets of Vale, with far worse consequences.

He'd tried joining Cinder too, swallowing his pride and feelings in an effort to feel out her plan. That had brought its own failure… Cinder didn't care for, nor trust, those beneath her. Even then, she seemed to be answering to someone else anyway. Someone he could neither find nor contact. She hadn't shared any of her plans with him and all he'd learned was a few specific locations where she kept dust or supplies. But she didn't _need_ either to attack Beacon… not with the army of Grimm she brought with her.

Over and over… he must have tried new and unique angles for over thirty years, with varying degrees of failure. There'd been no rhyme or reason to it, no _system_. He'd just… done whatever seemed like an idea at the time - hoping that something would work out. That something would stick.

Disorganised, chaotic… he'd been lacking the most important thing.

A _plan_ … a strategy.

It had taken him decades to get to where he was now, to reach the realisation he had – and it had been so simple too. It all came down to one thing. The amount of time he survived _into_ Beacon determined how much preparation time he had _before_ Beacon.

It was profit and loss. If he stuck to the same plan each time, encountered the same foes each time, then he could slowly work his way through them. Foreknowledge and training time before Beacon allowed him to tailor what he needed to know to each enemy, meaning that he gained just a little bit more time on each run. That meant he got more time to train on the _next_ run, which meant he could _earn_ more the next time… over and over, slowly gaining ground.

Trying different things… those differing angles that he'd never tried before? That introduced risk - elements he couldn't prepare for - because they tended to explode in unpredictable ways. If any of those elements killed him - then he'd have less time to prepare on the next attempt.

That was a big deal… when he'd spent the last twenty or so years building up to this point. Taking the same choices, sticking to a single plan – allowing the things he knew were coming to happen - but taking steps to limit the damage. That allowed him foreknowledge of what was coming. Which meant that each time, with that extra bit of training time he had managed to claw back, he could be stronger when he had to do it again. And then, with that extra time – be it a month, or just two weeks – he could eke out another few days…

Giving him even _more_ time to prepare…

Getting to this point, of having just over two years of time to train and prepare, before Beacon even started? That had not been an easy task… and _every_ single day had been earned in sweat and blood.

Eventually though, it would pay off… if he kept gaining time, kept making it just that little bit further – than eventually he would break through. He'd tried wild ideas, new angles and crazy strategies… for decades he'd tried them – over and over again.

They didn't _work_!

There was no magical solution, no lucky break where he'd say the right thing to Pyrrha and she'd kick ass. He'd tried that too, encouraging her to take the Maiden's powers early. Same results as usual.

But this? This would work. The patient approach - erosion. One chip at a time he'd wear away at their plan. Anyone else might have called him foolish, accused him of being a man trying to dig through a wall with his fingernails. But the thing was… if you had all the time in the world to do it… then eventually you'd break through. He _would_ break through.

And everyone would live to tell the tale. He'd make sure of it.

Which was why time was of the essence, he _had_ to leave as soon as possible, so that those extra days could be put to proper use. It would already take a few days to break his body in. To drop all those bad habits he had as a child, rid himself of the useless fat and build up his stamina. There just wasn't the time for sitting around doing nothing.

"That's generous of you kiddo," something touched the top of his head - and so lost in thought was he, that the sensation made him flinch. Nicholas' darker eyes met his own, a small hint of concern within them. Damn his wandering mind, he needed to put a stop to that before people started to get suspicious. His father turned to Amber, though not before giving one final worried look. "And here I was going to take my little girl out shopping when I got back," the older man reached out to wipe a napkin across Amber's mouth. The girl bore it without patience, squirming against his hold, which only served to spill more food around the table.

"You can take me tomorrow daddy," Amber compromised magnanimously, with that infallible logic only a child could possess. Jaune just nodded dumbly along, a small seed of guilt worming its way within his stomach.

He would be going to the arcade with Amber alright… but he'd be abandoning her there, using her as a distraction so that he could sneak back when they went to collect her. So that he had a chance to steal Crocea Mors and leave. It was for the best, for _everyone_ – them included. Cinder's plan would spread across all of Remnant eventually.

"Make sure to have her back by five," the older man teased, "and if I hear about any funny business we'll be having words young man."

"Ha ha, yeah…" The laughter sounded weak, even to him, and he didn't fail to notice the way his father's eyes narrowed, the creases about his eyes deepening.

"He's feeling a little under the weather," Juniper came to his rescue, leaning over to explain to Nicholas, "I think it's fine, he's just been tired." The man accepted it with a nod, sparing a brief concerned look for him, before being distracted by the other conversation at the table.

It would be fine; things would sort themselves out when he got out into the wilderness to train. Out there it would be the same routine as ever, a comfortable constant he could rely on.

In a few days… he wouldn't even remember any of this.

* * *

Ansel, the settlement where they lived, was a strange location. Calling it a village would be a disservice, while it also wasn't quite large enough to classify as a town. The settlement, for lack of a better term, was one of many dotted around Vale. Close enough to the city to retreat to if needed, while also far enough to have some level of autonomy. The air was clearer too, away from the mass of industry.

Juniper had often joked that it was where successful Hunters came to retire. A quaint quasi-town where the elderly could routinely kick the ass of the young if they ever felt like it. It had all the amenities one would expect of a town, from the school building – a mere fragment the size of Beacon, but then again it only needed to accommodate a hundred students at most. There was no hospital, but there was a large building where the resident doctor lived, with enough beds to fit twenty or so people in if needs be.

And wherever humanity set-up, so did an economy to surround them. Shops, a small grocery and a weekly market - most of it was more suited to the mature populace of the area. For the children there were only really three options.

The library, for the 1% who actually enjoyed that kind of thing, or the arcade and park, for the other 99%.

Seeing it all again was a blast from the past. The squat building ringed with flashing lights and garish signs. From within came what could only be called a tortured symphony of beeps, boops, techno music and childish squeals.

It hurt his ears to even _look_ at it…

 _I remember being so excited whenever we came here,_ his blue eyes looked over some of the machines outside, including those hook grabbing things that were so-clearly rigged. _How many times did I make Nicholas and Juniper try to win me one of those?_

He didn't think they ever had. Not for lack of trying… Nicholas had taken it as a personal challenge, only giving up when his wife dragged him away by the collar. _Gods, that was so long ago…_

" _Big brother,_ " Amber whined, tugging on his arm with an impatient expression. "Come _on_ … we need to hurry – what if all the machines are taken?"

"There aren't enough children in all of Ansel for that," he sighed, allowing her to drag him into the building. The music was louder inside, if that were even possible. And with over a hundred different machines playing different melodies, it couldn't even really be called music anymore. More like white noise in 8-bit form.

"You did bring lien, right?"

"Yes Amber," as though he'd dare forget. She'd have sent him marching all the way back home to collect some more. Either way, Juniper had forced some into his hand as he left the house, making him promise to save some of it for food and drink. Luckily – or unluckily, given the noise – the arcade also had a small diner in it.

No one _used_ it… since most of the kids squandered their lien on tokens and games… but it was there.

Strange what memories came back, even though this one was so deeply buried behind Beacon and the fighting. Maybe if he'd spent less time here, he wouldn't have needed to fake his entry into Beacon. Either way, he'd already pocketed a portion of the money, sequestered away to bolster what he could steal when he left. Money made the world go round, after all.

Amber rattled off some details about the last time she was here, after school with some friends, or something. Jaune paid only half attention, handing a portion of their lien over to the only adult in the area - a young man, perhaps nineteen or so, with an utterly defeated look on his face. The teen handed back some tokens in exchange, barely even seeing Jaune or Amber, but going through the motions nonetheless.

Jaune could empathise… truly, he could.

"So we're here," Jaune pointed out, perhaps the most needless comment he'd made for some time, "what do you want to do first?"

"That one," Amber said - pointing towards a set of screens placed before two large seats. Some kind of racing game, with steering wheels and pedals, Jaune passed her a silvery token as he climbed into the seat next to her. "Bet you can't beat me!"

"We'll see," he rolled his eyes but humoured her nonetheless, pressing the bright start button once the machine had registered his token. The concept seemed simple enough… there wasn't a gear stick or a clutch – which felt a little odd – but then again, he hadn't exactly been formally trained.

But you didn't get to be Roman Torchwicks getaway driver without learning fast, and driving faster. If he could manoeuvre a lorry filled with explosive dust around the streets of Vale while being chased by the cops?

This would be a cake walk.

* * *

"It's not a very realistic representation of driving," the blond boy sighed as his sister dragged him away. That was the only explanation for how good she was at the game.

"No one likes a sore loser," Amber giggled, "maybe that's why you're still single."

"What does an eleven year old know of dating?" He wondered aloud. There was a small temptation to point out that actually he'd had plenty of girlfriends in his time, there were only so many times he could live his live and not notice Pyrrha's attention. Then there'd been Velvet once or twice, Ruby, Reese… hell, even Coco once – for a _very_ short time. Not to mention a host of casual relationships, sometimes for comfort, sometimes just for the sake of it.

That had been a long time ago, however. You could only watch your lover die – revive, then forget you – so many times. After going through that over and over it soon lost its appeal.

"Win me something then," the small girl demanded, looking up at him as though it were her birth right to command him. "I want a teddy, a toy, a pony-" the list went on, including such things as crowns, a kingdom and a boyfriend.

 _Someone really needs to have a talk with her sisters, if she's picking up things like this…_

It would take some time, to win her any of those things… the machines that gave prizes tended to print out tickets. Which you then needed to collect to exchange at the counter. Even if he played perfectly the ironic part was that the prize would be worth less than what they'd spent to get it. That was how the place made its profit after all.

But this _would_ be her last memory of him, once he ran away… would it really be so bad, to spend a little time making it a pleasant one?

"I'll win you something," the answer was instant, "I promise." If he left now… if he took his original plan and abandoned her here at the arcade?

She'd be hurt, of course… but worse than that, would she think it was her fault - that he had run away because he couldn't stand _her_? He couldn't be that cruel… even if it meant he lost another day of training, even if in the end the pain would still be the same – because he'd still be gone.

He'd make sure she knew it wasn't because of her.

"Mummy says you shouldn't promise things you can't keep," the little girl pointed out in a surprising moment of maturity.

"Trust in your big brother a little, hmm?" He thumped one hand against his chest, trying to match the confident smile he'd picked up at Beacon. With his scrawny limbs and gangly fourteen-year-old frame he wasn't sure it worked. But when she had to crane her neck to look up at him anyway?

It was enough to bring a beatific smile to her face. "Hn!" She nodded, skipping ahead of him towards the machines that gave out prize tickets.

 _We have fifty or so tokens for play left,_ he considered as he looked down at the small bag of clinking silver coins. Not real currency, they were simply rounded metal which the machines would recognise. _The big prizes need a hundred prize tickets, and the machines can give out anywhere from one to five depending on how well you do…_

His mind whirled, considering not only the basic math behind it, but also which games would best suit his rather specific skillset. It was strategy on a childish scale; an affront to the skills as a leader he'd bled and literally died to earn. He was used to assigning teammates, of making decisions that could mean life or death…

But that didn't make them any less applicable here. _Intelligence based games are out, I'm old enough to know a lot, but all my knowledge is about Grimm and fighting, not trivia – especially not trivia from a period I haven't lived for decades. I know more about Mercury than I do most celebrities…_

His eyes flicked over a strength tester, something where you had to punch the pads when it told you to. It would then rank you based on whatever it used to measure your strength. There was currently a teen already on it, surrounded by a few cheering friends.

That might be an option… his physical prowess wasn't something he could bring back with him each time, but there was more to punching than brute strength. It was all about the footwork, how to throw your weight behind it – even how to minimise damage to yourself and cause more to your opponent. Yang had taught him about that, a long time ago… though he'd also picked up bits and pieces from Ren. Two very different styles for what was essentially hand to hand combat.

"Jaune?"

"I'm thinking," he whispered, considering what other strengths he might still have. Reactions, perhaps? His mind was a steel vice, quick to notice and react to things… and while his body might not have the same speed, it would be better than a normal boy his age. That was the closest thing he could think of. Since there wasn't likely going to be any games that let him physically fight someone.

"How about that shooting game?" He suggested, drawing the girl's attention to some kind of Grimm hunting machine. It was really just a large, flat screen – which played a game where Grimm would charge at you down a corridor, while you shot at them with large plastic handguns.

They'd never be enough to truly kill a Beowolf, not with a single shot anyway… but that was part of the game's design. In a world where your life could be ended if you gave off too much negativity, propaganda had a very important place in society.

Show the Grimm as weak; uphold the image of Hunters as absolute heroes, to the point where children's tales would all be about good triumphing over evil. It was all carefully designed to maintain the mood of the populace. To ensure their safety by making them believe in their own invincibility.

He'd hated that truth, once he found out about it. But now, with a few years behind him, he could see the value in it. Was it truly cruel, to manipulate people like that, when it was not only for their own happiness – but for their survival?

It made the presence of Hunters as much a weapon as the ones they wielded. A besieged and beleaguered town would rise up in cheer and song when a team arrived - ironically doing more to hinder the presence of Grimm than any four people could.

A small hand poked against his ribs, snapping him from his own thoughts as Amber pouted up at him. Ah… the impatience of youth… he really needed to stop getting lost in his own thoughts.

 _Dual wield?_ He chuckled to himself as he picked up the plastic guns, getting used to their weight. He could already imagine Ruby glaring at him, that silent threat of what she'd do to him if he actually believed dual wielding was a good idea. _Don't worry, I'm not…_

"Yeah, go Jaune!" Amber cheered as the lights flashed and his screen started to move, simulating a man walking through an abandoned building. Jaune's right arm rose, the left still slack at his side as he readied himself. Swords had always been his thing, and likely always would be… but learning how to use a gun had seemed an obvious choice once he settled into the repeats, and who better to learn from than Ruby Rose herself?

A small smile slipped onto his lips as the first Grimm appeared, fading away in an immediate shot to the head. Amber cheered.

Actually, asking for help with guns from Ruby had been a bit of a mistake. He'd always known the girl loved weaponry, but hadn't realised quite how much… not until the words left his mouth and Ruby's face had lit up like a Christmas tree. Hours upon hours... she didn't allow rest. Not until he was capable of firing a pistol and hitting a target consistently at twenty metres.

And that had only been the beginning… on the bright side it had only taken him a few weeks to become proficient at firearms. On the downside he'd been so tired and missed so much homework that he'd been made to sit through detentions with Miss Goodwitch for a solid month!

 _That was so long ago…_

The gun clicked empty, and he allowed it to fall to his side as he drew up his left arm, adjusting his footing slightly to account for the change. While the right started to automatically reload, a small timer appearing on the screen, he continued firing with his left – downing a Grimm with each accurate shot.

"That's my brother!" A voice cheered as he noticed a few people beginning to crowd around them to watch. He didn't let it distract him, turning once more to bring up the freshly reloaded gun, his left arm folding behind his back. More Grimm, they had upgraded to Ursa, though it made no real difference. They still died in a single shot to the face, they simply moved a little quicker.

A fallacy… Beowolves were far more agile than their cumbersome brethren. Ursa were larger, stronger and much more robust… it was always best to just separate a limb, allow them to bleed out… or – if you could – cut off their head with a single strike. Taking one down with a single handgun would be an arduous task. At the least you'd need some kind of explosive dust, or maybe a heavily modified weapon like Ironwood's.

 _You're at an arcade Jaune, keep it together…_ they didn't even look like Grimm – more like polygons with red eyes. So, with a shake of his head, he broke free of such morbid thoughts. The final Grimm fell, breaking into polygons as the screen faded to white. High score, no damage, 100% accuracy – the crowd cheered.

"That was _amazing!"_ Amber gasped, leaping onto his back as he pulled the tickets from the machine. She didn't weigh enough to knock him over and he managed to adjust to her before he could hit his head into the screen. "Oh my God, I didn't think you'd be so good at it – where did you learn to do that!?"

"Ah… here, mostly," he lied, counting the tickets as she wrapped her legs around his waist to keep herself secured. "Play it enough times and you start to remember where they all come from." Ten tickets, that was a lot actually! A shame he couldn't repeat his success however, since there was now a long queue for the machine, the other kids eager to try and equal his score.

"You have to teach me that, _please,_ " the words were innocent… but they caused him to swallow nonetheless. That was a promise he could neither make nor keep.

"Maybe one day," he instead said, committing it to memory. One day he would try to keep that promise, to teach his little sister how to win at a simple arcade game. After all the fighting and the death it would be a worthy quest. There was an entire list of such promises, things he had to do once it was all over… let Ruby craft him a new weapon, visit Vacuo with Sun and Neptune, introduce Pyrrha to his sisters. The list was huge and ever-growing.

Before she could protest he reached out to rub her messy hair, "but not today squirt, we still need to get you a prize."

"Not a squirt," she hissed, pushing his hand from her hair and trying to push it back into some sense of order. Jaune could only shake his head, smiling down on her as she pouted and fussed.

His next choice was an egg-catching game, one where he needed to move a small basket using a lever so that it would catch plastic eggs as they fell through a maze. Again, a simple game meant for simple minds… where children might seek to react to how they fell, moving the basket about wildly – he simply waited a few minutes beforehand, memorising which entrance led to which exit.

Five minutes later, he had another five tickets to add to the tally. And with no queues gathering, he quickly ran through it another five times - up until Amber got bored anyway. Apparently even in the pursuit of a prize he needed to keep her entertained on different machines.

Such a demanding little sister…

"Let's take a break," he suggested after the next set of games – where he'd managed to eke out another six tokens from two rounds of throwing balls into holes. His accuracy with throwing didn't quite match up to guns sadly, likely because he wasn't used to his own strength. That and the fact that he'd never really bothered to learn it… Pyrrha was the only one who really liked to throw her weapon. Then again, she had the benefit of being able to control it mid-flight… and then bring it back again. "Only to have some lunch," he assured when she looked ready to argue, "Juniper's orders."

"Juni- you mean mum? Ugh… fine," she gave in, though she stomped one foot and crossed her arms - just to show it was on sufferance. "But right after that, you need to get back to winning!"

"Of course, my lady, now come on – your banquet awaits."

* * *

"Eat a little slower," he leaned over to brush some crumbs from her chin, and roughly a quarter of the pastry which had been squashed there in her effort to fit it all in at once. "By the time it reaches the plate the food isn't trying to run away."

"You sound like dad," Amber complained, fidgeting in his grip as she slurped at some overly caffeinated beverage, "you're not as cool as him though, so stop trying."

"You don't need to actually _say_ that," he poked her nose, earning a quick giggle. In a household of women how was he supposed to measure up to someone like that, anyway? There was a reason he'd wanted to be a hero, back when this all started – before he knew what really _made_ a hero.

That same wonderment had passed however; especially after the repeated tries he'd made for the man to train him. The early reasons were that he wasn't strong enough, after having so little conditioning he wouldn't be able to handle what training Nicholas could offer.

That had been a bitter pill to swallow, but it made sense. But when Jaune had managed to go back a full year, and bring his fitness up to par… the excuse had changed to something else. That he was too busy, that there wasn't enough time or that Jaune wasn't ready.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that his father never would train him, no matter what reasoning he gave. _Not that it matters, I'm more than good enough to handle my own training now._ It was still enough to make him bitter, but no longer did it weigh on him.

"I'm done!" Amber crowed, setting her plastic plate down even as Jaune looked at the half-finished food on his own. He'd seen _Ruby_ eat with more patience - even with a plate of cookies before her. "You done yet?"

 _You can see I'm not,_ he thought to himself. Still, he nodded and pushed himself up unable to hide his smile at her antics. This day was for her after all… he could eat at any time, but these would be the last memories of him she had.

He was going to make them special… even if he had to find special, kill it, and drag it back by its metaphorical ears. Stuffing a final bite into his mouth, he left the remainder behind. One of the waitresses glanced at them as they passed, though much like the person in the arcade itself there was no energy to be had. Honestly the food was crap too, re-heated garbage… three days ago he'd have killed for it, but after tasting homemade cooking it was a poor substitute.

"GAY!"

The sound made him pause. For no other reason than the sheer randomness of it, a single word shouted out across the street in broad daylight. Not even an insult, but a mere explanation of orientation. Amber bumped into his side as they both looked at a ring of young teens surrounding two figures.

What on Remnant?

"W-We shouldn't get involved…" Amber hesitated, gripping his hand before he could step forward. He spared a glance for her, then the situation ahead. There were about six or seven of them in total, of various heights and builds. It actually took him a few seconds to realise why she was frightened of them.

 _Because she's not a Huntress._

Because to someone like Amber, people like this _were_ scary and could very much hurt her. Whereas to him and the life he'd lived – they were nothing more than civilians - people to be protected, even if they were harassing others. He simply wasn't used to hanging around people who weren't capable of tearing the head off a monster before breakfast.

And he wasn't either, realistically. With no aura and no physical training he was as much a child as they were. But that didn't mean he would sit back either. Not with everything he'd been through.

"What's the problem here?" He called, walking between two of the teens so that he could see inside the ring. Amber stuck close to his side, hiding her face against his hip, but it wasn't her who caught his eye. As saliva got trapped in his throat.

He was practised. He'd had decades of pretending he didn't know his friends when he first met them, so there was no real temptation or risk to shout out their names and give anything away. But it was a shock nonetheless. What were they doing here at Ansel?

Bright orange hair, it was different from how he'd always known it – with a cute bow he knew she'd remove in time. But even then, there was no mistaking that wide smile and bright eyes, filled with cheer and confidence – even if she was being insulted and surrounded. Even at the worst of times, when everything was doomed, she always had a smile for them. Hell… Nora could probably massacre these kids alone… she was bound to have some training - even at this age.

And of course, where there was one – so were there two. Lie Ren, standing calmly in the centre of the ring with not a care in the world. As though assault by six teenage boys was his usual midweek routine. He was so _small_ though… like, wow… someone was about to have a growth spurt, because right now he couldn't be more than five foot two.

"Who asked you, _nerd_?" A round of laughter, it was almost enough to make him sigh. Good Lord, now _he_ was being hazed… by children.

"When you stand in the middle of a street shouting random words, you shouldn't be surprised when people hear. Is there any reason you're harassing these two?"

The leader, or rather who Jaune assumed was the leader, paused. It apparently took him a moment or two to even comprehend what Jaune was saying. "Like it's any of your business, that guy," he pointed at Ren, who raised one brow in response, "has _pink_ hair!"

Jaune looked back. Indeed, Ren did still have his single lock of pink hair. It suddenly struck him that he'd never really asked about that… it couldn't be natural (though given Neopolitan's hair style, who even knew?), but if it _was_ dyed, then Jaune never saw him apply it.

"He does." Jaune agreed, wondering what the point of it all was.

"He's a guy," the bully said, "with pink hair!"

"And? You'll have to explain this to me; I'm still not getting it." It was just hair… some people cared a lot, some people didn't – and then there was Yang. But even so, what was the guy on about?

"That means he's gay!"

"Gay!" "Gaybo!" The other boys all chanted while laughing. Amber pushed her face deeper into his stomach as the crowd closed in. Jaune, for his part, could only tilt his head. Honestly lost.

"That's it?" He looked back at Ren, who noticing his new companion's gaze could only shrug. " _T_ _hat's_ what this is all about!? Pink hair, what are you – twelve!?"

"And a half!" The boy felt the need to add, right as Jaune's hand slapped into his face. He could feel the migraine building. Right… yeah, they _were_ twelve, weren't they? Which meant it came with all the horror that schoolyard prejudice was. Goodness, had he ever actually been frightened by this kind of stuff?

 _Cardin would roll over and die if he saw this…_

Amber however, _was_ frightened, which was enough to bring his mind back to the task. Even if they were two years younger than him physically there were still six of them – and though Jaune couldn't remember what his own reputation was like in Ansel - he was fairly sure "wimp" would be a safe bet.

But wimp or not, and it was a resounding _not_ in this case, he wasn't going to allow two of his best friends, people who had stuck with him through thick and thin - whether they knew it or not - to suffer. Not when he could do something about it.

"There's no point in any of this," he said, speaking only to the one who was in command. "Why don't you just head back to the arcade, that's got to be more fun than causing problems for visitors, right?"

Perfect logic, something even they couldn't disagr-

"You telling me what to do, _Arc_?" The boys bristled, fanning a little wider around them to cut off any escape. Jaune rubbed the fingers of one hand between his eyes. Was it honestly going to come to this, a schoolyard scrap with a bunch of snot-nosed kids? He'd forgotten that logic didn't work when it came to the schoolyard.

"You don't need to do this," a familiar male voice whispered from behind him. "We'll be fine."

"Look after my sister, will you?" He unhooked Amber's hands from his jacket, pushing her towards Ren and Nora. She didn't look like she appreciated the gesture, but as Nora's arms wrapped around the little girl, he knew she'd be safe. He turned back to the idiot stood before him. "I am, actually. I'm telling you to leave these people alone, go off and enjoy your day like adul- like normal people."

"And if we don't want to?" The twelve and a half year old squared his feet, puffing out his chest like some kind of fat bird displaying its crest. Jaune was even less impressed than he had been earlier.

"You'll have to see." They couldn't be reasoned with, because there was more at stake than their own safety – something only of value to idiots and children… street cred. Jaune realised the bully couldn't back down, not and keep the support of his fellows.

How pathetic.

"Behind you," Amber yelled, voice high-pitched and frightened. Jaune simply closed his eyes with a sigh however.

He'd already heard it.

A short step to the left, lazy almost, as a fist passed through the space his head had occupied a good two seconds earlier. A long time in a fight, but this was hardly a fight at all… the boy who had thrown it didn't even seem to have been ready for such a possibility – and tripped over his own feet. He fell to the pavement with a bang, hitting his knee on the floor. Before he immediately started crying.

"I didn't do anything," Jaune said automatically, half expecting an angry Glynda Goodwitch to come flying out of a nearby building to punish him. The remaining boys stiffened, suddenly aware of the consequences of their actions now that one of them was down.

 _Down with a scraped knee… I feel embarrassed to be even winning this._

The leader moved, swinging one arm in a wide circle… there didn't seem to be any reason for it, a punch was always better when delivered in a straight line, but he didn't expect them to really know that. Ducking beneath it he stepped up and into the boy's guard, though he didn't actually strike. He didn't need to, as the bully collided into him, bouncing back off his body and falling to the ground. There were _some_ advantages to being a gangly six-foot teen…

"What the hell's going on here?" A new voice shouted. Interrupting the fight before anyone else could injure themselves on him. Jaune looked towards the new figure in relief, letting out a short sigh when he saw it was an older teen – probably sixteen or seventeen. At least they'd be able to break up the fight and scare off the others.

"He hit me," the bully on the floor shouted, "he already hit Todd, then he had a go at me!"

"Did you hit my brother?"

Or not… seriously, where was his luck recently? Oh right, it was trapped in his past life dying under a flaming piece of wreckage. Luck was not something Jaune Arc had ever truly experienced.

"Your brother was bullying these newcomers," Jaune tried to explain - regardless of the fact he was sure it wouldn't work. The older teen was already cracking the fingers of one hand, causing superficial cartilage damage in an attempt to intimidate him. "I stepped in to protect them, and no, I didn't hit him. He ran into me and fell over."

"Stay still kid," the taller teen growled, "I'll make this quick."

 _For the love of…_ he was faster than the younger one, with better form too. Nothing compared to the people Jaune had known through his lives, it was more a stance forged from numerous brawls and pointless fights with people of equally low skill.

It was enough however, that he wouldn't fall over or hurt himself when he was throwing punches around. Which meant that despite not wanting to, he'd actually have to get involved in this one.

How irritating…

The first blow sailed over his left shoulder, the force of it blowing a few strands of blond hair aside. The second came as a kick, clumsy and awkward it struck Jaune's raised arm without doing any real damage. But it wasn't until the next punch that Jaune noticed a very real problem… the guy was wearing a ring; on the hand was making most of the attacks with. Nothing special and hardly expensive, but solid enough that if it hit there would be some real damage.

And judging from the smirk on the teen's face, he more than knew.

"Jaune, catch!" His sister shouted as something sailed through the air behind him. He only briefly glimpsed it over his left shoulder, the familiar sight enough to spark his instincts. One hand snapped out, settling around a soft hilt, as he fell into a familiar stance.

Only to be interrupted by raucous laughter.

"Fuck," the older teen nearly sobbed, bending over with one hand on his knee, "that's too good… oh you crack me up!"

Jaune's eyes closed, a breath escaping through his nostrils. _Damn it Amber_ … when he opened them, the sight before him persisted still. An inflatable yellow sword, the handle of which was plastic, flopping wildly before him…

She must have stolen it from Nora, who would be the only one who could ever find something like this funny. And here he was; legs bent, left shoulder presented forward as he wielded the floppy weapon in a two-handed grip.

Well… in for a penny?

"I figured since you're using a weapon," Jaune said, pointing the balloon-like material towards the teen's hand, "that I should have one too. Don't worry, to make it fair mine is made of plastic – you need all the help you can get after all."

"Fuck you," his opponent eloquently extoled, leaping forward to throw another fist at Jaune's face. He'd have liked to deflect it, were the weapon rigid enough for that… but the fact that it wasn't firm didn't make it any less of a weapon.

 _Squeak!_ The plastic slammed into the teen's face, creating a satisfying slapping sound as his face whipped to the side. Even as the embarrassing noise-maker in the end sounded. A few of the boys around them winced, as the older one stroked his red cheek with one hand. It might not cut… but Balloona Mors sure did sting. And with how easily he'd dodged the attack - and those before it - his opponent was starting to realise what kind of situation he was in.

Dodging once might be called luck, twice a coincidence… but three or more times in a row? Even an idiot could see the pattern…

"Screw this," the boy pushed his fringe back with one hand, faking a smile. "If this kid wants to play his toys then let him, we don't have time for this loser."

"Y-Yeah," the bully from earlier agreed, climbing to his feet and moving to follow his brother. "See you later, _loser_!"

Jaune could only watch them go, fighting back the yawn that struggled to escape. Give him Cinder Fall any day… this was _exhausting_.

* * *

"You're hunter trained," were the first real words Ren spoke to him, as the two males stood against a wall, watching the girls play on some kind of dancing game. Amber had been ecstatic after the fight, though still a little shaken. Nora - bless her - had noticed immediately, and convinced the girl to let her help win a prize on the machines.

She'd always been like that, noticing the mood and doing what she could to improve it. It was what you could always rely on Nora for… that and pancakes.

"A little," Jaune replied, taking a subtle pleasure in being with his old friend once more. Where some might struggle to understand the quiet boy Jaune had decades practice reading between the lines. He'd also perfected the art of making friends with the two over time, just to make the transitions easier. "More than they had, anyway."

"Not many people would stand up for strangers like that. Thanks."

"Juni - my mother - always said strangers are just friends you haven't met yet," he rattled off the familiar line, as he always did. Back then it had been something he used to ward off the embarrassment of having to speak to new people. Nowadays it was his own personal joke; a snippet of honesty for the friends that hadn't had the chance to meet him yet. "Besides, if I'm going to be a Huntsman, I can't let stuff like that happen and not step in."

"You're going to be a Hunter?" Ren's magenta eyes looked him up and down, the results of his analysis unspoken, "Nora and I are also aiming for that."

"Perhaps we'll see each other again then," Jaune hid his smile, offering a fresh can of fruit juice to the boy – Ren's favourite. It would be useful indeed to lay the groundwork ahead of time. It wouldn't change much – but it would save time, his most previous resource. "I'm hoping for Beacon myself. It's one of the best combat schools around."

"Then perhaps we _will_ see each other again. We're planning on the same route. For now we're just travelling, expanding our horizons." Because they didn't have anywhere to live or a family to live with - he knew the real reasons. Not that he would say them out loud. Neither of them felt bad about their situation, or wanted any pity at all. It was one of the many things he admired about them.

"It'll be nice to have someone I've already met there," he said instead, dodging the elephant in the room as they went back to watching their two companions. Nora was as energetic as ever, much more than the machine could ever hope to match. And as the game came to an end, he wasn't surprised to see tickets for a victory pouring forth.

"Jaune, Jaune," Amber crowed, running up to him with a trail of tickets behind her, "Nora did it – she was so cool!"

"Cooler than me?" He joked as he took the tickets, counting and adding them to the pile.

"So much cooler!" She didn't even hesitate, and if he'd been in possession of his aura he could imagine it being knocked into the yellow instantly. This girl… holy crap…

"My battered ego aside," the blond drawled, sharing an indulgent look with Ren, the black-haired boy nodding back in understanding. "I think we've maybe got enough for the top prize." Amber's bright blue eyes went wide, her whole body shaking in excitement, " _but_ … well, I did all the work myself, and I'm thinking maybe that plastic sword looks cool."

Her face fell, skin going ashen as she turned to look where he was pointing – to see the gaudy and disgusting looking thing, covered in bright tinfoil. It sat beside the main prize she truly wanted, a stuffed unicorn as big as her. Her gaze flicked between the two, before coming back to him.

He tried to maintain his pose, one hand below his chin as he hummed loudly. Above her head he could see Nora giggling.

"You…" Amber paused, looking honestly pained. "You're the coolest, bestest brother in the whole of Remnant…?"

"That's nice of you to say, hmm… maybe I could hang it on my wall?"

"The _bestest_! Even better than dad – even better than X-ray and Vav, and I love you so much!" She hopped on one foot, hands clasped together as though praying to some higher power. He couldn't hold it in, handing over the tickets with a laugh. "Yes, thank you - thank you!" A sloppy kiss, placed directly on his cheek as she hung from his neck, before she ran off faster than even Ruby could have.

"Aww," Nora cooed once she'd gone, "Renny, when I have kids you need to be like that!"

"When you have kids, I'm going to run away and hide," the boy replied, "especially if they're anything like you."

"Nope!" Nora grinned, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and dragging the exasperated boy into her developing breasts, "I won't let you~"

"Jaune here's going to be coming to Beacon as well." Ren saw an opportunity to escape the girl's grasp, and promptly threw Jaune beneath the tyres.

"That's great," Nora laughed, "we should totally be on a team together. Can you make a sound like a giraffe?" _Don't ask,_ Ren mouthed when Jaune looked at him.

"No," the blonde admitted, watching her face fall, "but I can do a decent sloth impression."

"Hmm… sloths are pretty cool too, now that I think about it…" The girl went off into her own mind, no doubt considering the merits of sloths against giraffes. He had a feeling sloths would win.

"Jaune~" Amber sang as she ran up to them, almost stumbling over the huge unicorn. "Look – it's so cute!"

"Almost as cute as you," he picked the girl up, giving her a peck on the cheek. Amber's face went red as she buried her face in his neck, though he did notice her arms wrap around him. Nora `awwed` loudly, rocking back and forth as she watched them. The moment was broken when his scroll went off – the alarm he'd set earlier signalling the end of their time.

Damn it… he'd genuinely enjoyed seeing them again. He'd have liked to invite them back to the house, to spend more time with them while also making sure they had somewhere to sleep. But with him leaving at the soonest opportunity? That wouldn't be fair… they'd be caught up in all the drama his departure would cause.

His departure… he hadn't thought about it, so wrapped up in winning something for Amber. No… he was lying to himself, so wrapped up in having _fun,_ genuine honest-to-goodness fun.

It had felt good to let loose…

"Maybe we'll see each other again at Beacon," Nora said once they were ready to depart. Ren nodded over her shoulder, imparting the same message as Jaune placed Amber down, letting her secure the unicorn with both arms.

"You can count on it, I'll see you there." An amusing thought came to his mind before they left, and as they turned away – he fired one last comment back to Ren. "Make sure to find out what noise a sloth makes, you'll need it."

"What sound does a sloth make?" Amber asked, once it was just the two of them walking home. He pretended to think about it for a moment, looking up towards the clear blue sky.

He reached out to tweak her nose, watching the girl jump back in shock.

"Boop!"

* * *

"I'm gonna show this to the others," Amber could barely contain herself by the time they reached the Arc house. Even as they approached her mood had only seemed to increase, the girl giggling and hopping about in excitement. Jaune pretended to put the remaining lien back in the drawer, slipping it into one pocket instead. Amber didn't notice. Too busy tugging her toy towards the main corridor. "Stay here, okay?"

"Sure, sure," he laughed, waiting until the girl was through the door before turning to what was truly on his mind. The moment he'd entered the kitchen its presence had struck him, a heavy weight settling on his shoulders.

Crocea Mors hung, gleaming slightly in the afternoon light. _It was just half a day,_ he argued, shaking his head. _I'll get going soon, don't worry…_

 _What's to stop me leaving now?_

The thought froze him. His parents were nowhere to be seen, his task for the day complete. There was no way Amber would blame herself for what had happened here, not after the time they'd spend together. And even if she did… what did it matter? He would push himself onward and either succeed - or gain a few more weeks the next time. If it were the former… he could come back and apologise… no, he could fix things.

Words were cheap. He would come back and prove that he loved her. And if it were the latter, yet another death, then what did it matter? All of this would cease to exist. It wouldn't matter.

 _Did I waste my time today, on something that doesn't even mean anything?_

All the games, the tickets and tokens… would his friends look on him with anger for that? No… he knew the answer as soon as he thought it. There wasn't a one of them that would begrudge him the time spent with his family, they would all support it.

They could support it. But he couldn't.

He was on the job… he had a duty to fulfil, people to save, others to stop – to kill.

"It's time," Jaune reached out for the weapon as he spoke those words. He could feel her long before he touched the glass case. Her presence had always been there, leather grip warm in his hand.

Fingers touched the glass, breath escaping him in rapid bursts, was his hand shaking – or was it his eyesight that was blurring?

"Son?" His arm snapped back, body going stiff as he turned to look at who had spoken. Nicholas stood in the doorway, face unreadable. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," the answer was automatic and he cursed himself for it. "Sorry – I saw something on the glass, thought it was a tuft of hair or something."

"Probably mine," the taller man chuckled, rubbing a hand through his rough, shoulder-length hair. "Don't worry about it. Why don't you come through to the living room, I think your mother wants to speak to you."

 _Damn it, so close…_

"Sure, I'm coming." It didn't matter… he'd already wasted away a day and a half, what were a few more hours? Once they were in bed, when the house was dark and asleep, then he would make his move. That would be easier anyway. Less chance of anyone else noticing what was going on.

He followed his father through the dimmed corridors, wondering idly at the lack of light or even the lack of people. There were eight others in the house, with his sisters and mother. It didn't seem feasible that there wouldn't be _someone_ running around or causing a ruckus.

"Through here," Nicholas said, pushing Jaune into the doorway, before a bright light shone into his eyes. What on Rem-?

"Happy Birthday!" A dull explosion, as confetti fired into his face, followed quickly by the loud blaring of some kind of horn-based instrument. He barely had time to blink the streamers out of his eyes, before someone crashed into him.

"Happy birthday brother," Amber cried, hugging his waist. A hand settled on his shoulder from behind, Nicholas leaning forward to rough up his hair.

"Happy birthday kiddo, gods you're growing up fast." His mother waved at him too, a smile filled with pride and love – even as the other girls waved streamers or blew horns. The entire room was festooned with decorations. Balloons, banners, he could even see some party lights blinking around the edges of the ceiling.

"What-?" He tried to find the words. His birthday? He hadn't even known… he… hell, he couldn't even remember when that _was._ Every time he just ran away – training and training until the important date, the only date he _did_ remember.

The date of Beacon's initiation… Birthdays were something others celebrated, Ruby's, Yang's, Pyrrha's… but whenever they asked for his he dodged the question.

"You look surprised bro," Jade laughed, putting down her horn. "Amber had to distract you all day so we could set this up. You better appreciate it."

"Jade!" Coral rebuked, slapping the younger girl on the arm, "she means happy birthday, she loves you – she's just too shy to admit it."

"Do not!" Jade bristled, though the blush on her face told a different story. Juniper laughed, walking up to give him a great hug – entrapping Amber between them.

"Happy birthday sweetie," she whispered, placing a kiss on his forehead.

"You were doing this all day?" They all seemed amused by his words, not one of them understanding the true reason for his panic. All day… they'd been preparing for this moment; putting in all this effort for him – because they loved him.

And he'd been planning how to run away.

 _If I'd left Amber at the arcade… if I'd stolen Crocea Mors and run not two minutes ago?_ He knew the answer, even as the ushered him into a big seat and pushed some presents before him. If Jaune Arc had left as he intended to, then they would have been alone.

The family would have sat in this very room, surrounded by the decorations for his birthday – only to face the slow realisation that he had run away from home. What would they think? That he hated them? That he didn't care about any of them? That on his birthday, of all days, he'd finally had enough of each of them…?

The thought hit harder than he expected.

"Aren't you going to open it?" His mother said, drawing his attention to the large parcel in his lap. Covered in shiny red paper, it had a solid weight to it – not to mention its unusual shape. "That one's from your father and I."

His hand shook as he peeled back the paper, the unusual sound of foil and plastic crackling beneath his fingers. Ever so slowly it came back, revealing a black case of studded leather – with a metallic clip on the side. He couldn't remember it, yet he could – if that made any sense. Something about it felt familiar; but without opening it he couldn't tell what.

The top half gave way, clicking open as soft red velvet and varnished wood appeared before him. Azure eyes widened as he took it in, fingers tracing across the soft surface.

His acoustic guitar.

He'd… forgotten all about it. In fact the last time he'd even touched it must have been… no, could it be? The last time he'd touched it was during his first life – the _original_ life. Back before this all began. He'd played it for Weiss, hadn't he? Maybe that was too strong a term on second thought. More like he'd played it to the hardwood surface of her door.

The memory was almost enough to bring a chuckle from him, but the air got trapped half way, coming out as a cough.

"Is it…" Nicholas' voice sounded strained, worried, "if it's not okay I can-"

"I love it." He didn't look at either of them, lest they saw the moisture in his eyes. His first life… it was nothing more than blurred memories and indistinct feelings. But it _shouldn't_ be! It should have been something he held onto – cherished. Where had it gone? "It's amazing, I _really_ love it."

But he couldn't play it. Not anymore. Of all the skills he'd picked up in the decades, all the random things he'd tried to learn to give him that edge he needed. Music had never been one of them. Because what could it achieve, realistically? Entertainment and fun, they were nice words but they didn't stop Cinder, they didn't defend against Grimm – that one guy's semblance aside. His skills at the guitar had been something he'd allowed to die out… a necessary sacrifice.

He would have to relea- no…

No. He couldn't.

It had taken the best part of twenty or thirty years to reach this point, and even then it was only possible because of the training he did before Beacon. If he had survived twenty-five months into Beacon, it was only because he had twenty-four to train before. If he wasted time on learning the guitar, even if it was just a few hours a night – then that might mean he _lost_ time.

He couldn't lose time.

"Mine next!" Sable appeared before him, pushing a smaller package into his hands. "Me, Hazel and Sapphire saved up for this together – so it's from all three of us." He nodded, still uncertain on what to say as he looked at it. It _looked_ like it had come from three people too. And that each of them had felt the need to somehow be involved in the wrapping at the same time. It was a complete mess of bows, stickers and ribbon.

 _So much effort…_

"It's the latest scroll," Sapphire explained once he carefully discarded the paper. She listed some more details, pointing at various parts of the device and explaining why they were important for a boy his age. It was actually the same scroll he'd always had.

He must have forgotten... that it came from his sisters… he hadn't made it this far back before now.

"I'll treasure it," he promised – this time an honest one that he could keep. It would serve him on his travels and beyond. Again his eyes stung, one arm coming up to wipe the back of his sleeve across them. No one seemed to mind though - and no one commented on it.

Other presents came thick and fast. Clothing, food, sweets, and board games – he opened each with care and made sure to thank whoever gave it as much as he could. Once those were gone the party descended into music and drinks – there was even a cake.

Somehow it exhausted him, all the emotion being thrown around – all the love. It was just too much for his already strained mind to comprehend. Instead of playing with them he found himself slumped in the seat he had been pushed into, fighting back a yawn as some of the younger sisters argued about a ruling in one of the newly opened board games.

"You're still tired?" Juniper asked as she sat beside him, resting on the armrest with a slice of cake in hand. In contrast to her usual nature she didn't use a plate, instead balancing the piece of chocolate between finger and thumb as she took a bite. There was icing smeared across her lips, but she just winked at him.

"Just a little," he admitted, fighting back another yawn. His eyes felt heavy, as did his limbs. But it would be rude of him to fall asleep when they'd put so much effort in. He also didn't want to close his eyes, because it would be the last time he ever saw them. He wanted to savour it.

"You can sleep if you want to," she whispered, leaning down to wrap her arms around him. He felt her chin against his head, one hand brushing through his locks with an almost soporific effect. The combined effect of her warmth and the fingers running through his hair made it harder to stop his eyes drifting shut. "Happy birthday sweetie," she whispered, "I love you."

"-ve you too... mum."

* * *

It was dark, when next he woke. Somehow it felt as though it should be too; the dark matched his mood perfectly. Looking down at the couch he'd fallen asleep on, not to mention the thick blanket someone had strewn across him. Cakes and discarded wrapping paper littered the floor, along with cards and pieces of tinsel.

It accused him. A cruel reminder of what it was he would do – of what they would awake to.

But it couldn't be helped… he had to do this. If he didn't, if he spent more time here – then he would never leave. There would never _be_ a good time to run away from his family. Whenever he left it would hurt them and since they didn't agree with him attending Beacon, it would have to happen eventually.

Better to do it now, tear off the bandage quick.

"I'll come back one day," he said as he lifted Crocea Mors from its case. It had only been two days without it by his side. But somehow it felt incredibly heavy in his hand. "I promise I'll come back one day."

Another empty promise for the list.

The kitchen drawer opened sluggishly, or perhaps it was he who did it so, the lien he took burned a hole in his hand. He already had the supplies ready by the door, just another act of theft to take one of Nicholas' camping sets. It would be clear what had happened when they woke up.

They'd know he had left them. They just wouldn't know why… or maybe they would – but they would never _understand_ why.

 _It's not my fault,_ he argued, _I do love them but this is bigger than me, bigger than us. What happens at Beacon will spread across all of Vale in time._

He couldn't just give it all up. Not after he'd spent so long getting to this point. Foreknowledge meant nothing without the training he needed, much like how skill meant nothing without the strength to use it. He _needed_ the training time if he wanted to have a hope of even making it past the Vytal Festival. Let alone what came after…

It was his duty. His burden.

 _Couldn't you spend just a little more time here – for them?_ The small voice in his mind accused. Everything he did. Everything he'd always done. It had all been for his friends, for Vale, for people he didn't know. If he spent just a little more time here… would it be that disastrous?

He'd lose time, for sure… but a week might only mean he lost a month or so in this timeline. It would push him back, but not massively. It might take a repeat or two to get back to this point, but it would happen – and more importantly – he would have done something for his family.

Crocea Mors weighed down on his arm. An ever present reminder.

One week… it wouldn't even change anything, would it? He'd still have to leave in the end – and come that time he'd no doubt feel the same hesitation he did now. If that continued on then he'd be weak… too weak to even get into Beacon legitimately.

He couldn't even remember where he got his fake records from… so he wouldn't be accepted into Beacon – which meant…

Which meant…?

If he didn't enter Beacon, then he wouldn't become part of Team JNPR – which meant he wouldn't be present when they were attacked at Amity. Cinder would win. She would take the Fall Maiden's powers, Pyrrha would die.

But then… wouldn't she die anyway, even if Jaune _was_ there?

Even if he went back and gained an extra month from the training he did now. It would still mean all his friends would die. But if he wasn't there, if Jaune Arc was safe back home when this all happened?

How long would he survive?

Crocea Mors clattered as he laid it on the kitchen table, taking a seat across from it - almost as though he was holding a meeting with the sword itself. He didn't need to physically be at Beacon when he died, for the repeats to happen. Those times where he'd died in prison, or the asylums, were proof enough of that. Hell, when he'd died under Cinder's employ he hadn't ever technically been a student.

So if he died at home it wouldn't make a difference. He would still come back; and it would still be however long he survived after the Beacon initiation.

Except that by avoiding the fight altogether he would only die when the effects of Cinder's actions spread to Ansel. No… by that point he would be eighteen. If he wished to he could flee or evacuate when the Grimm came. Hell, with what he knew, he could go hide in Vacuo. Cinder's plans focused on Vale and Mistral, with Atlas getting involved thanks to the SDC. Who gave a shit about Vacuo though – it was all sand!?

If the war didn't reach him for three or four years, then that meant he'd have that same amount of time to prepare… it could _double_ how much time he had now! But what if it took five, six – even more!?

His entire body shook, heart beating rapidly in his chest. Could it work, could it seriously work? Of all the things he'd tried in his repeats, everything he could possibly think of… had he ever considered doing _nothing_?

There was no reason it couldn't work… time and time again it had been proven that he went back however long he survived after the start of initiation. In those runs where he'd spoken to Ozpin or Ironwood, he'd never actually been present for it. Yet he still came back.

 _This… this could actually work… as insane as it sounds._ He could spend time with his family, a whole two years to become a part of it once more. And then, when Beacon came? He would ignore the call. He wasn't expected to attend. no one even _wanted_ him to.

No one would miss him.

It would be abandoning his friends… there was no way around that. But did it count as abandoning when it was done with the express purpose of helping them? A tactical retreat, biding his time… gathering his forces.

 _It might even let me see the later stages of their plan, ones I haven't seen yet because I haven't reached them._ His fingers pried loose, creaking as he let go of the leather hilt. With a deep breath he stood, lifting it up by the blade and cross guard instead – before placing it back within the case, glass sliding shut with a soft click.

"Not this time, Crocea Mors." He whispered, stepping back and turning away. Back to the couch, those warm sheets and a family that loved him.

And as the lights flicked off and the door clicked shut?

His shoulders had never felt lighter.

* * *

 **Holiday taken and accepted. The story won't suddenly lose all seriousness, but you can no doubt see that it can now match the summary. Author notes shouldn't really be this long again - there's just something to address in them on this chapter, sort of a disclaimer of sorts.  
**

 **Hoo boy, this is a long chapter. About to get longer through notes, welp. So yeah – a lot was covered here, and Jaune officially takes his holiday. As you can see, this makes a little more sense given his character and personality. I thought it would be more than a little OoC for him to wake up and just go "balls to this, screw my friends, I'm out!"**

 **We've also covered some – but not all – of his early life of repeats. So, to answer those who asked, yes – Jaune** _ **has**_ **tried a wide array of things. Loads of different things, over and over… we all think about that when it comes to these kind of stories, don't we?**

 **Because they all end on the second or third, when someone finds a new way of doing things and it all just goes well. But what happens when it doesn't? What happens when fifty or sixty repeats later… it's still not working? Do you give up?**

 **What else is there to say? Oh, I know.**

 **Yes, some may disagree with the results of alternate loops. "There's no way Ozpin wouldn't accept his time travelling!" or "If he talks about Penny, Ironwood would have to believe him!"**

 **We'll all have differing views on these things, of course we will. I am of the firm belief that there's no way this could ever work out. Ironwood and Ozpin (as just one example - but this holds true for other random repeats) are both in this huge subterfuge battle with Cinder, before Beacon even starts (since Fall Maiden attack happened before it we assume) – so both are aware of spies, and looking for them. Then this "time traveller" shows up, spouting state secrets? State secrets he knows either due to time travel, or being a spy... when they're already _looking_ for a spy? I know which I'd believe.  
**

 **Again, if you disagree – let's agree to disagree. But I can't see them buying it. It shouldn't influence the enjoyment of the story** _ **too**_ **much anyway, since it's in the past. If you want, just take it as "for the purposes of this story, no earlier solutions Jaune tried worked out." Basically, I don't want to get into arguments with people who fully believe that "Pyrrha would believe him!" or something. Maybe you think there's a password he could use on someone... something infallible... but I'm not sure there's any that couldn't have been found through more mundane skills, like hacking - or interrogating someone. You think that, I don't - let's just not worry about it and not argue about it! :D  
**

 **Like I said, not bashing on anyone who "does" this kind of stuff. Even if I dislike it when people** _ **instantly**_ **accept or believe time travel – I mean, at least make it grudging, or require _serious_ proof… but hey-ho. I dislike harems too, but others enjoy them. It's all subjective, and we like different things.  
**

* * *

 **Beta's Notes:**

Yo.

I'm College Fool, and I'm Coeur's muse/Beta for Not This Time, Fate, and I am not a crook. Usually.

In case you think that You Too can win the privilege of being Coeur's Beta by contributing to Coeur's , I'm sad to say that's not how I got this privilege. After all, if I patronized Coeur with anything more than words, I'd insist he write those backlog fills for Writer Games. [/badum-tish] I'm here since I was Coeur's muse for this since about... has it really been 9 months ago? NTTF is an old idea that came well before Season 3 even started, and I'm pleased it can be read by an audience with the right frame of reference.

Is the premise is a no-sell for you? Can't accept countless losses by Our Hero, or uninterested in jumping well past a character's initial character development? Shame, thanks for trying, hope you have a good day. For the rest- I bet more of you will enjoy it than not. A lot more people, and a lot more enjoyment. NTTF is going to be a good length story, and dare I say it, a great experience. Something that will (hopefully) keep you entertained for the rest of the year, more or less.

There's been a lot of thought into this story, and so I'll sign off just recommending each and every one of you keep an open mind and patience. If you think you've already seen the critical flaw that undermines the premise and invalidates the story... eh, you probably haven't. Chances are if it's not inconsequential- it's deliberate.

Till next time,

C.F.

* * *

 **Next Chapter – 1** **st** **April (No shenanigans where I post an april fool's author's note, I promise)**

 **. com (slash) Coeur**


	3. Chapter 3

**April fools, it's not a chapter - it's a 13,000 essay on my nasal hair...**

 **Double April fools, it's not that, it's actually a chapter... err... okay...**

 **Right... yeah, moving on.**

 **Hey guys, a fair warning; this chapter will include a bit of time skipping. In that sense I am going to try and make it so that every line break is a time skip – so that it's easier to read. That will mean however, that within the timeskip moments themselves, there might be some cases where there is a PoV switch "without" a line. What I've done in those cases is to use -**

 **/-/**

 **-to represent a break in the PoV. Honestly it should only really come up in this chapter, and a tiny bit of next chapter – as the timeskips will end there.**

 **Hope you all enjoy, thanks for the many constructive reviews – I especially love all the crazy time travel mechanical discussions. It's one of those Freudian things that no one can prove or disprove in any way, so anything is possible. But that's what makes it fun I guess.**

* * *

 **Beta:** _College Fool_

 **Chapter 3 – Gone in the blink of an eye**

* * *

Jaune woke up to something nudging against his leg. For a moment he thought it Nora, banging against his legs while they were camping. She always had a tendency to hold onto someone while she slept. Most of the time she would go for Ren, but late at night she often made mistakes. It was up in the air who would be consigned to the role of teddy-bear.

It wasn't until a low whirring invaded his ears that he realised he wasn't in camp however. Not when the vacuum cleaner bumped against his legs.

"Morning," his mother greeted as she moved his legs aside, vacuuming up some loose bits of cake beneath him. "Someone's still sleepy it seems."

"Ugh…" Jaune yawned, "morning." He glanced at one of the nearby windows, trying to judge the time. Looked like it was around ten in the morning... by this point he'd usually have already been training for a few hours.

This wasn't that life though. It would be different.

"You teenagers and sleeping in," she continued to vacuum around him as she spoke, "you let the whole world pass you by while you sleep. Sometimes I envy you even being able to lay in so long."

"How can you both criticise and praise my youth at the same time?"

"Because I'm your mother, it's my prerogative. Since you're awake though, your father and I wanted to have a quick chat with you in the kitchen." She flicked the device off with her foot, waving him towards the kitchen. They wanted to talk with him? He wasn't aware there was anything he'd done wrong… then again he'd only been here for a few days. Who was to say his past self hadn't just gotten in trouble for something and now he was about to take the blame.

That would be a pain in the ass.

Nicholas was sat at the family table when they entered. And as Juniper pulled out a seat beside him, Jaune realised that was going to be some kind of important meeting. More so because none of his sisters were present.

"So…" Jaune sat down opposite them. Feeling for all the world like he was in some kind of interrogation room. All that was needed now was Ironwood, two guards and the blandest plate of sandwiches he'd ever tasted. It was no wonder Ironwood was always angry if he had to eat that trash.

"You're fifteen now, son," Nicholas' smile looked faint, faked. "We've always tried to make sure you've got a grounding in as many different things as possible, an education, activities and such. But you'll soon become a man in your own right."

"Are you giving me the talk?"

Juniper glared at her husband, "You told me you'd given him that! You swore!"

"I did!" the older man's expression took on a panicked edge. "I did tell him, I swear. He's just making a joke, right?"

Jaune couldn't remember… but by this point he knew _much_ more than just the mechanics of sexual intercourse. "Of course I know," he laughed, watching as his old man relaxed. "A man and a woman get together-"

"You don't need to explain it," Juniper hissed.

"-and then they choose a baby from a catalogue, they have to pick really hard and it can sometimes make a lot of noise, which is why I'm not to enter your room when I hear banging."

"Nicholas Arc!?" she sounded furious – even as the man's face drained of colour.

"And then the mother keeps the catalogue warm beneath her top until the white Nevermor-"

"I didn't tell him any of that!" Nicholas tried to defend himself, reaching over to slap a hand over Jaune's mouth. "I _didn't_! Tell her I didn't son, come on?"

Jaune rolled his eyes with a sigh, "Penis goes into hole, I know what sex is."

"You're an asshole," his father sighed, finally calming down when his mother looked like she wasn't about to enact a war. "If we can get back to being serious for a second, what we wanted to discuss is how it's about time you started thinking what you want to do in life. There's a lot of jobs that require certain qualifications, so if you want to get into them you'll need to start studying."

Oh, this was some kind of career meeting? The last time… it was too long ago, but he could make an accurate enough guess at what his answer had been. He wanted to be a Hunter – a hero. And he knew full well how that had gone… Nicholas had told him he was too late, too unfit, too impatient or whatever excuse of the day it was.

"So do you have any ideas? Any at all?"

Jaune hummed, sparing an idle glance at the man. Nicholas' face was neutral, devoid of all expression. Yet you didn't live as long as Jaune had without picking up some tricks. He could see full well how that expression was just a little too rigid. The lips thin, as though he was fighting to keep his mouth closed.

Nicholas didn't like this conversation… or there was something he wasn't keen on.

But that wasn't Jaune's problem. What did he want to be? Well, nothing he did really mattered, so long as he kept living. But at the same time he couldn't sponge off his family forever. He would have to go to school too… slip into a normal life once more, and that meant he needed to work towards some kind of goal.

Nothing related to the military. That way laid Cinder Fall. On that note it shouldn't be anything in Vale either, or he'd just get caught up in the madness.

Something that allowed him to travel? That would enable him to stay one step ahead of the game while also giving him a legitimate excuse to get the hell out of Vale before the Festival. Unbidden his eyes drifted over to the acoustic guitar resting by the door.

He had promised to learn that, hadn't he?

"I'd like to be a musician," Jaune said slowly, testing the word out within his own mind, "a musician or a performer – someone who can travel and see the world…" a memory came to him, of a story once told to him by Ruby, "a wandering minstrel."

Juniper looked uncertain, "That's-"

"A wonderful dream!" Nicholas' hand slammed down on the table. "There's so much Remnant has to offer. Wanting to see it all is a great idea. Plus, music can help to make people feel better. You'd be doing so much for the people."

Okaaaay… certainly looked like his father was on board with the idea. Jaune wasn't sure he'd ever seen the man look so pleased… or downright relieved.

"Dearie," Juniper sighed, only to be shushed by the taller man.

"Our son should be free to pursue his dreams." Well if that wasn't one of the most hypocritical things Jaune had ever heard… "And it coincides with our birthday gift for him, we should encourage him in this."

"I guess…" she still didn't sound enthused, but she realised she wasn't going to win against the both of them. Jaune could imagine what her issue was, likely due to the rather vague nature of his new career path.

It wasn't exactly a job with a lot of security. But it _would_ allow him to go wherever he wanted. Do whatever he wanted. There'd be no office hours, no contracts to tie him down. He could be wherever he needed to be. Do whatever he needed to do.

Learn whatever skills he thought might be useful for the future.

"You'll need lessons though," Nicholas continued, stroking his coarse chin with one hand. "I think I know a guy here in Ansel who used to teach. Old friend of mine who retired some time ago. If I arrange some lessons for you, will you stick to them?"

"I will," Jaune promised. Another one that he could keep, that he _would_ keep... It was a novel feeling - a fulfilling one.

"Hell, how about I learn with you?" Nicholas' words came out faster, the man clearly lost in some excitement. "We don't get enough time together, it could be great for us to spend some time together as men, get away from so many women for a change." Juniper rolled her eyes, making little talking motions with her hands.

"Aren't you busy though?" Jaune choked… he was always busy. Always! Every time Jaune asked for training, every time he tried to get his father's help.

He'd always been too busy… and yet now he magically had time for _this_!?

"I can always make time for you."

 _You liar…_ a bitter chuckle slipped past his lips as he shook his head. What a liar… so that was how it was? It wasn't that Nicholas couldn't train him at all…

"I'd like that, dad." Jaune said, watching the older man smile. Once upon a time he might have felt betrayed. Now he could only smile. People lied, they had their reasons. There was a reason for everything people did in life. Sometimes those reasons would make sense… sometimes they would only make sense to the one who had them.

He didn't know why his father was so set against it. But it didn't matter…

Given this opportunity to reconnect with them once more? Jaune wasn't going to push it. "And you're right. It'll be good to get a little distance from all the oestrogen."

"See!" Juniper rolled her eyes at Nicholas' pout. "I _did_ tell him how it all worked, he knows about oestrogen."

 _I'm fifteen… not ten. Is this how Ruby always feels?_

* * *

Jaune was an excellent lounger. It was a skill he'd developed over the last few months. A new hobby in fact. One he'd never realised had such intricacies to it. Laying there doing nothing, lost in one's own thoughts… it was a liberating experience.

More so because he'd been able to find the most incredible balance of warm and cool, where the heat from the beach interacted perfectly with the soft ocean breeze.

Equilibrium had been achieved.

"Jaune, come play in the water with us." And now life threatened to tear it away. Jaune didn't respond to his youngest sister. Knowing that to do so would just invite more wheedling. Instead he shuffled and turned over, exposing his back to the sun and making his intent clear.

There was no way he was going to give this relaxation time up. Not when it wasn't every day he got to spend time on a Vacuan beach. Well… maybe _beach_ was a bit of a strong word. The entirety of Vacuo was pretty much a desert, so it was less a beach and more where the desert met the ocean.

Either way, it was glorious and he wasn't going to give it up.

"Jaune!" Amber pouted and stamped one foot. "Why are you always so lazy? Come swim with us."

"I'm ill," Jaune grumbled, "diseased."

"Mum says you're not," Amber argued. With that simple child's logic that against all logic, always seemed to win. "She said they took you in for the blood tests to see why you sleep so much, but that there's nothing wrong with you. That means you're just lazy."

Ugh… and hadn't that been an unpleasant surprise? A few days of sleeping in at every opportunity could be explained away as puberty, but it seemed his parents had taken notice of his disturbing habit of falling asleep at any opportunity – and worried about it. Blood and medical tests… they'd never been his favourite thing.

And of course they hadn't found anything. He was the picture of health.

How could he explain that it was probably just a habit? Something he'd learned to do whenever there was downtime available? That was what he assumed anyway… or maybe it was like when you slept in too long, and somehow woke up feeling even more tired?

Still… it was a little rude of that doctor to say he wasn't ill, he was just lazy.

Jaune Arc was not _lazy_ , thank you very much! He could train more in a month than many could in half a year. He had fought against armies of Grimm, faced off against some of the most dangerous women on Remnant.

And even the occasional skilled _man_!

Jaune Arc was on _holiday._ There was a key difference in that it was hard-earned, and he deserved to be able to enjoy it. And now he was on holiday within a holiday. Which meant he had double the rights to enjoy it. Or something. Which was why he was going to sunbathe, sleep, rest and otherwise slack off.

Not swim with his sisters. He loved them, he really did… but there was such a thing as too much. Seven was too much… gods, how it was too much. The hormones weren't helping either. Not when he was an older and more experienced man trapped in the body of a boy exiting puberty… in a house with seven sisters.

Where was a guy even supposed to masturbate!? If his bed so much as squeaked, he had girls knocking on the walls asking what he was doing.

 _I never considered that horror of coming back so far… puberty sucks._

"If you don't move," Amber paused as she tried to think of some threat, "then _I'll_ move you!"

"Good luck with that," Jaune grumbled as he pulled a towel over his eyes, signalling the end of the conversation. He probably weighed almost twice as much as she did.

It wasn't until he felt the presence of a few other girls around them that he realised what Amber had done. As he felt the towel go stiff beneath him, then his body raising off the ground as they carted him to the ocean. He could have gotten off and walked away... but that would have required energy.

Jaune could only sigh.

/-/

Nicholas and Juniper sat some distance away, keeping a close eye on their kin, but granting them a little independence. It had taken a lot of creative planning to get this time off. Not to mention the cost of shipping so many people over to Vacuo and paying for the hotel. The life of a Hunter paid well. Especially one as successful as he.

But when your family was so large… well, it soon added up.

"He's sleeping still." Nicholas sighed as he turned to look at his wife. She looked beautiful in that black and blue bikini. He'd seen more than a few men looking – though they hadn't looked twice after meeting his eyes. "He spends so much time sleeping."

"So is every other person here," he laughed as he pointed around them. A good portion of the people on the beach were also asleep. She gave him an unimpressed look, saying he knew exactly what she meant. "You heard the doctor June, there's nothing wrong with him – he's just growing up. Some people are naturally determined, others quiet… I guess ours is just sleepy."

"You would say that," her green eyes glared at him through her thick lashes. "He can't do any wrong in your eyes… ever since he stopped crowing about following in your footsteps."

Nicholas ran one hand through his shoulder-length hair. Okay, there was no real arguing with that. Not when she was pretty much spot-on. She knew his reasons though…

"He doesn't even bring any of his friends from school over anymore. I asked Sapphire – and she says she doesn't even see him talk to anyone in class!" Juniper's teeth bit down on the skin of her finger, chewing on her fist. "When I asked he just said they were immature… it's like he's outgrowing all his friends. I'm worried."

"He gets on famously with his sisters though," Nicholas waved one hand towards the ocean, where the seven girls were working together to drag him into the cold water. "Well, normally anyway."

"I know – and I love that, I do." One brother among so many sisters… he'd been worried about that too, but it seemed like Jaune loved them all equally. Lately he'd been paying a lot more attention to them too, much to their delight. They took advantage of him shamelessly too.

He didn't seem to mind it.

"I love that they all get on so well," she continued, "I'm just worried that he won't have any friends of his own. He still needs to learn to actually socialise."

"It'll be _fine_ ," he settled his hands on her shoulders, delighting in the way her body moulded against his own. She fit so snug against his chest that he just wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let go. "Jaune's growing up, it's bound to be a confusing time for him. All we can do is support him all the way." Nicholas watched as he drifted in the shallows of the ocean. His sisters were splashing water on him as he did so, laughing and giggling. "He looks like he could use it…"

/-/

Jaune dragged himself out of the ocean with a quiet sigh. Thankfully it had only taken fifteen minutes or so for his sisters to become distracted – granting him the opportunity to drift away. The beach was all enclosed, so his parents wouldn't worry too much, but it would give him a chance to catch some rays and sleep without interruption.

He'd make it up to them later. Likely in the form of rubbing after-sun into them once they all inevitably got burned. They'd spent way too long in the water without topping up on lotion.

 _You just can't tell some people…_ they'd learn tonight. And likely remember the lesson for months to come. For now, though, it wasn't his problem. In fact, the only thing that was on his mind was the soft sandbank before him, rising up a good two or so metres. Laying down against it, Jaune felt all those little worried fade away… drifting into beautiful serenit-

"Heh heh…" a muffled snicker came from nearby. Again, not his problem. This was hardly a private beach and so long as they didn't keep him from sleep they could do whatever they wanted. "Oh yeah… look at those bods, man!"

Jaune growled lightly, turning on his side as he held one hand across his face.

Something shifted above him, a cascade of sand and dirt raining down on his face. Jaune's eyes snapped open as he coughed the sand out of his throat. Okay, now they'd gone and done it… his sleep was ruined. Gone. Done.

"Excuse me," Jaune sighed as he turned to look further up the sandbank. Two figures lay across the top, hidden on this side of the bank with their faces peeking over. Giggling between themselves, they didn't seem to hear his words at all. "Excuse me!?"

"Shhh!" One of them turned to shush him. It wasn't until Jaune noticed that he wasn't holding a finger before his mouth however, but a prehensile tail, that he realised exactly who was trying to enforce silence on him. Sun Wukong… which meant the blue haired teen beside him? Huh… he hadn't realised they'd been friends before Haven. Maybe that was why Sun had moved there in the first place.

 _Huh, what are the odds…?_ Well _, probably not bad... this is a resort after all and Sun does live in Vacuo, or probably does right now, anyway._ Plus, it was hardly unusual for people to visit the beach in the middle of July. It was more a coincidence that they'd bumped into one another so casually. Hell, with it being a school holiday there was probably a good proportion of every teenager in the area on this beach.

"Yeah, about that," Jaune sighed, "can you maybe practice your own advice a little bit? I'm trying to sleep here."

"Sleep? Bro, when there's so many hot girls around here? I think someone needs a little help from the coolest dudes around, eh Nep?" Sun held a fist out the blue-haired teen beside him. The other boy looked uncertain for a moment, adjusting a pair of spectacles - a surprise even to Jaune - before weakly bumping fists. "Eh, it's a work in progress," Sun laughed.

Those two always had been quite the pair… comedic, ridiculous… but oh so easy to rely on. They always had your back when you needed it the most. Even if you were never quite sure what brand of madness they'd bring to the equation.

Honestly, they had always reminded him of an all-male RWBY.

But right now neither of them were his bro. Right now they were keeping him awake when he was supposed to be asleep.

"Hey!" Jaune made sure to raise his voice. Despite the urgent motions they made. "Who are you two spying on? Stop that!" The reaction was instantaneous. From behind the sandbank there was a sudden commotion, feminine voices raised in outrage as Sun and Neptune scrambled to flee. Sun made sure to flash him an annoyed glare as he sprinted past – Neptune hot on his heels. If anything, they'd always been good at making a speedy exit when things got tough.

"Ah, damn kids," a woman growled as she crested the bank. There was another beside her of similar age, both of them no older than twenty. "They make perverts younger and younger these days. Oh, hey there." She seemed to notice him at last, cocking her head to the side as she waved.

"Was it you who shouted out?" her friend asked. "That was very brave of you~" The girl leaned forward to blow a kiss at him. Offering an absolutely fantastic view of her bikini-clad breasts. Jaune felt his shorts tightening.

 _Hello hormones, nice to hear from you again._ Hmm… how long had it been since he'd actually…? A while. There hadn't been much opportunity on the last run and he'd been celibate the one before that too. The act had lost a lot of its appeal over time, especially compared to the allure of working his ass off to try and save his friends.

But if he was on holiday right now?

"Well…" Jaune tilted his head to the side and smiled, "I'm glad to be of help. The name's Jaune – Jaune Arc…"

And it just _rolled_ off the tongue.

/-/

"I'm sure things will be fine," Nicholas Arc soothed as he massaged his wife's shoulders. Juniper nursed a cold can of some carbonated drink in one hand, eyes lidded from his ministrations. "We'll always be there to support him when he needs us. And he isn't acting depressed or anything in music lessons. He's actually a lot more dedicated than I expected."

Which stung him a little. Not that Jaune was putting in that level of effort. That was great! More that Nicholas could misjudge his own son so, to think that he would put in any less. Clearly Jaune wasn't lazy at all when it came to things he was interested in.

That determination would serve him well. In whatever path he chose.

"You're right, of course." Her head fell back against his neck as she let out a long sigh. Juniper's shoulders were always so tense and knotted. If he was the one who went out and risked his life to bring home the bread, then it was she who made sure he had a home to return to.

Between hordes of Beowolves and the tenuous balance amidst eight teenage children? Nicholas certainly knew which battle he would rather fight!

"I'm just a worry-wart," she sighed, "ignore me."

"Never. That concern is why I love you."

"Funny." She smiled up at him, eyes open once more. "And last night you told me it was because of that thing I do with my- _hi sweetie!"_ Juniper's voice took on a frantic edge as Amber appeared before them. Thank the heavens she didn't appear to have heard anything.

That was also another nightmare of having so many children…

"Hi mummy, hi daddy." Amber sat down between them. Instantly pushing the two apart as she adopted the position all young children instinctively did.

The cock-block.

"Where's your brother?" Nicholas sighed, "I thought you were with him?"

"Big brother is making friends," Amber whined like a small puppy. She shrank in on herself as she said it. Looking about as desolate as an eleven-year-old child could. Nicholas shared a quick glance with Juniper however, a weight lifting from their shoulders.

As much as Amber might rebel against it, this was a good sign indeed. Maybe there wasn't much to worry about after all?

"Hey mummy… why are Jaune's new friends making him rub oil into their chests?"

"Because they're hussies, sweetie," Juniper cooed as she deposited Amber in his lap – standing up and cracking her knuckles ominously. "Now why don't you keep daddy company while I go and rescue my little baby."

Nicholas winced as she stomped off, other beach-goers suddenly finding reasons to be vacant from her path. "Hey," he shouted after her, "at least he's making friends – right?"

She did not look amused.

* * *

"I can't believe we won so much fucking money," Hazel skipped ahead of him with a high-pitched squeal. Clutched between her fingers were wads of lien, which she counted out with glee. She was so pleased she didn't even try to cheat him, handing over half without complaint.

"I told you," Jaune said as he pushed the cut into his pocket, "I know what I'm talking about."

"Well excuse me for not believing you. I didn't realise you knew so much about fighting competitions. How did you know this girl would wipe the competition anyway, I've never even heard of her?"

Jaune chuckled as he walking alongside his older sister, the two of them putting some distance between themselves and the gambling joint. He wasn't technically old enough to enter the place, but Hazel had just turned eighteen recently – and after some convincing – had gone along with his plan.

"I know the future." Hazel looked unimpressed, and after a quick laugh he gave her a more believable lie. "Okay, okay – I just read about her in a magazine or something, had a feeling she would be better than the competition."

"I should rip your ass out for risking my money on a feeling." Hazel tried to sound intimidating, but it was simply impossible on account of the toothy grin she couldn't keep down. "But I guess I'll settle for thanking this Pyrrha chick for winning. We are _so_ going shopping."

Jaune nodded to the suggestion, stifling a smile at the thought of what expression Pyrrha might have if she could see him now. She hated gambling as much as his mother did, and that he'd done it on her would likely drive her up the wall.

It wasn't really gambling though, was it, when you knew the results?

If only everything could be that simple… a lottery win would be a nice addition except for the fact that it just didn't work that way. He wasn't sure why – but he had his theories. Going back and re-living his life every time did make sure a lot of things remained the same. It was always the same people at Beacon, always the same enemies they faced. Some things didn't change. But those things didn't change because they were decisions made by people, or events that occurred because there was no other alternative. And when that same situation came up, they would make the same choices.

Ruby Rose came to Beacon because never in a million years would she stand aside when someone was in danger, but also because Ozpin _wanted_ her in Beacon. Cinder and her faction attacked Beacon because that was just where the Fall Maiden was… even at this point Cinder likely already had that in mind.

Pyrrha won her championship fights because she simply _was_ the better fighter. It didn't matter how many times she faced those people, she would always win. Oh, there was probably a small chance of an upset… something going completely random. But it was so small that he'd never seen it happen.

A lottery didn't work the same way… nor did visiting a casino or betting on dice. Those were random events where the result depended on mostly luck, but also a million other little things. For events like that, going through his life would recreate the same situation – that is – the fact that the lottery was being drawn on that given day.

But that was all it did. The numbers were still drawn at random.

 _Shame… I wouldn't say no to a few million lien._

There were a few other things he knew of. Things that he could rely on again and again… but the odds were never quite so favourable. After her dominating performance, Pyrrha was certain to become a crowd favourite, which meant the bookie's odds would soon go down.

"I'm going to get that new dress I saw in that magazine – then I'll buy some movies, then some sweets, what about you?"

"I saw some music books that looked interesting," Jaune shrugged. "Other than that there are some nice clothes I might get. I'm just wondering what excuse we can give to mum for our newfound wealth."

Hazel froze in place, her expression suddenly taking a pasty edge. Hadn't she realised that already? Sheesh…

"You think she'll notice if we come back with loads of stuff we shouldn't be able to afford?" Hazel didn't even wait for him to answer, "Oh shit, she's going to kill us…"

"Don't you mean you? I'm under age – I've clearly been corrupted."

Hazel laughed, "Like mum will ever believe that. You've got a worse rep than any of us." Jaune grumbled but didn't respond. That was hardly his fault… it hadn't been easy adapting to being a child once more. Less so when people treated him like an absolute idiot.

There'd been a couple of… he couldn't call them fights. Not when it was kids involved and they spent more time slapping their chests like chimpanzees suffering from asthma than they did throwing punches. Either way, a few kids had tried to bully him and injured themselves for the effort. Then there'd been the classes he fell asleep in – again not his fault, they were beyond boring. Not to mention useless.

It probably didn't help that he acted more mature than someone his age really ought to be. That just made it easier for his mother to treat him like an adult – and thus, punish him like one.

He wished he could have pulled off the Ruby angle… but his face wasn't able to contort into such heart-wrenching expressions.

"Well if we're both going to get into trouble anyway…" Jaune glanced into Hazel's eyes.

"Then we might as well have fun. Fuck yeah!" she finished with a wide grin, wrapping an arm around his shoulder. "We should get some entertainment then, since I'll be grounded for the next few weekends."

"Lucky you," Jaune sighed. Juniper didn't ever really ground him. She was smarter than that… why punish someone with something they didn't really mind? Jaune Arc didn't _have_ anywhere to go on his weekends. And being confined to his room, with his comfortable bed, books and music?

That was his idea of a good weekend.

No… she wasn't so naïve as to not notice that. Juniper gave him chores… _so_ many chores. It might be cooking, gathering firewood, peeling vegetables, weeding the garden, delivering mail… anything that made sure he was actively moving around and unable to laze off.

"Man up. Mum always makes sure punishments suck. At least you don't have to sit still and knit like Amber does." Yeah, there was that… for the hyperactive tomboy there was no punishment which seemed to frustrate her more. And of course that same frustration would lead to his little sister making a mistake and being told to start over again.

That was just why she was a good mother, he supposed. She knew exactly what she had to do to make you regret breaking the rules. It was just unfortunate they were going to be running afoul of them again.

Ansel's shopping precinct was a far cry from Vale's. Where the major city had hundreds of different shops catering to a wide range of desires, Ansel was limited to a few larger brands – often wholesalers offering a wide range of eclectic goods. The prices were a little higher too, since they had to ship them across dangerous land. But right now, price wasn't a concern for the two of them.

"Does this look good on me? I'm worried the blue will clash with my eyes."

"Hmm…" Jaune cocked his head as he inspected the blouse his sister was wearing, which she'd tucked into her black jeans. "I'm just not feeling the combination between the colours and your hair – maybe try some lighter jeans or a skirt?"

"Good point, the weathers still hot as shit." Jaune didn't quite know how hot shit was, but it must have been fairly scorching, since Hazel threw the jeans away with abandon. He could only roll his eyes as she stalked past him in just her underwear, pulling out a new outfit.

That poor woman in the store had looked positively scandalised when they'd entered the changing rooms together. Luckily one of the other staff members had recognised them and let them pass. "Should I really be the one judging your fashion though? I'm not exactly savvy on what women like."

"But you are clued in on what _men_ like," she shot back, grinning when he glanced away, one hand scratching his cheek. "Y'know Sapphire used to think you were in the closet. You spent more time around men than I did."

"Such faith…"

"And now look at you! Don't think I haven't heard the rumours bro. There's quite a few girls who've claimed they've had a little make out session with you behind the school sheds." Jaune coughed but didn't deny those words.

"Ugh… I thought I told Grace to be quiet about that," he sighed.

Hazel choked. "Grace!? You… my best friend!? You better fucking not have!"

"A joke, it was a joke!" he laughed it off as he tried desperately to ward off her anger. "Why don't you try this on, I bet it'll look really good on you."

"Don't think this is over," Hazel hissed as she snatched the shirt from him, turning around as she slipped it over her shoulders.

 _Sheesh…_

/-/

"Ah, there's nothing like a good shopping trip," Hazel stretched her arms into the warm air as though working out some hard-earned muscle pain. Jaune rolled his eyes from beside her, buried under at least six heavy bags of clothing, shoes and miscellaneous tat.

Only a single bag was his…

"What's with the face, bro? Got something to say?"

"Nothing, dear sister… only that I was right to suggest that outfit for you. It really does make you stand out."

"Hmph," Hazel looked away, though he could see full well the pleased flush in her cheeks. "Even though I know you're playing me, I can't help but feel pleased. You're a sneaky little shit."

"Though, maybe you'd have more suitors if you held back on the language a little."

"Not my fault men are too much of a pussy to deal with me. I speak my mind."

"It's a direct channel from brain to mouth alright…"

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, but only because it's too hot a day to kick your ass." _Oh sure,_ Jaune thought with a smirk, _definitely not because the last time you tried I managed to get you into a tickle hold until you gave up._

Hadn't than been a surprise for his dear older sister? The moment she realised her weak little brother wasn't quite so… well, okay he _was_ still weak – but he was experienced enough to know how to use her strength against her. Another snippet of wisdom from Ren, who despite best efforts, would never be the biggest or strongest of men.

A commotion from nearby caught their attention, the sound of someone tripping and a number of boxes scattering across the floor. Hazel hummed in question as they turned to see who the unfortunate soul was.

"Huh," Hazel said, "props to the brat for not crying. Can't be any older than Amber."

 _She is older,_ Jaune thought to himself grimly. She didn't look it though… and there was little wonder she didn't cry from falling onto the hard floor – even when it must have hurt.

Ruby Rose wasn't one to flinch away from pain.

 _What is she doing here? When did Ruby ever come to Ansel?_ Had something changed, which made them come here? No, he was being silly… of course they could have come to Ansel, he just wouldn't have recognised them the first time. Or maybe he just didn't go shopping on this day – he'd hardly been interested in clothes when he was this age originally.

Hell, Cinder could have _lived_ in Ansel for all he knew. It wasn't like he knew every face in the settlement.

"Ah, what a brat…" Hazel sighed, rubbing her hands together even as her lips thinned. He knew that expression from her. It was the one she wore when she was trying to look tough, when she was about to do something that counteracted that image. "Shit… come on bro, let's help her."

Hazel was always like that… putting on that strong and uncaring image. Then folding like a castle of cards the moment she saw someone in pain or danger. She'd step in and fix it. Gruff and cold, spitting insults at both parties…

But she couldn't stand by and do nothing.

"Wait," Jaune held one arm across her path.

"What? Why? She needs help." She did… it was Beacon all over again. She wouldn't change much in two years, filling out just a little wider in some areas, a tiny bit taller in others. But that expression of confused loneliness was present on her face even now. Not one person stopped for her, either… pedestrians and other shoppers parting to walk around her… like she was nothing more than an obstacle to be avoided.

It sickened him…

But could he do any different? Even now that temptation to help her… that primal need within him to look after her – to make sure she was okay. She wasn't going to be okay. She was going to die.

And he was going to do nothing to stop it, because he needed to survive as long as possible. Even stepping in now, walking forward and helping her up… she would talk to him, ask his name. It would be so easy… so temptingly easy to fall into that trap.

But once she was a friend he would never be able to let her go. He wouldn't be able to sit back and let her go to Beacon, let alone fight Cinder and die on her own. If he wanted to be a bystander later… then it would be better to start now.

"Jaune - what the actual _fuck!?_ " Hazel slapped his hand aside as she made to help the girl. It wasn't necessary however, as a moment before she could move another blonde entered the area. Ruby wouldn't be alone in Ansel… not a chance. And true to that fact Yang came bounding up, sweeping the smaller girl into her arms.

Even from a distance he could see Ruby fight against the maternal position, her small face flaring up in mortification as she slapped at Yang's back. Their father arrived a second later, stooping down to pick up some of the bags as they laughed between themselves.

"See? They don't need help."

Her palm made a sharp crack as it struck his cheek.

A few people turned to look at them. No doubt making all kinds of misconceptions at their position… he stood with his face to the floor, a girl across from him – shoulders rising and falling slowly. Jaune couldn't quite find it in himself to be amused by that fact.

"Don't you dare," Hazel's eyes glistened with frustrated tears, "don't you fucking dare pretend that was alright. I thought you of all people would understand. I thought you'd help someone if they were in trouble."

Jaune's lips turned down as he glanced away, "Yeah well… guess you don't know me as much as you think you do." His shaking hands found refuge in his pockets, keeping the bags locked against his side.

Ruby, Yang, Hazel, Beacon…

He didn't feel like shopping anymore…

"You'd have stepped forward befo- where you going?" his sister snapped as he turned away. A tired sigh escaped his lips, shoulders sagging as the bags on his wrist seemed to become heavier.

"Home... I'm off to bed, I'm tired." He didn't hear whatever else she said. His thoughts focused inwards as he trudged out of the precinct and into the crowds outside. Where he was just one more face among the masses.

 _Not this time, Ruby…_

He wouldn't be there for her. Not when she fell. Not when she needed advice… not when she was dying alone in the snow.

 _I'm so sorry…_

* * *

His hands strummed across the metal wires, sending haunting notes floating on the breeze as he imaged the music. Each note connected together, bricks in a great project that he would create. It was more than just what was heard however… there was a certain pleasure in the vibrations as well. How rigid the strings were against his fingers. The quiet sliding sound his left hand made on the neck.

His mind was clear also… breathing coming out just a little bit heavy. A result of the jogging he'd done not ten minutes earlier. The training was a far cry from what he'd done for most of his lives… but even now it he wasn't able to resist the call entirely. He didn't train to fight however… mostly running, some lifting – enough to keep his physique and ensure he was fit.

It was just a habit nowadays, but there was no more incredible a feeling than playing after such exercise. That moment where fatigue mixed with satisfaction struck a complex balance with the music he created. That the evening sun was beating down on him, gently caressing his face, was a bonus.

"What a wonderful day," Jaune sighed as he leaned back - only for his back to bump against something. From where he lay, guitar across his stomach, Jaune looked up at the furious face of his mother. "Or rather, it was…"

"Explain this," Juniper snapped, pushing a piece of paper against his face. Jaune's eyes crossed as he tried to focus on the words currently being shoved up his nostrils, before he reached up to push her hand back a little.

"The Arc family is banned from the Ansel vegetable store," Jaune read dutifully, his eyebrows rising as it went on. "What the hell…?"

"My thoughts exactly, dear son," Juniper's voice sounded like gravestones being dragged across gravel. "Would you care to explain to me why this letter states it is _your_ actions which have resulted in us being banned?"

His actions…? He wracked his mind, truly he did… "I can't," he said honestly after some time. "I definitely didn't do anything to insult Mrs Green. She seems to really like me."

"It's signed _Mr_ Green," his mother growled.

"Oh, right… that would explain it."

"It also states that he caught you _sleeping_ with his wife!"

"That's not exactly true," Jaune defended with a frown. Juniper didn't quite seem to agree with him however, one golden brow arching as her emerald eyes seemed to darken.

"Jaune, _sweetie_ ," oh, he always knew it was serious when she called him that… "did you sleep with Mrs Green?"

"Well…" he coughed out a nervous laugh, "sleep was pretty much a necessity after what we did…" the muscle next to her eyebrow twitched. "I mean… no?"

"Did _Mr_ Green catch you sleeping with his wife?"

Jaune started to sweat. "He didn't catch me _sleeping_ with her, per se…" his words trailed off as the sound of his mother's teeth grinding together could be heard. "In my defence dad always said all a man needs is confidence."

"You rat bastard!" his father's voice shouted from inside the house.

"I'll talk with you later _dearie_ ," Juniper called out in a saccharine voice. "Jaune… would you like to explain exactly _why_ you were sleeping with a woman twice your age? Mrs Green _is_ thirty-six if I recall."

Still within his age range, he didn't say. It was hardly his fault – he was much older than the sixteen years he was currently, and he'd been back in this life for almost fourteen months now. No matter how hard he tried he just _wasn't_ a child. He had different hobbies, he did different things for entertainment.

Every watering hole was closed to him due to his age, and they all knew him by face, so wouldn't sell anything to him. The latter was more out of fear of what Juniper Arc would do to them when she found out, but still…

Jaune wasn't a womaniser. Nor was he a player or lady-killer.

He just had a good memory, and had learned to read the signs. After going through this life so many times you started to notice and remember the people who were up for a good time. Particularly the ones who liked it casual – no strings attached.

Also, she might be thirty-six, but holy – she was an absolute _fox_. She had that super-stern look like Glynda Goodwitch, but Mrs Green (or Robyn, as he would _not_ say in front of his mother) was hotter than the sun when you got her in the mood!

It was probably the closest he'd ever get to actually banging Glynda Goodwitch, other than in his wildest fantasies. No amount of repeats had given him _that_ opportunity.

"I want to punch you over and over until you lose that perverted expression," his mother's words interrupted his thoughts. She looked like she was already en route to that action, her knuckles popping.

"I don't think that's how it works…"

"I'm willing to give it a go anyway." She let out a sigh however, lowering her hands as she flopped down to sit beside him. "Seriously, Jaune – I know I've not had a son before, but this doesn't feel normal. I know a lot of other mothers, and I don't often hear how their sons are running around bedding mature women left and right."

"Hmm… I can see how that would be awkward," Jaune began to strum once more, knowing that she liked to hear him play those romantic tunes. He loved them too – and loved that his family found pleasure in it. It was such an uplifting feeling to actually create pleasant emotions in people through his hard-earned skill.

"Awkward?" Juniper laughed as she shook her head. "Awkward is your close friends asking why your son is sleeping with their daughters… you don't do that, at least. Oh no… I get my close friends – who are similar to my age – asking me if my _son_ is up for another round; and where he learned how to do so many things with his tongue."

Jaune hit a bum note, the guitar letting out a sharp squeal.

"Ah… oops?"

"Oops indeed," Juniper sighed. "Why can't you be like most boys your age? Shouldn't you be blushing and introducing your first girlfriend to me, who you've just convinced to hold hands with you?"

Hmm… how was he supposed to explain this to her? Sixteen year olds always were bundles of hormones, but he doubted many of them had made the decision to stick to casual sex because they didn't want any long-term attachments they might lose. Or that they couldn't abstain because they'd gotten used to getting some…

"I'm a musician," Jaune strummed once more, "a romantic. Like the wandering minstrel I will become, I can't be tied to just one location. My love is free – like my music." He emphasised his words with a few more chords. The final time his fingers drifted across the strings – only for them to not budge, and no music to come forth.

Juniper's hand was gripping the neck, crushing his fingers against the strings. "Oh? Sweet Jaune is going to play with women's hearts? Sleep around with random women… wander the kingdoms from bed to bed… no grandbabies for dear old Juniper?"

Uh-oh, she was talking in the third person again – that was never a good sign. A low giggle came from her as the hand around his squeezed tighter. The blond boy winced as he felt his bones pop lightly.

"Uh… mum," he cringed, "you're scaring me." And the worst part was that it was true… even after all the horrors he had been through.

"Do you have any last words son?" She released his hand and rose to her feet, looking down upon him from a great height. He recognised that expression… it was the one that promised he'd be feeling his oncoming punishment for weeks. He'd be lucky if he wasn't scrubbing the toilet for the rest of his life. "I'm always happy to give you one final chance to convince me otherwise. You should consider your words well…"

"I always used protection?"

Her eye twitched.

"You chose poorly…"

* * *

"Thanks Jaune," Sapphire said as he held out the plate to her, some barbecued chicken and assembled vegetables on it. The older girl leaned forward to kiss his cheek, the others laughing at the reference to his `kiss the cook` apron.

"What did you do to get in trouble this time?" Hazel asked as she was next in line. Their relationship had thawed only a few weeks after their little incident. Hazel's temper always blazed hot – but that only meant it simmered down all the quicker. "Or are you going to pretend you _volunteered_ to man the barbecue all day?"

"Fell asleep in class," Jaune groaned, accepting her plate and loading some sausages onto it. Hazel frowned as he put the smallest amount of vegetables he could get away with on it. She was such a guy sometimes, wanting nothing but meat – but he knew their mother would have his head if he gave in.

"Don't you always fall asleep in class? What was different this time?"

"It was a guest speaker… I guess they felt offended since they weren't used to it." In his defence it _totally_ wasn't his fault! It had been a talk on how to act responsibly around Grimm if they ever saw any – and it had been delivered by none other than Professor Port himself.

The moment the man had started speaking Jaune's head had hit the desk with a loud thud. But it wasn't his fault, it was habit. The man just had that effect – every student in Beacon knew it! He was like a cosh to the back of the skull… a cosh with a moustache.

"Rough, welp – keep working bro." Hazel smirked as she slipped away. A few of the other girls booed the lack of a kiss, getting a few choice swears from her (and she a loud reprimand from their mother).

"Me next," Amber cheered as she reached the front of the queue. She held her hands up towards him, and with a small smile he leaned down to present his cheek to her. Amber giggled as she kissed him, blushing as he did the same to hers.

He couldn't bring himself to complain about the latest punishment though. Not when his mother and sisters were so happy about the chance to eat outside. The weather had been particularly good lately and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Nicholas was due home in ten minutes – with some bags of ice he'd been sent to fetch from a nearby store. The entire family was arranged out in the garden outside their home, sat on the grass where their property met the nearby woods. In this weather it would have actually been pretty nice to have the barbecue at the lake. But that would involve lugging all the equipment in this heat…

Or rather, it would have involved his father and he lugging all the equipment… neither of them quite had the energy for that.

"Thank you sweetheart," Juniper was last in the queue, and leaned forward to plant a loving kiss on his forehead. Jaune bore it with the expression of a man too embarrassed to admit that he enjoyed it.

It just reaffirmed his decision to spend time with them all. All of this – every memory – wouldn't have existed if he'd run away once more. In other lives it probably never existed, because he'd robbed them of the chance.

With everyone served and Nicholas likely still on the way back, Jaune picked out some chicken of his own and sat down on the cool grass to eat. It was only about three months until Beacon was to start… such a short amount of time. Had it really been nearly two years now?

It seemed so short a time… but that wasn't a problem. He still had a few years left, years that he would spend here with the family that loved him. The family that he'd spent so long neglecting.

He just wished he could relax a little more easily. Something had been playing havoc with his senses for the past ten minutes or so; an unsettling feeling deep in his gut. It was familiar almost… like a distant memory he knew he really ought to recognise.

Juniper was the first to see it, her ragged gasp catching his attention.

Impossible… his hand slipped to his waist, grasping for Crocea Mors, only to find it absent. It couldn't be – it just couldn't, not so close to their home.

A Beowolf… snuffling in the nearby trees, its dark shape visible to them all.

"Get into the house," Jaune spoke softly, climbing to his feet with slow grace. "Get down into the cellar and lock the door." It was a panic solution most houses had. A defended cellar with a small supply of food in case something went wrong.

"Come on girls, up – up," their mother rushed about them, pushing the frightened girls towards the house while keeping her voice as low as possible. It almost seemed impossible that it hadn't noticed them, but Jaune knew such luck wouldn't last.

There was no noise which alerted it. No crack of someone stepping on a twig – or surprised scream from Amber. One moment it was interested in the bushes around it and the next it was glaring directly into Jaune's soul.

He bolted, ducking to the side as he fled after his sisters. He didn't need to look behind him to know the monster was on his heels. The sounds it made, its clawed feet beating against the grass, told him more than enough.

"Close the door!" Jaune yelled as he slipped inside, immediately turning and throwing his weight against the slab of metal. All his family pushed with him, their shoulders and arms straining as the door grated shut. Sapphire slammed the latch down with a loud clang, sealing it from outside entry.

It was all they could do…

"Don't you worry girls," Juniper laughed as she collected the frightened children before her – administering hugs and kisses wherever she could. "Your dad's going to be back soon and we all know one little Grimm is no match for him."

The girls nodded, trying their hardest to ne brave. He couldn't fail to notice the way they flinched however, whenever the Grimm slammed its frame into the door. The vibrations of it caused dust to rain down on their heads.

This wasn't possible, it just wasn't! He couldn't remember his original life but he _knew_ this never happened, because initiation had been the first Grimm he had ever seen! This also couldn't have happened after he left because he knew from past repeats that he had first run away only a week before Beacon.

He would have been at home three months before Beacon… and there'd been no Beowolf attack on them.

How could there be? Ansel was a busy settlement, one with plenty of Hunters but also a small militia of lookouts and sentries. Something like this would have been noticed miles away, and quickly dealt with.

 _This is a disaster… what changed to cause this, how did it even happen?_ An altogether more sobering thought struck him a moment later however, _what happens if I die before Beacon?_

What would happen to the repeats… if he didn't attain _any_ time after initiation? Something as ridiculously supernatural as this couldn't really have real-world physics applied to it; but if it worked mathematically then if he gained time _before_ based on how much he earned _after_ … then getting a minus figure would cause him to come back after initiation.

Would that mean he would slip into a life that was already a little into Beacon… or that he would die forever?

What if it recreated the world he had just died in… so that he came back and there simply _was_ no Jaune for him to be? Everyone… everyone else would die for good. He wouldn't be able to save any of them.

 _I can't die here…_

Arms wrapped around his stomach as he was pulled back against one of his sisters. He could feel her shivering through his back but Coral nonetheless hummed a song into his ear, placing her fingers over his eyes. She was trying to protect him from what he might see, trying to make him feel less frightened by distracting him.

When she was the one who was frightened… that wasn't right.

He could hear their mother doing the same. Singing a soft lullaby as she no doubt held Amber in her lap… he could recall it from the first day he'd woken up here, when she'd sang it as he fell asleep at the kitchen table. It didn't quite have the same effect now… not with the door shaking and rattling before them.

There was a loud crack as something gave way… echoed by a frightened whimper from one of them.

It was going to gain entry. They were going to be trapped in a small room with a Beowolf.

"I need you all to listen carefully to me," Juniper said as she stood up, pushing Amber back into Hazel's arms. "You're not going to like it, but I need you to listen." She took a deep breath, hesitating for a second before the loud growls outside brought her back. "It's… it's going to get in."

Amber began to cry softly.

"There's only one Beowolf though, so there's not too much to worry about. When it comes in I want you all to be lined up against the wall by the door. That way it will see me first – and I can fight it while you get out."

"You'll die," Jaune's words were automatic. Delivered without emotion or fear… he'd died too much to fear it, even with the sudden threat of what it might mean for him. Juniper didn't have aura… she didn't even have training. There wasn't a small chance she would win.

There was no chance.

"Hey now," she laughed, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. "I may have married into the Arcs, but that doesn't mean I'm not a warrior too. I gave birth to eight children. Compared to that, this is a joke." She took another deep breath, wincing as it hitched in her throat. "When you get out I want you to try and close the door behind you… it won't be able to open it from the inside. Then you need to find your father. Head back into Ansel, he'll find you there."

"We can help-" Jade tried to say, only to go silent as Juniper shook her head.

"Don't be silly, you don't know the first thing about fighting. I'll be fine – you think Nicholas didn't teach me some tricks?"

Jaune noticed she didn't expressly say that he had… for he knew the man hadn't. Fighting a Grimm required more than a few tricks. It required years of training, high-quality weapons – and in some cases – a full team of Hunters.

Juniper Arc would die here. But she was right… they would probably get away. Grimm were mindless beasts, which meant that in some ways they could be predictable. If it saw prey before it, then it wouldn't look around to see if there were more. It would rip and tear until the foe before it was dead.

The thought of it was crushing. He loved her – they all did! But she wasn't wrong in saying that they couldn't fight it, his sisters had nothing. _He_ had nothing! He didn't have a weapon, nor did he have aura. Even his martial arts skills would be of no use. The fur and bone of a Beowolf was far stronger than that of a human's skin. Yang and Ren _required_ aura to strike Grimm – because it stopped their fists shattering upon impact.

If Jaune ran… if he survived with his sisters as he ought to? Then he would still live. He would still be able to live his life after Beacon… and then, when he died, he would come back. Juniper would be alive once more and he would have much longer to train! He could stay here and do so, get stronger before Beacon while also protecting his family from this Grimm.

Next time he would make sure it didn't have a chance to hurt her.

But that would mean he had to leave her now. And judging from the tracks running down her cheeks, she knew that.

"Line up now," she whispered, pushing them against the wall and delivering a kiss to each of them. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Just focus on finding your father and sticking together. Sapphire, you're the oldest so keep hold of everyone, okay?"

"Yes mum…" Sapphire's voice cracked.

"I love you all so much, when this is over we'll all have a great time at the lake next week, okay?" He knew what she was doing. Trying to make them remain calm while she centered all the negativity on herself. To the Grimm she would be like a signal flare... allowing them to slip by.

"We love you too," they all echoed.

 _Goodbye, mother._

For this life only… he would come back and save her the next time. If he tried and failed now, however… then she wouldn't get another chance. Nor would Ruby, Pyrrha or all the rest of his friends.

Vale wouldn't get another chance.

This was bigger than him. Bigger than her, bigger than the entire Arc family…

It only took another three loud slams for the metal door to be peeled aside. Any hope of closing it was lost as it slammed off its hinges, fetid air pouring in as the beast lowered its massive frame to fit inside the cramped room.

It didn't even notice them as it pushed through the door. Eyes focused on the woman waving her arms before it. Jaune kept a tight hold of Amber, one hand covering her mouth, the other her eyes. He was the most experienced on here, though they didn't know it.

When they got out, it would be up to him to make sure they didn't crack. That they didn't make a mistake that might cost them their lives too.

"Go now," Juniper shouted as they slipped past the beast. Amber couldn't see the monster but trusted him to guide her. She quaked in his grasp, but he made sure she was safely tucked away where it couldn't reach her, "remember to find your father!"

Jaune was the last to leave the room. Pushing Amber through the doorway as he turned for one final look at the woman who had raised them all. He could barely see her. Just her face through the gap between the Grimm's arm and body. She met his eyes though, softly smiling at him.

She even waved…

"Take Amber," Jaune said as he pushed the girl into Sapphire's arms. "I'll close the door, you go and get help."

"Jaune-"

"I'll catch up," he snapped, looking back as he reached in for the ruined door. "Trust me, I promise."

"R-Right, come on girls…" the seven of them quickly fled, trusting him to do what was necessary. The moment took barely a second. Even so it was enough for Jaune to feel a stab of guilt.

 _Another promise broken,_ _I guess you can't teach an old dog new tricks._

His mother didn't see him as he slipped into the room. He arrived just in time to see her body slam against the opposite wall, her hands clutching at her bleeding leg in an effort to stem the flow of blood. Her children safe and gone she had finally allowed the terror she felt to show. He could see her shaking – tears running down her cheeks like waterfalls.

The roar that left Jaune's throat shocked them all. The Grimm tried to turn, its huge form struggling for positioning in the tiny bunker. It couldn't properly manoeuvre and its shoulder slammed into the ceiling, but it managed to swing an arm at him nonetheless. It was fast… incredibly fast – but Jaune had known where it would swing beforehand. So used to them was he, that he could to a degree predict how they would move.

He could see the muscles as they coiled. Identify their mannerisms – the small flexes they made before each strike. It was something only the most experienced of Hunters could boast of… but he'd had the cruelest teacher of all.

"Jaune, no!" His mother screamed pointlessly, trying to drag herself towards the fight to stop him. It was far too late for that.

Jaune felt his left hand break as he smashed a fist into its snout. The concussive force of it enough to knock its face to the side. The pain was pathetic, nothing compared to what he'd faced before, but the reminder that he lacked aura was a grim one. There could be no mistakes… there wouldn't be any second chances. Not in this life, anyway.

Ducking beneath its next strike, Jaune rolled between the monster's legs – taking the brief moment to crack his hand back into place. His fingers seared as he flexed them, but he could at least move them once more. Fighting with his fists was clearly out and he didn't have a weapon to hand. Crocea Mors might be upstairs still, but that wasn't of any use right now. Blue eyes flicked left and right, categorising everything in an instant as old instincts kicked in.

The battlefield was to his advantage. It limited the movements of the enemy, while providing him with the space he needed. The stone walls themselves could serve as weapons, he might be able to cause it to hurt itself attacking him. There were a few pipes running down one wall, likely going from the boiler to provide heat and hot water to the house.

There wasn't so much as a wooden broom otherwise.

"Jaune, run!"

"I'm trying to concentrate," Jaune snapped, never once taking his eyes off the beast. It had turned to face him now and was snarling in rage. Such pointless hate…

Thick legs coiled, muscles flexing as it lowered itself onto all fours. Jaune did the same, tensing across from it as he prepared his own jump. An intelligent opponent would have adapted. Hesitated or considered what his actions might be. The Beowolf simply leapt towards him, slicing its claws horizontally in a move that would surely have torn him two had it connected. Juniper screamed.

So too did the pipes behind him as he dodged. Expelling great gouts of steam and water towards the ceiling. The skin of his hand seared as he directed the steam into the Beowolf's face, earning a howl as the creature fell back, blinded. One boot slammed against the bottom half of the other pipe, knocking it from the wall as cold water sloshed onto the floor.

It wasn't Crocea Mors… but three feet of solid iron was still just that. It was comfort enough that he had anything in his hands.

He couldn't hesitate, however. Not when it still had so much more strength than he. The Grimm howled as the pipe struck the side of its face, distorting flesh and bone as the creature's body slumped to the side. Red eyes, half-sealed by steam, focused on him with primal anger. He knocked them aside with another blow, swinging the pipe more like bat than a sword. Again he focused on the head, aiming for the snout since it had the least armour. A few sharp teeth pinged from its jaw as it fell back. One even stuck into Jaune's shoulder. It earned nothing more than a grunt.

A claw slashed out, he stepped back – stepping closer when it had passed to deliver an overhead strike between its eyes. The Grimm fell to one knee, struggling to remain standing. He struck again.

Again and again, over and over like some kind of lumberjack methodically working on a thick trunk. His arms burned, his fingers chafed – the vibrations of each blow had his bones rattling within his body. "Die!" he screamed, lifting once more to swing like a golf club – shattering much of its jaw. It wouldn't have his mother – it wouldn't!

He'd lived so long without family, so long without either of his parents – and now this… this single Beowolf – thought it could take that away?

How dare it!?

He'd killed hundreds of its kind – thousands even! With his team… alone… wherever they were, they had slain them. This one would be like all the others! Blue eyes met red as he swung the pipe back up over one shoulder, his rage matched that of the beast's perfectly.

Blue eyes widened. "Oh…" he glanced down. Angry red trails burned across his stomach. Four furrows digging through his flesh as the Beowolf's claw fell limply to the floor. It almost seemed to be smiling at him as it finally gave in, snout twisted in a bestial grin - slick with blood. The pipe descended to end it; breaking through bone and muscle in a gory explosion that sent blood flying across the room.

The iron pipe clattered to the ground.

He followed it.

"Jaune…" Juniper dragged herself forward, leaving a trail of blood behind her. "Jaune, please…"

There was another roar from upstairs, one which caused them to flinch. The others, they- the roar cut off, overpowered by another – infinitely more powerful one. "Juniper, Jaune!?" his father's voice was filled with agony. "Answer me!"

"We're here!" Juniper half-shouted, half-sobbed, finally reaching Jaune's side as he sunk onto his rear against the wall. He could feel something slip around inside of him – a great gush of blood spilling from the wounds across his abdomen.

Damn thing had nearly disembowelled him… it would have been kinder if it had. Now he was going to bleed to death.

He _hated_ bleeding to death… it was so prolonged.

"Stay with me baby, stay with me," hands touched his face as he was lowered to the floor. No doubt she was trying to limit the blood loss by making sure there was no part of his body above the wound. He tried to tell her it was useless, but the words wouldn't form.

Great, now he was going into shock too. How irritating.

"Juni- Jaune, no!" and there was his father, skidding into the room and throwing Crocea Mors to the side. The ancestral blade skittered across the stone floor, blood flicking as it spun.

"Others," Jaune managed to grit out, "sisters…"

"Alive – they're alive," Nicholas rushed, hands rushing over Jaune's body as he assessed the damage. "You idiot, damn it, _damn it_. Don't you dare fucking die." The man was crying… so was his mother. They were both in tears as they tried to stem the bleeding.

He tried to say sorry. Tried to tell them not to worry – that it probably wouldn't matter. But the blood loss was starting to get to him, drowning sight and sound away as darkness crept at the edges of his vision.

"He's dying…" she sobbed.

"He won't," Nicholas said, "I won't allow it."

Through the dull haze Jaune felt something heavy press down on his chest, words barely reaching his ears as he slipped away. _I wonder what will happen… when I die here? I just wish… I just wish I could have had a little more time with them._

"For it is in our passing that we achieve immortality," _Pyrrha?_ "-by our example we become a martyr for the glory of others." No… it was… different. "Selfless in sacrifice, bound by duty, I release your soul," a pause, "and by my hand… place this burden upon thee."

And like an old motor stirring to life… Jaune's aura flickered.

* * *

 **Long chapter is long. You know what, I hate timeskips, I really do. I just could not see a way out of them here. I'm sure a few people might say they could have read two years' worth of chapters – and they probably could. Some people like that kind of thing… I kinda do as well – so long as I don't have to write it xD**

 **But the plan I have does not include 20 chapters of him growing up. I tried to give a sense of time here – these are all a few months apart, and it ends three months or so before Beacon. I've tried to show in what ways he is developing here, but hey-ho – I think there will be some who worry Jaune is becoming OoC.**

 **All I can say is… make your own call. You can trust that I have a plan and give it a go, or if you don't like it – ah well, that's life I guess. This fic will not be a harem – I will state again. Jaune has had sex with women, it's not the same as being married to them. People have sex, but that's all it is. Nor is he some kind of lady-killer, as I tried to explain in the chapter - he just from all his repeats who will and won't. Consider it the results of his experimental stage early on.  
**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed it – and remember; everything here, happened for a reason. There are always hints to be had if you dig deep and ask why. ;-)**

 **Also I hope you don't think Jaune felt under powered at the end there. He doesn't have aura or training - yet he was still able to kill a Beowolf with nothing more than his bare hands. I mean he broke his fist on it, reset it, splashed steam in its face then tore a pipe off a wall to beat it to a pulp. 0.o - that's pretty badass.**

* * *

 **Beta Notes:**

Spoiler Alert- Jaune dies next chapter!

Psh, yeah right. Least believable April Fool's ever.

It's hard to put say too much about this chapter because most of my thoughts really have to do with the next chapter, or much later, so here's some writer tips of betaing.

One of the fun parts of being beta- making little suggestions to hit The Feels here or set up chekov's guns there- is mixed by the tension of not spoiling those setups that will pay off in the distant future. Being a beta is a bit of a wrestle- you have to challenge someone's ideas, but no when not to press- but for anyone trying to do that, here's the tip. If you're a beta making suggestions, always have a reason for what you suggest. And if you're a writer, always have a reason to refuse (even if that reason is, sometimes, 'I don't feel like that' or 'that's not the story I want to tell'). That's the sort of mutual openness and respect that do anything from small tweaks like Balloona Mors versus Crocea Balloon (Balloon Death versus Yellow Ballon- which would you want for a weapon) to avoiding plot pitfalls (which of course Coeur would never, ever do... right?) Having a beta to bounce idea off is what turned this story from a vague idea to a credible outline with Themes and Plotlines and Stuff. Always good to have a rough idea of what you want to write before you try writing it.

But what's also charming about being a betas, even if one of is a filthy casual hobbiest and the other is Coeur Al'Aran, is the occasional little nod that sneaks in. There's an entire joke segment here Coeur put in as a nod to something he beta'd for me- a one shot that's just gone up today, actually. If you want to know what it is, check out 'A Talk Worth Having' by yours truly- a nice bit of cheer to offset this chapter's end.

Cheers,

College Fool

* * *

 **Check out College Fool's new one-shot by the way, it's very funny ;) - available on my favourites list!  
**

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **April**

 **. com (slash) Coeur**


	4. Chapter 4

**A lot of people taking part in the theory-crafting, asking good questions and such – I'll always endeavour to answer those if I can. But I prefer to do so in a chapter to be honest. So you might find some answers to questions posed by many in this chapter.**

 **That little Aura-unlocking thing from Nicholas, btw… it's something I would love to bring into more commonality in the fandom. We only ever hear Pyrrha doing it in the show, so a lot of people assume that it would always be the same (like a standardized chant). I like to think it might be different though… aura is about the soul, so if one person is going to use THEIR soul to unlock another's, then maybe they should be saying something deeply personal about themselves or their views.**

 **So I like to slip different ones into my fics. In Professor Arc we hear Roman's, in this fic we hear Nicholas'. Again, I'm not saying it "changes" anything – but it would be a nice bit of extra character building, and specifically some for Pyrrha too. Since it would mean her quote is her specific views on the responsibilities of a Hunter, etc…**

 **Hope you all enjoy – and thanks for all the thoughts and feedback.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Chapter 4 – First Contact**

* * *

Jaune's first instinct upon waking was to remain silent. Perhaps that said something about how he'd developed as a person, or maybe the experiences he'd been through. Either way, paranoid caution had saved his life on numerous occasions and it didn't cost him anything if there was nothing wrong. With eyes held shut, he strained his ears. He was just about able to pick out the muffled conversation of his parents - and then the rhythmic beeping of hospital equipment.

He was alive, then... that was good.

He could vaguely remember the final words before darkness had taken him. An incantation that was altogether too familiar, yet also new. His father had never unlocked his aura before… the first time it had been Pyrrha. After that, whoever he could pay to unlock it. Usually some wandering Hunter he might cross in the wilderness. It didn't matter when and where he unlocked it… he just always made sure it was active before he reached Beacon.

After all, he hadn't needed to fake his way into the school for a long time.

"- said might still sleep, but that he's stable now. There shouldn't be any risks, not unless something goes wrong." That was his father, the deep timbre of his voice was tinged with exhaustion. As though sleep had not been something he had been able to attain.

"Something _already_ went wrong," Juniper hissed, "Two Grimm not only got close to the house but nearly killed us all! What the hell happened with the watch?"

"I don't know," that answer didn't seem to please his mother, for Jaune could feel her anger from where he lay, "but I will be finding out, rest assured. If anyone was slacking, I'll personally roast them over a fire."

"I don't like this Nicky. I thought you said you didn't train him – where did he learn to fight like that?"

"It was probably instincts. Fear can do a lot to give a person motivation and inspiration. Don't think on it."

"How can I not? I almost died, only to find my son rushing at a huge monster with nothing but his bare hands." Jaune felt a small flicker of some emotion, but buried it down – doing what he could to remain still and keep his breathing deep. Did his mother not even imagine what it was like for all of them as well? To see her standing there with that loving smile as she accepted death so that they might live?

It was too cruel.

"Shhh… you're alive, he's alive. The worst _didn't_ happen." Jaune heard the two of them kiss. And had to squash the instinct to cringe at it – seriously, right next to his hospital bed? "Why don't you go see to the girls? They're probably just as worried as you and you're better at comforting them than me."

"Tell me when he wakes up?" Another kiss - another frantic desire to be somewhere else.

"Of course," the door opened and closed as footsteps receded from the room. "Are you going to keep being lazy, or was there some other reason you're pretending to be asleep?"

"I was trying to sleep," Jaune yawned as his blue eyes opened. There was a rush of artificial light, the room a terrifying shade of pristine white that seared his retinas. But a few moments later it started to come into painful focus. It was a small, white room – lacking a window, but fitted with a painfully bright light above his bed. Beside the bed he lay in was a table, covered in potted plants and vases of flowers – as well as a few boxes of sweets. Nicholas sat in a wooden chair towards the end of his bed. "It's not my fault my parents decided to get frisky right next to me."

"Idiot," Nicholas shook his head as he rose to his feet to walk beside Jaune's head. He didn't particularly like being laid down when someone was nearby, but the moment he tried to move a sudden pain lanced through his stomach. "Don't move – you've only been out for two days or so, you need time to recover."

"Did mum's leg heal?" It had been a nasty wound… nothing compared to his own, but then again he was used to receiving such. Watching her, a complete civilian, dragging herself across the floor towards him had been agonising.

"She's fine, a bit of dust medicine and some stitches. She's on crutches right now, but they should be gone in a week or two." Nicholas reached down to flick his nose, causing Jaune's face to scrunch up in displeasure. "You should be more concerned about your own injury. You were nearly disembowelled."

Jaune tried to shrug, only for the motion to come across as simply shuffling in the bed, "Well I'm alive so I guess I know it's not that bad." It would be suspicious for him to act too blasé however, "How did I recover anyway – it doesn't make sense that I could survive something like that and be up so soon when mum is on crutches?"

"That would be because I unlocked your aura," his father's eyes closed with a soft sigh, "you do know how that works, right?"

"We learned a bit in school," Jaune nodded, pleased that he wouldn't need to feign ignorance and go through some long conversation about it. It was hardly uncommon knowledge in Remnant, but then again Jaune hadn't been the most attentive person either. There was one thing though, "Why don't you just unlock Juniper's then? Hell, if she had aura she might have been able to make it through that fight without getting hurt!"

Why didn't everyone have their aura unlocked, why was it not something they did to all children like immunisation? It worked along the same lines too, and while it did take some energy from the one doing it - that was related to how much aura the recipient had. Surely with kids it would be less?

"I suppose they wouldn't have taught you all the intricacies," Nicholas sighed. The man pulled the wooden seat from the edge of the bed, scraping it across the floor so he could sit down near Jaune's head. "There are a lot of good things about aura. The defence, improved healing – even more strength. But that doesn't mean it comes without problems. What do you know about aura, specifically?"

"It's the manifestation of the soul. That's all I know other than what it does for people – for Hunters."

"It's enough in this case. Keep in mind that not many people know much about aura at all, the soul isn't something that is easy to measure or experiment on, so a lot of this is guesswork. Simply put, when we unlock a person's aura we enable their soul to manifest as energy outside their body. The analogy isn't exact, but you might imagine a normal soul as being a jar locked deep inside the body, while an opened soul can travel and expel all the way to the skin – it infuses the entire body and protects it."

Nicholas sighed, rubbing one hand against his face, "The problem is that the Grimm hunt humanity through our emotions, and what they _lack_ is a soul. When we unlock your aura, all of a sudden your soul is not just locked away inside you, but sometimes even visible on your skin. We have more than enough evidence that this makes you more appealing to Grimm as well. It might be something to do with your emotions being more vivid, or expelled from your body with aura."

"Ah…" Jaune glanced aside. That made a certain amount of sense… and also painted quite the cruel picture. So the reason the auras of normal people went unlocked was because doing so only brought more Grimm to them. They would be ticking time bombs, unable to defend themselves, yet drawing Grimm towards them and their families.

Didn't that also mean that retired Hunters would forever be at risk?

Maybe that was why so many of them had banded together in Ansel, and continued to patrol its borders even into old age.

"And now you have this burden," Nicholas intoned.

 _And by my hand, place this burden upon thee._

"So what, I'm going to attract Grimm forever?" Was his father suggesting he leave so that he didn't endanger their family?

"It's not that dramatic. You should be safe within Ansel anyway – there are a lot of Hunters living here after all. But it is customary to offer at least some training to anyone who unlocks their aura, even if it's just enough for a civilian to stall until help arrives."

Ah… so that was the issue.

"And you don't want to train me." The accusation seemed to hit his father deeply, the man leaning back in his seat as though struck.

"I have no qualms training you if it's to defend yourself. We can start as soon as you're recovered." What the… so after all he had been through, now his father was willing to help train him? "But I have to ask - you said your ambition was to become a musician. Has that changed?"

"No."

Nicholas frowned and leant forward, "So you have no intention of becoming a Hunter?"

"I said I wanted to be a musician, and I do. There's no way I could actually get enough training in so short a time to actually become a decent fighter."

"I don't know," Nicholas sighed, "it looks like you already have a good foundation if you were able to kill a Beowolf not only unarmed, but without aura. I can count the known cases of that ever happening on one hand – and most of those were plucky people leading them into traps or machinery. They used the environment to their advantage for traps or obstacles... I don't think I've ever heard of someone achieving what you did."

"It was just instincts," Jaune tried, only to get a snort from the man.

"Don't give me that bullshit I fed your mother. No amount of instincts can let a child beat a Beowolf into submission like that. You need at least some training."

"I saw it on television."

"Try again. You can't pick stuff up like from just watching it on a screen."

"Time travel?"

Nicholas rolled his eyes, dismissing the truth in an instant, "Jaune, I'm not _angry_ at you, please understand that. Your mother likely will be for risking your life, but I've never loved you more for saving both yourself and her. Thank you, _thank you_ for that."

"I watched people train and followed the steps myself. It wasn't enough to ever get good – but I only had to keep beating it over the head with a pipe." What else was he supposed to say? The truth was unbelievable – as it always was.

The older man didn't look like he fully believed it, but he closed his eyes and accepted it nonetheless. "And yet you still don't want to become a Hunter?"

"I used to, that was why I trained and watched. But I don't anymore. Why are you so hung up over this? Why do you get upset whenever it's mentioned, why act so relieved when I told you I wanted to be a musician two years ago?"

"You remembered that?" Nicholas sighed and looked away. "I suppose you would, ah… it's not something I've really talked about to anyone other than your mother."

"You don't have to then," Jaune wanted to know, but not enough that he would cause problems over it. At the end of the day the whys weren't nearly as important as what and how. His father didn't want him to be a Hunter, what did the reasons matter?

"I'll tell you," his father shrugged, "you earned it for looking after your mother and it might give you a better idea of why I've been holding off on you so much." He paused, one hand coming to his chin as he thought of how best to explain. "I suppose I'll keep it simple… you know that the Arc family has a long history of being heroic warriors?"

"Yeah, I've come across a few mentions of our name in history books." It had been one of the reasons he'd wanted to become a Hunter in the first place. Nowadays they weren't as famous as families like the Schnee, but go back a hundred years or so and they were easily on that level. Jaune had once dreamed of restoring the family name to that level... a name to be respected and loved.

With a statue of him in every city of course... heh, what a fool he'd been.

"Well a reputation like that isn't achieved easily." Nicholas crossed his arms and leaned back as he began the tale, "The family was rigid and unforgiving, both in terms of what you could and could not do. Every child of the family had to become a Hunter – there were no exceptions allowed. You could only date other Hunters, and under no circumstances could you marry or have children with someone who was not also a Hunter of some renown. The bloodline needed to be kept pure, and evolution shows that stronger parents make for stronger children."

"So you hated it because they wouldn't let you date mum?" It sounded like something out of a cheesy romance, but at the same time it was so very them. No one who saw the two could deny the love between them.

"You're jumping ahead a little actually. My family never met your mother, and I wouldn't have introduced them either way. What I wanted to cover was that from a young age I never had a choice of what I wanted to be – neither did my sister."

Jaune had an aunt? That was the first he'd ever heard of such a thing. He wasn't naïve enough to not realise what that meant…

He _had_ an aunt.

"My sister was Sylver Arc and she was three years older than me. I had looked up to her ever since I was young, because she was the only to play with me. My parents felt play should be disguised as training, and thus the only games I knew would be things that could help that – dodging balls, hand-to-eye coordination games, the like… but Sylver would play silly little card or board games with me. Things we actually liked."

"Anyway, she graduated before I did and went off to do her missions. She was a rising star in the Kingdoms, someone to watch out for. Our parents were thrilled and kept pushing her to take difficult missions. I always used to make her promise that she would come back."

"And she didn't?" Jaune guessed.

"Worse," Nicholas growled, "she did come back. It was a mission to protect a research convoy deep into the Grimmlands, an attempt at finding out more about how the Grimm live in the wild. It was a doomed idea but she went along because it was what our parents wanted. When the Grimm struck and she realised it was lost… she remembered her promise to me - and fled." Nicholas ran a hand through his hair, looking agitated. "She came back alone and near death, collapsing in the hospital the moment she arrived. There was a scandal initially – people thought she had left them all to die, and with Sylver recovering in a coma, her side of the argument wasn't coming to light. Eventually the Council decided it was no one's fault, just a bad idea in the first place. No one was to blame... but that wasn't enough… not for my mother and father."

Jaune had never met them… not in any of his lives, and he was beginning to see why.

"Dishonour, coward, scandal - that was all they could hear. When I came rushing from Beacon to finally see her, to make sure she was okay…" there was a loud crack as the wooden armrests of the chair gave way beneath his fingers. "They were standing next to her bed… all the equipment unplugged."

Holy… that took a turn for the dark all of a sudden… he'd expected a tale of a sister long lost that had turned his father away from the profession, but to hear his own grandparents had effectively murdered their child? "Tell me they didn't get away with that?"

"Things were different back then," Nicholas sighed – making Jaune's eyes go wide. No way… "The Council didn't want any panic. Sylver was a famous figure and she might have died of natural causes anyway. They released a statement saying there were complications - that her injuries were too severe. It was all swept under the rug."

"That's… insane. Did they at least get arrested?"

"Old war heroes like them?" his father laughed, "No, they didn't get arrested. I never saw them again. I refused all contact and disowned myself in everything but name. They might still be alive for all I know – I simply don't care so long as they never come near my family. The point of this story is why I didn't want any of my children to become Hunters. Though it seems with you that I ironically followed in my father's footsteps."

Jaune understood those words. By seeking to ensure that his own children never became Hunters, in some small way he'd been as manipulative as the father he hated. Where grandfather Arc had sought to enforce his will in making Nicholas a Hunter, Nicholas had done the same in denying Jaune that goal.

In every other life that would have been true… but for this one time, he could give his father some real comfort.

"I don't want to be a Hunter." Jaune could see the man's shoulders tense. As though he still didn't quite believe it, "I don't know how many times I need to tell you. I _wanted_ to, but not anymore. So you don't need to train me or feel bad about anything, because I'm not interested in it."

 _Even when I did though, I don't think I ever hated you for denying me. I was always a bit annoyed, but I did wonder if you had a reason._ And as flawed as that reason might be. It was nowhere near as bad as those of his father's parents.

"I'm glad," the older man smiled then. The first true smile Jaune had seen since he woke up. "I'll still be training you though. Now that your aura is unlocked you need to know enough to defend yourself, and if you're going to be travelling a lot you might as well have some training."

"I guess that's fi-"

The door slammed open, " _Nicholas Arc_! You told me you would let me know when he was awake!"

"Ah sweetie, we were jus-" Juniper was having none of it, sweeping into the room and pushing the man aside so fast he fell from his chair. Before Jaune even knew what was going on she had her arms around him, cradling his head beneath her chin.

"I was so frightened, I thought you were going to die, you shouldn't have come back, I told you to run, I love you, you were so stupid!" She leaned back with an expectant expression, "Well!?"

"Were any of those questions?" Jaune managed, still a little woozy from being pulled up so quickly. "I'm sorry?" He wasn't, but it was what usually worked when he was in trouble.

"I forgive you," his mother sighed, "but only if you never risk your life like that again."

Not a chance. If she or any of his sisters were in danger, then there was no way he wasn't going to act to save them. Just because he'd decided to not become a Hunter this time… just because that meant he was going to abandon his friends…

He wouldn't abandon them too. He just couldn't. Nicholas seemed to notice that resolve, giving him a subtle nod from behind Juniper. The scene was quickly made all the more chaotic by the arrival of seven other girls, crowding into the room as they all fought to get some sight of him. As the youngest Amber was allowed to push her way forward, each of the older sisters giving way for her.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" the small girl yelled, slapping down on his arm with one hand, even as Jaune raised his brows and looked to the ceiling for aid. They all acted like the correct choice was to abandon their mother and run away… maybe for a normal person it would have been.

But he knew his limits. Sort of… he hadn't expected to actually survive, but with how his semblance worked it wouldn't have mattered in the long run.

They couldn't understand that though… all they knew was that their brother had almost been taken from them. That the boy they'd grown up with had nearly died.

"Sorry," he said, reaching out to stroke the top of her golden hair. Something wet pushed against the hand she was holding, and he noticed Sapphire step forward to rest her hands on the shoulders of the softly crying girl.

"Everyone's been really worried about you," Sapphire said, voice even and calm. She always stood the tallest among them, a pillar of strength among the household, whose word was second only to their mother. Or that was how it had always seemed… right now she looked like she might fall apart at any moment, her calm facade just that. _I was worried,_ her eyes seemed to scream.

It was all too much for him… too much emotion, too much love and concern. Whenever he'd been hurt before everyone at Beacon was _concerned_ , but never to this degree. They trusted him to recover, trusted his aura to keep him going.

This was different. If only because not one of them had expected him to survive. They truly thought they had lost him. He could see it in the desperation in their eyes, the awkward silence that permeated the room - even how some couldn't meet his gaze - perhaps distressed that they hadn't fought alongside him.

He needed something to distract them – anything that could make the conversation less awkward, before everyone – including him – turned into a blubbering mess of tears and apologies.

"So are all these flowers from you girls?" he laughed out loud, pointing to the myriad plants and looking for any blushes. "I didn't realise I was so popular."

Sapphire winced, "Ah… they're – uh… not from us."

"Oh, _these?_ " his mother cooed, with a voice so filled with sugar that it almost made his teeth rot. The girls backed away from the bed slightly, Nicholas following them as his mother clasped his hand in two of hers. "Fancy us bringing flowers only to find that you already had all of these! There's Mrs Green from the store, Miss Robinson from next door, as well as Amber's primary teacher Miss Marron!"

Oh dear…

"Not to mention my best friend Grace," Hazel growled from the crowd. The tell-tale sound of cracking knuckles letting him know what would be coming the moment he recovered.

"Eh," Jaune laughed – feeling more than a little faint – "who knew I was so popular, eh? Ha ha… heh…" his mother looked unimpressed, as did just about every other girl there. Over the top of her heads his eyes met with those of his father - only to receive a consolatory shrug. That treacherous bastard!

"Crud…"

* * *

Things settled down for the next few days. Jaune was to be kept in the hospital a little longer than strictly necessary, just to make sure there weren't any complications. His aura had been unlocked in time to heal most of the damage – a miracle, some of the doctors claimed. Jaune knew from Pyrrha though that his aura had always been much larger than average.

It hadn't been able to repair everything however, not as it would have done were it unlocked from the start. Jaune would forever have a grisly scar across his stomach, the skin there darker in colour, a jagged line across his abdomen. All in all, it wasn't a bad trade from his point of view. What was a scar at the end of the day, compared to the life of another?

It also wasn't anywhere obvious, so no one could even really see it.

His family visited on most days, either in groups or as individuals. His mother alternated between fussing over him, rebuking him for risking his life – or sometimes just staring at him in an effort to prove he was still alive. His sisters on the other hand worked to keep him entertained, reading books or chatting about what was going on – even sneaking games in for him to play with them.

It was never really needed, and all he really wanted to do was sleep - but he could tell it was as much a comfort to them as it was for him. His absence from the household was clearly affecting them after such a trauma. It made sense they would take what chances they had to make sure he was safe.

He wouldn't ever deny them that.

So it was that on the fourth day Jaune found himself playing a game of checkers with his oldest sister, Sapphire. The board rested across his knees as they each moved pieces along. Jaune stifled a yawn behind one hand, idly wishing he could catch some more naps... he was a recovering young man after all, which meant he needed at least eighteen hours of beauty sleep.

"Are you coming home soon then?" Sapphire asked as the game came to an end. "There's a lot of homework that's been piling up for you."

"Don't I get out of doing that?" he sighed as he reset the pieces. Really, it was just like Sapphire to focus on something like that. She'd always been the second mother of the family – something that was probably a necessity when there were just so many children. Juniper couldn't do everything on her own and Sapphire was the oldest by a good three years. There was probably a story there too, as to why they had one child the a three year gap - before spitting out kids so fast it wasn't even funny.

Jaune wasn't sure he wanted to hear that story though... lest it scar him for all eternity.

"A well-rounded education is a valuable gift," the girl sniffed, pushing back her bright blonde hair, which she kept in a long braid. "Not that you would know it, considering how poor your grades are."

That made him wince. What an embarrassing concept, to be behind in grades. Considering he was old enough that he really shouldn't be scoring less than _children_. If Pyrrha could see him now, she'd shake her head. Really… he imagined she'd get on well with Sapphire. They both had that mothering personality, along with a tendency to adopt anything weaker than them.

"You need to put more work into things," the woman sighed, "you can't just sleep your way through life, no matter how lazy you are." It was a regular argument between them, but it had never sounded quite so personal before. There was an underlying frustration and anger in her voice.

"That's not what this is about though, is it?" Jaune prodded that mass, "You've been off ever since I got injured – let's not beat around the bush Saph, what's the problem?"

"The problem?" Sapphire went still, the board in his lap rattling lightly as she gripped the edges. "How can you ask me what the problem is after what you pulled?"

This again, hadn't he said sorry enough lately? He wasn't even apologetic about making the decision at all. Juniper had been in danger, he had been there. What about that was difficult to understand? It was a _single_ Beowolf.

"And that!" she accused, pointing at his face, "I see you rolling your eyes like this isn't even something worth talking about. You nearly died!"

"But I didn't," he tried to reason. She was right, he could definitely stand to sound a little more effected by it all… no one should be as blasé about it as he was, but his body and mind were tired in equal measure, the recovery taking it out of him. "The worst didn't happen. I'm fine – just relax a little, okay?"

" _I'm_ the oldest," Sapphire shook her head from side to side so fast that her braid nearly slapped him in the face. "It's my responsibility to look after you, not yours to rush in like that!"

"You're angry because I took that away from you?" Jaune frowned, "That seems like a fairly childish way of acting for one who claims to be the oldest. I'm a little surprised to be honest."

"You bastard!" his sister cried out as she reared to her feet, "You damn bastard! How dare you – I don't care about that. I'm angry because you made me choose!"

"Choose wh-?" she didn't give him time to speak.

"You just pushed Amber into my arms and told me to get them all to safety – and suddenly I was responsible for all their lives. But mum told me to get _you_ out too, and you went back in. What was I supposed to do!?" Tears welled at the edges of her blue eyes, threatening to spill out as Jaune stared at her woodenly. "Was I meant to rush back to help you, and place all six of them in danger? Or get out and abandon you to die?"

She had gotten them to safety - and for that he loved her.

"You made the right decision." There were six of them and only one of him, it was the obvious choice to save them – especially since they would have been utterly defenceless and lost without Sapphire's guidance. "You made the right choice."

"Yeah, well I don't _want_ to make the right choice! Not if it's as stupid as that. I abandoned you. I chose to leave you behind to _die_!" her breath came out in great gasps, the girl struggling to bring herself under control. "It doesn't matter if you survived or not… that doesn't change the fact that I had to make the choice to let you die. That's not _fair_."

"It's not," Jaune leaned back in the bed, allowing his eyes to drift shut. It wasn't fair… and yet ironically, it was exactly what he was doing right now, wasn't it? Making the choice to let his friends die so that a better result would occur?

It wasn't the wrong choice… in the same way that Sapphire's choice hadn't been wrong.

But it still hurt.

"I don't know what to say," he admitted after a few long moments. "I don't hate you, if that's what you mean. There wasn't anything you could have done, not with the resources you had available. You can't fight – none of you can, but you were able to keep everyone calm and get them out. Not everyone could have achieved that. I don't hate you Saph, I love you."

 _I wanted to save everyone_ , her face seemed to say. To which he desperately wished he could stand up and hold her.

 _Me too, Sapphire…_ he thought instead, _me too…_

"I'm sorry, I'm being selfish."

 _No, you're not…_

"I'll leave you be. Get well soon, Jaune." The door slammed shut behind her, leaving him alone in a room he couldn't leave. Damn it… that Grimm had really messed everything up.

Why had it been there in the first place? Events like that – ones that weren't governed by random chance – they didn't happen. There wasn't ever a case in which Cinder randomly had a change in heart, or Ruby was at a different dust store and thus failed to get into Beacon.

Similarly, if he didn't change anything – and he hadn't – then something like that _shouldn't_ have happened. Was it his negativity, had the Grimm been attracted by him specifically because of the emotional turmoil of abandoning his friends?

Maybe… but also unlikely… if that had been the case then surely it would have focused on him instead of going for his mother. Similarly, when he'd gone to save her – there had been another up top waiting for his sisters. Nicholas had killed that one, judging by the angry shout he could remember.

But it still didn't make sense. Any negativity he might have caused was surely balanced by his happiness in other areas. He was at peace. He enjoyed learning the guitar – not to mention he was genuinely happy to spend time with his family. He didn't _feel_ negative enough to warrant Grimm appearing like that.

So why?

Why had a Beowolf appeared when it never had before? Even if he couldn't remember his original life – even if it was so far back as to be nothing more than a distinct feeling. One thing he knew for _certain_ , was that he hadn't ever encountered a Grimm before Beacon.

Because if this had happened, his mother would have been dead the first time.

 _But what changed?_

* * *

Jaune hit the grass hard. For a moment he considered staying there too. It was cool with the early dew of morning, soft like the most wonderful pillow – and the scent of it was a breath of fresh air down his lungs.

The whistling sound above him soon changed his mind however.

"Time out," Jaune cried as he rolled away, staggering to his feet just in time to raise the practice shield before him. Turned out Nicholas Arc didn't really understand the concept of timeout… judging from the way his blade struck Jaune's shield, lifting him from his feet and sending him back down to the ground.

"You've got some fancy tricks," his father sounded utterly casual, as though the effort of twenty minutes constant sparring was lost on him, "but you need more strength to make them work. I'm surprised how fast you were able to pick up the forms though."

A few tricks… he'd bled and died to learn his fighting style, and his father was able to tear them apart in a few short exchanges? No, that wasn't a fair approximation at all. If Jaune were as strong as he was normally around this time – given a full year or more to train to his utmost, then he was confident he could hold his own, maybe even win.

But as he was now - with two years of a sedentary lifestyle? There was no chance…

No amount of fancy footwork, skill or experience would be enough to uproot a Hunter like Nicholas. Not when he had comparable experience and skill… maybe a little less of the latter, Jaune _was_ older after all – even if that was a major technicality. But it still didn't matter.

Pure skill did not always trump conditioning. That had become alarmingly obvious when he'd actually gotten the edge on the man, twisting his sword in such a way that Nicholas had to fight to keep hold of his own.

But he'd just brute forced his way through it, kicking Jaune away with enough force to send him into a tree.

"Whoo! Go dad!" A voice called from the side lines. Jaune glared at the three girls sat there. Sable and Coral grinned back.

"Fight on, Jaune," Coral echoed, sketching something down into a notepad as she watched the spar.

"And why are you two watching this anyway?" Jaune growled as he staggered up. His body was already fighting against him, letting him know that sleep would be a welcome thing right now. "Damn it Coral, are you writing me into one of your stories again?"

"Just the fight scenes – this is good for inspiration," the short girl defended, biting down on the end of her pen as she looked at him. "I took your name out after you complained the last time."

 _I complained because you wrote me into some boy on boy smut…_ as the submissive too. He didn't say that out loud though, not when she would hear him and get her own revenge – likely by writing him into something particularly humiliating. It was a small mercy that his sister was an amateur writer at best… she'd sell some of her works to the local shops, and she had a small following in Ansel. But it wasn't going to reach Vale or anything.

Hooray for small mercies.

"By the way," Sable cocked a grin as she pointed behind him. Jaune didn't have time to see what she was referring to – but he certainly felt it. All six and a half feet of it, delivered through a shoulder-charge.

"Don't take your eyes off the enemy." Nicholas chided his son, who currently was laid flat on his ass staring at the sky. "The Grimm aren't going to wait for you to finish a conversation."

"That's not very polite of them," Jaune groaned. "Are we done yet, like you said – I've already got the forms down. It's not like I need training to become an actual Hunter." If he'd hoped throwing that reminder out there would help influence his father, then he was sorely disappointed. The man was an absolute slave-driver, and had been in the month or so since he'd come back from the hospital. They'd been training nearly every day for three weeks now… and there didn't seem to be any sign that he would be stopping soon.

It was only about an hour each day, nothing compared to how much effort he had put into previous lives – hell, even compared to how much training he normally did in a day, this was nothing. But it was painful for someone still recovering.

If this was supposed to be his rehabilitation, then he wanted to talk to a doctor.

"You need to learn your limits. We'll be continuing until we find it."

"I'm fairly sure we've just found it…" he pulled himself to his feet nonetheless, arranging the sword and shield before him. Since they each had aura unlocked they used real steel, though the edges were blunted to prevent any mistakes. That only made it hurt all the more then it struck however.

At least he'd gotten a few good hits in on his old man – something a person his age would never have been able to achieve. It was those red marks and bruises across his father's arms and shoulders that gave Jaune the confidence to continue.

Or maybe it was just the catharsis, that satisfying look on Nicholas' face when Jaune managed to land a particularly cruel blow. He wasn't bitter about all this training – honest!

 _On a skill level I'm probably far above most of the people who are headed to Beacon,_ Jaune thought to himself as he deflected the first strike, turning his blade just enough to ensure his father's was locked against his own. Nicholas fought to disengage as Jaune struck with the shield – only for the man to take it on one shoulder and back away warily. _That's not difficult though… I've had decades training with the sword and shield._

On pure skill and technique alone he outclassed even Pyrrha.

But that was only half the story. Counters, versatility – semblances and fitness, they all played a dangerous part. If he were for some reason locked in a life or death struggle with Pyrrha, then it would almost certainly end in his death, unless he managed to get the drop on her. As he was now she was likely faster, stronger and had more stamina. Add onto that the ranged options she had thanks to her weapon and the contest was even more unbalanced.

And then there was her semblance… which could literally disarm him at any moment.

Nicholas didn't have anything like that, but the man's conditioning alone was too great for Jaune. He was barely able to block the next attack, taking it on his shield. He wanted to cut down with his sword, slam the edge into the man's fingers to make him drop the blade – but Nicholas had already retreated by the time Jaune's blade struck. It didn't matter what techniques he knew, if his opponent was too fast for him.

"Gah!" Jaune's shield was knocked aside, Nicholas barging into his guard. A step back, an instinctive move to secure better footing – Crocea Mor- no, just a training blade – came up in time to parry the first strike. His forearm met the next, a move which would have resulted in agony – but thanks to his aura likely not have cost him the arm. Jaune's fist skimmed his opponent's cheek, Nicholas just managing to get out of the way in time.

Before a knee struck Jaune directly in the stomach, bending him over as he collapsed to the floor.

"Good, good!" his father praised, somehow able to ignore the sounds of Jaune retching into the grass. "I like that you're adaptive. Too many people seem to think the sword is their only weapon."

"I hate you," Jaune groaned into the grass, biting a few strands and chewing them in his mouth to remove the taste of vomit.

"Eh," Nicholas shrugged, "Love, hate – they're not mutually exclusive."

"Jaune's might soon be," Sable teased as she helped drag the young man over to the logs they were sat on. Jaune mumbled some quick thanks as she held a bottle of water to his lips for him to greedily drink from. "Aw… this brings back memories – is baby thirsty?"

Jaune tried to glare… but the pain and thirst were too great. Instead he just lay there in abject mortification as his older sister bottle-fed him. He would have vengeance.

"Looks like you're lasting a lot longer than you used to," Coral closed her notebook with a small slap of leather on paper. "You almost made it through an hour today, as opposed to the forty minutes or so when you started. I guess all this training is doing something for your stamina," her green eyes took on a teasing edge, "though I've heard from some of the women round here that stamina isn't usually a problem or you."

"Ew," Sable dropped him like a rock, sending him spilling to the floor – water sloshing across his shirt. "What if I catch something from touching him?"

"Depends in what way you want to touch him."

"Ew, _Coral!_ "

Jaune sighed as the two got into another fight. One he chose to ignore as he lay on the ground by their feet, occasionally holding an arm up to stop one of their feet stamping on him by accident. If he could just close his eyes for a few seconds… then he could get some slee-

"Sapphire _!?_ "

Or not… seriously, was nowhere sacred? That he couldn't even fall asleep on the floor without someone finding a way to interrupt him?

"W-What the hell," Sable's voice was choked. And when Jaune pushed himself so that he was sitting up, he could see why. "What did you do to your hair!?"

"It was just going to get in the way," the eldest of them was stood before them – dressed in some tracksuit trousers and a white tee. It wouldn't have been anything unusual… were it not for the conspicuous absence of her two-foot long braid. In its place was a sloppy cut that barely reached her shoulders.

"Sweetheart," Nicholas sighed, "did you cut that yourself? I think I should take you to a hairdresser." Sapphire flushed at the insinuation, though even Jaune could see it was a rough and uneven cut.

"Later. I- I want to train as well. Teach me to fight!"

Jaune froze. Nicholas too, even as Coral and Sable gasped and looked towards one another. None of the girls had ever shown a desire to learn anything related to fighting… hadn't Sapphire always wanted to be a teacher?

 _This never happened either…_

"I won't unlock your aura," Nicholas stood firm, "You know what risk that would give, Jaune's was a necessity and this is a result of that. You don't need to fight."

"Don't need?" Sapphire laughed, "How can you say I won't ever need to fight? I don't care about my aura, I don't even _want_ it unlocked." Her blue eyes narrowed, fists clenched by her side. It reminded him of a few weeks ago… their argument in the hospital room. "But I _refuse_ to have no options again. I refuse to just sit there and let someone die because I'm too weak to even try and do anything about it."

"It could take years," Nicholas warned, drawing wide eyed stares from both Jaune and the other two girls. He was going to agree to this? "I refuse to unlock your aura, since it will place you in danger – that means the training would take even longer."

"I don't care. Train me."

"Saph," Jaune stepped between the two. Nicholas allowed it by stepping back, but his sister looked incensed by the intrusion – that dangerous look she wielded whenever discipline was about to be invoked. "Look, this isn't something you need to do. I know how you feel, but there was nothing you could have-"

"If I knew how to fight, then there would have been something I could have done. Do you think you're the only one who should have the right to protect those they love? Are you that arrogant?"

 _I'm not being arrogant,_ Jaune wanted to say, _I just know that there's no point._ Because this life wouldn't exist long enough for her to make a difference. The Arc family would live a relatively peaceful life, before Cinder Fall's machinations swept across the Kingdom. It would be one of the final places to fall… and by that time, no amount of training would let Sapphire stem the tide.

Was he… was he being arrogant? That reasoning made it sound like their efforts would never matter, because at the end of the day he was the only one with the knowledge and time to stop Cinder's plans. This run was supposed to be about him spending time with his family… and he didn't want training and war to interfere with that. To force that lifestyle onto them however, to deny them that choice… did that make him as bad as his grandfather?

He stepped aside.

"We'll start with conditioning. I want you to start building up some muscle mass and-" Nicholas kept speaking, laying out a training regime for the girl. Jaune walked back to sit with his other two sisters, both of them watching in silence as Sapphire began her gruelling sprints.

Would this change things? Probably… such was the nature of all decisions. Every move you made, every choice you took caused the world to alter and shape itself around you. Maybe the changes would be good – perhaps they would be bad.

They could only stick together… as a family.

* * *

The start of Beacon was an auspicious event for Jaune. It had been in the multitude of lives he'd lived before, and probably would be long into the future. Until he somehow brought a victory and presumably ended this torture. Even now - when he had no intention of attending, he couldn't help but keep an eye on the date. If only out of paranoia that something might happen to mess things up. There was a little over a week left until Beacon began... and as the days ticked by Jaune had found himself slowly relaxing.

Which was why what had just been announced was such a shock.

"We're going to Vale!?" Amber cheered loudly, hands clutched before her tiny chest.

"We're going to Vale…?" Jaune whispered, leaning back in horror.

The other six girls were somewhere between – though most of them leaned on the side of joy and excitement.

"Only for a long weekend," Juniper giggled as she sat at the table beside Nicholas. The entire family had been called in for an impromptu announcement by the pair – and there'd been a fair bit of whispering over what the reason might be. Coral's jokes that Jaune had probably gotten someone pregnant had earned her a soaking mess of hair courtesy of his orange juice. But now, with this new announcement, she didn't even seem to care - eyes wide as she smiled, lank hair dripping thick, orange liquid. "Three days to be precise, think of it as a holiday."

Jaune allowed himself to breathe once more. Three days, a long weekend… that was fine. For a moment he'd actually dreaded that this might be something related to Beacon, maybe that his father had decided to enrol him after all.

But that was a stupid idea, surely? His father hated the idea of him learning to be a Hunter.

"What's the occasion?" Jaune asked before anyone else could interrupt, "And can I skip it?"

"Denied," Juniper's hand slammed down on the table with the force of a sledgehammer. Despite the wide smile that was firmly affixed to her face. "This is a family holiday, but also something to celebrate your full recovery – so no skipping."

Balls… if there was one thing she would never shift on it was their family trips. Even recovering and injured he'd been bloody wheeled out to the lake each month.

He loved it for sure… but right now that same determination for them to spend time together as a family was only causing him strife.

He didn't want to be anywhere near Vale.

"How can you not want to visit Vale?" Amber shrieked into his ear. His little sister had started to fill out a little in two years, gaining an extra four inches of height. Despite that, or maybe because of how they continued treating her, she still acted like a little child.

Probably his fault there – since he continued to spoil her rotten.

"It's just a city," Jaune rolled his eyes, "It's not like going to somewhere like Vacuo or Atlas."

"Funny you should mention Atlas," Nicholas spread some pieces of paper out across the table. Like Beowolves to a manic depressive, his sisters flocked around to look. Jaune waited for them to finish gasping and grabbing before he came over.

"Tickets to Weiss Schnee's final concert?" Jaune read aloud, "This must have cost some serious lien." As much as he hadn't recognised her originally, Weiss _had_ been quite the famous little prodigy – and for more than just her family name. Now that he thought of it, he'd never actually heard her sing.

Asking her to at Beacon would have been a risky proposition.

"I know someone who was able to do me a favour," Nicholas grinned, "saved the venue owner's brother a while back and he was happy to sell me ten tickets for the price of five." Juniper leaned over to press a kiss to the man's lips, the third through eleventh wheels in the room groaning and looking away.

Even five tickets though… that must have cost a lot of lien, even more so if it was publically advertised as her final concert. The connection was obvious… this was to celebrate his recover and he wanted to be a musician. Weiss was a musician his own age who had hit it big.

They had splurged all of this on something they thought he would like. Something they could do to help and inspire him…

"I've always wanted to hear her sing," Jaune smiled down at the tickets. He could _hear_ their relief in the way they both relaxed. And he could imagine the small smile they shared between themselves – happy that they had been able to make him feel better.

It wasn't a lie anyway… so long as this wasn't anything to do with being a Hunter – and clearly it wasn't – it would actually be pretty cool to see what she sounded like. Plus, it wasn't like he was going to actually be anywhere near her… the concert hall would be packed. He'd be one among tens of thousands of faces.

What was the risk?

"This is going to be fucking awesome!" Hazel cheered, ignoring the automatic rebukes from Juniper and Sapphire. "Vale is like… the sh- the place to be." Apparently Hazel had noticed the look their mother was giving her.

"So when's the concert anyway?" Jaune's hand flicked out to steal the ticket from Coral's hand, reading the details as she tried to snatch it back. "Whoah, _this_ weekend? Like – tomorrow?" That didn't leave much time for any kind of preparations… though maybe that was for the best. This way they would at least be in and out before Beacon even started.

"I've booked us on a passenger train tomorrow," Nicholas said, "It'll take us in the morning and we'll be in Vale after a three-hour journey. From there we'll have time to get to the hotel, find our rooms and get ready. The concert will be that evening, then you lot will have the following day to explore around Vale as you wish."

"Oh my gosh, we have to visit the library. I hear it has ove-"

"- museum is famous for-"

"-see what the clubbing is like and-"

"Jaune~" Amber's voice dragged his attention away from the huddle of girls discussing their plans. His youngest sister wasn't quite so cute and innocent any more… in fact, she was starting to look a little bit more like Juniper.

He wouldn't be beating the boys off her with a stick… he'd need a crowbar.

"Hmm?"

"We _have_ to visit the arcade in Vale – imagine all the games!"

 _Heh… glad to see some things never change._

* * *

The train rattled as it ran across the tracks, shaking the carriages almost rhythmically. A constant ka-chunk, ka-chunk that was surprisingly relaxing once you got used to it. Nicholas had never really travelled by train much before… most Hunters needed to be shipped around in a hurry, and so used Bullheads.

It was also amusing watching his daughters alternate places at the windows, staring out at the scenery as it whizzed by. The red trees native to Forever Fall were always a beautiful sight, despite the danger they also presented.

Still… on a vast piece of metal moving at great speed across the landscape, it wasn't like the Grimm would have enough time to locate them. And he pitied any which tried to stand on the tracks to stop the train.

"Where's Jaune?" his beautiful wife asked, cutting into his musing as he looked back to his left. Wait, hadn't he just been sat there…?

"I saw him talking to some young girl in the hallway," Lavender helpfully reported.

Nicholas' head fell into his hands as his wife's teeth started to grind.

God damn it…

/-/

"Your head is in the clouds," her partner criticised, slowly sheathing his crimson blade as the SDC droids around them fell dead. The wind from the nearby forests whipped through her hair, bringing with it the scent of nature tinged by spilled dust and oil. "Better bring it back down to Remnant while we're on the job." He didn't wait for her response as he turned away, leaping a few carriages deeper through the train. He never did wait for her…

Adam was changing.

Or was she the one that was changing? It wasn't so easy to figure out anymore.

"I'm fine," Blake Belladonna lied as she caught up with her partner, dashing alongside him as they burst through a defence droid and the door it was guarding. Another transport carriage, filled with labelled metal containers.

Dust… the very fuel for the economy, machinery and even weaponry. But more than just that, this was dust mined by their oppressed brethren. Faunus had suffered and perhaps even died for this. Would destroying it vindicate them? Blake wasn't so sure... but it _would_ send a message to the SDC.

 _No matter how bad things are getting… I can't argue with the results._ The SDC had never paid attention to them before… what was a bunch of disgruntled animals up in arms, to a company as powerful as they?

Even if she hated the direction they were going. It was worth it to be noticed, right?

To be feared...

"Keep an eye out," Adam ordered as he swept into the room, long blade flicking left and right as he stalked towards the centre of the room. The entire frame of the carriage shook as the train rumbled across the tracks, but for trained fighters such as they it was nothing. "Watch the door while I se-"

His words cut off as a sound came from nearby. Blake rushed to stand beside Adam, Gambol Shroud in gun form as she aimed towards some nearby crates. The unmistakable sound of something shuffling behind it – too big to be a simple rodent. Too organic to be a robot.

"Get out here and I might be merciful," Adam called. Blake's ears twitched as she kept her weapon trained on the containers, ready to take the shot should a soldier's weapon appear over the top. Or maybe even a Grimm who had managed to leap onto the train. It could even be-

... a naked woman?

"I-I'm s-sorry!" the girl cried as she appeared out from behind the crates, wearing not a stitch of clothing – but holding a few crumpled articles in such a way as to hide her breasts and crotch. Short with mousy-brown hair and grey eyes, she couldn't have been older than twenty – and was clearly neither soldier nor Grimm.

"Wai-" Adam made to grab the woman and stop her, only for his hands to freeze as he realised exactly what that would mean grabbing. That small moment of shock gave the woman the chance she needed to dart away. Neither of them made to follow. Not that Blake would have done so anyway. The girl would likely be unwilling to speak about what she had done, and it wasn't like either of them would be sticking around to get arrested anyway.

That the White Fang had done this would be obvious.

"Well," Blake coughed, feeling a small sense of amused disbelief despite the tense situation. Not to mention the flustered look on her partner's face. At the very least, it helped to calm her frayed nerves, "I can't say I expected that."

"Damn humans," Adam didn't seem to see the comedy, "why didn't you stop her?"

"Why didn't you?" Blake shot back. Adam's mouth opened then closed, before he glanced away with a muffled grumble and sheathed his blade. Blake sighed as she did the same with Gambol Shroud, leaning against a nearby container as he went about setting some packages across the carriage. Once upon a time Adam Taurus had laughed and joked with the best of them... even when times were difficult.

She missed that.

"This will destroy the dust, right?" Blake asked, watching as Adam keyed in some codes into the case before him. She trusted him to set the timer, as he had done the last few carriages they had been through.

"It will be more than enough for that, yes." He sounded amused, which raised all kinds of alarm bells in her head. More than enough - what did he mean by that?

"Adam… you realise the first few cars of this train are for passengers right? What about all the civilians?" He couldn't mean to place them in danger. Not when they didn't have anything to do with the oppression of the SDC.

Not when they weren't involved in any of this.

Adam didn't even look at her as he answered, "What _about_ them?"

"Adam, no…" Blake whispered, already firming her resolve. "You can't do this Adam."

"Yeah Adam," a voice that was decidedly not hers _or_ Adam's said, "don't be a dick."

Blake froze. Adam however, roared into action, tearing his blade from its sheathe with a mighty rasp of steel.

"Who's there!?"

Blake was a little slower to react. Partly due to the shock she was going through at hearing what Adam was willing to do to all these innocent people, partly through general shock that someone had managed to sneak up on her! Even so, by the time she'd gotten Gambol Shroud out, the new figure had revealed himself.

And Blake promptly fumbled and dropped her prized weapon.

"Oh for the love of-" Adam groaned, holding one hand up against his mask.

"Cover yourself!" the girl cried as she snatched Gambol Shroud back up, trying to hide the flush on her cheeks. What the hell was with this mission!? Listening to her, the young man brought his hands down to cover his… well, his penis.

"Oi – hands in the air!" Adam's blade lanced out, tickling the underside of the man's chin as the hands rose back up. Blake's eyes went wide as she looked away from his package.

"I'm getting some conflicting messages here," the man said. With more calm than he had any right to, given the situation. Despite having a blade beneath his chin, he still looked down it to raise both brows to Adam. "I'm not armed... but if you don't trust me you could always give me a strip search."

The blade clicked as Adam brought his other hand to the hilt. Clearly prepared to pierce the naked man's throat.

"Adam, no," Blake said again as she pushed his blade aside, "and _you_ – cover yourself, please." Her redheaded partner snarled as he slammed his sword back into place, but at the very least it was a step away from murder. When had her partner become so violent?

Had he always been like this?

"Wow, he's kind of an ass, isn't he?" And of course, there was that…

"Where did you come from?"

"Where did I _come_ from...? That girl, earlier." Blake's nose wrinkled. "She kinda took my clothes to shield herself when she left. I think your friend killed the mood."

Great… so she was stuck with her partner, who even now was arming a bomb that would kill all the people on this train – _and_ a naked teenager they had caught… well, fornicating with some girl in the dust containment room.

 _Why_ the dust containment carriage, of all places!?

"Get out of here," she ordered the idiot, pushing him away by placing one hand on his chest. She rigidly kept her eyes above his neck, even as she tried to ignore his bare skin against her palm. This was _not_ awkward, she tried to remind herself. "Forget what you saw and go back to your carriage."

"Yeah... about that," the man reached up to cross his arms. Blake's eye twitched dangerously as she refused to look down. Didn't he have any modesty whatsoever? "I couldn't help but hear your friend say something about killing everyone on the train. I'm going to have to say _no_ to that since my family is on here."

"Blake," said partner called, "what are you wasting time with? He knows our names, kill the human and be done with it."

Kill… him? A defenceless innocent who was just in the wrong place at the wrong time? His only crime was wanting to protect his family... how could Adam ask her to do something like that? How could _he_ want to do something like that?

They were supposed to be revolutionaries working for equality… not – not monsters!

"I'm also going to have to say no to that as well, if you don't mind?"

"Stop talking," Blake hissed, trying again to push him away. He wasn't helping to calm Adam down in the slightest - or her, come to think of it, since yet again her eyes automatically glanced down before remembering what he wasn't wearing.

"Enough of this," Adam sighed as he pushed the final button. Loud beeps heralded the countdown of the device as he turned and drew his weapon one final time. "Step aside Blake, if you won't do this then I will."

"Adam _please_ , let's think about this..."

"I'm not sure I'm ready to be penetrated by something so big and red," Blake tried to signal the suicidal fool to be quiet. What did he think he was doing antagonizing someone like Adam? Unfortunately, the teen didn't seem to understand the message she was trying to convey.

"Do you think this is a joke?" the redheaded faunus laughed.

"I think that is a sword. I also think it's compensating for something. Don't worry though, I'm sure when the lights are off some women might mistake it for the real thing."

Oh Gods, this was not happening... Adam's jaw hardened, a clear sign of impending violence, even as the naked man - who clearly had no weapons - also readied himself. What he intended to fight with, Blake didn't want to know. Either way, this was going to be an absolute disaster unle-

" **Intruders, identify yourselves.** " the automated words cut into the confrontation as four different Schnee droids finally caught up with them, bursting through the back of the carriage before aiming weapons towards them. Adam tsked as he turned away from her and the strange man, levelling his blade towards the robots.

Blake didn't think she'd ever been so relieved to see something from the SDC. Taking the opportunity to slip away from Adam, she sidled up to the person who would get to live another day.

"Show them your train ticket," she whispered, "that will make them stop and you can escape."

The blond turned to her, blue eyes filled with sarcasm, "And where do you think I'm hiding that right now?" He held his arms wide, allowing her amber gaze to roam up and down… enough to note the lack of any kinds of pockets sewn into his skin.

Ah… right…

Well, this day had gone downhill pretty fast.

" **Eliminating intruders.** "

Adam flew into action, Blake into the person beside her. She managed to knock the civilian aside before the security droid could shoot them, the two crashing behind a container as bullets ricocheted off metal, sparks flaring close enough that she could feel the heat. With discipline that would have made a soldier proud, she managed to ignore the penis poking her cheek _and_ the slight damp on the floor, which happened to be where the two had been having their little rendezvous - _don't think about it._

"Come on, we need to get out of here." He didn't resist, stumbling after her as she dragged him behind some cover, slowly making their way across the room as Adam decimated any foe he reached. She couldn't be here when he finished… if they were, then he'd kill this man – and she'd lose her only chance of getting away.

Was she really about to do this? After they had spent so long to get to this point?

"You might want to concentrate."

"Wh - ah!" Blake gasped as the man pulled her face to the side just in time to dodge a swipe from a robot's arm that would have taken her head clean off. If he hadn't done that...? Okay, lesson learned. The middle of combat was not the right time to be having an identity crisis.

The choice was simple. Side with Adam, and watch a train full of innocent people die… or save them - and leave him forever...

The answer was obvious… but that didn't mean it was an easy one.

 _I'm sorry Adam. I can't do this anymore._

This blond man would be her first act of redemption. The first of many if she had her way – she'd work towards equality the way it should be achieved.

" **Intru-"** Gambol Shroud bit through metal as one of the SDC's pets tried to impede their path. Sparks flew as it fell hissing to the side, the two of them stepped over its remains as Blake pulled the teen towards safety. The door gave way as she slammed a shoulder into it, bringing the two out into the crisp air. The wind alone was enough to have the door slam shut behind her, whipping raven locks of hair to the side as red trees blurred by. But there was no time to enjoy the sights.

"We need to uncouple the cars!" she shouted to the blond, raising her voice so he could hear over the noise the train was making. "Stay back while I handle it!"

She didn't hear his response as she grappled with the lever. This was her last chance to go back… to take the path Adam had presented her. Pulling it would forever sever those ties… make her an enemy to those she had once called friend. But it would also save so many lives.

" **Eliminating Intruders."** Golden eyes widened, glancing up in time to see the barrel of a rifle pointed at her face – the black robot looking down it at her. Her lips parted, a scream about to tear forth as her life was snuffed out in a moment - before she could even attempt to do the right thing!

Before, with a gurgling whirr, the rifle dipped.

The robot fell down a moment later, slipping off the side of the train into the trees. Blake didn't move for another few seconds… still wondering when her life would stop flashing before her eyes. A pair of bare feet stood before her, and it was instinct that had her eyes trail up to his face. She quickly purged the image of what she'd seen en route from her mind.

"H-How?"

"Eh," the blond stifled a yawn with one hand, the other behind his back – and he _still_ didn't seem to want to cover himself up in any way. "I just reached in and hit the off-switch on the back."

An off-switch, on the back? Why wou- no, never mind. The day was already ridiculous… she wasn't sure she wouldn't wake up any moment now to find that it was all a case of some tuna that had gone off. She didn't want to think about naked men, killer robots with switches on the back – or her imminent, yet now averted death.

Instead she thought about the lever in her hand, and the sound it made as she pulled it.

Gears and metal grinding, a loud clunk as something gave way. Before her she could see the axles parting as the carriages they were on continued at the same speed, but friction and air resistance exerted their toll on the dust containers that would be left behind.

Adam stepped out then… and for a moment, their eyes met.

 _I won't say sorry,_ she tried to tell him. She wouldn't ask for his forgiveness… nor did she believe he would ask her for it. Perhaps her old love would hate her. Perhaps he would feel betrayed…

She only hoped he would understand.

As the last vestiges of her former life drifted awa-

"Cold out here," the figure beside her quipped, "my nipples are like icicles."

The words were enough to cut into her thoughts. A stark reminder of not only the temperature, but the fact that the two of them were currently stood outside at a point where two train cars had been decoupled. Two train cars that really _shouldn't_ have been decoupled... when no doubt the driver had already noticed, and was sending security over to have a look.

It also reminded her that her new companion was stark naked... and now stood directly behind her.

"Argh," Blake pushed the door open as she stepped inside the warmer passenger carriage, trusting the idiot to follow. She didn't want to hear about his nipples, his penis – nor him at all, damn it. This was the biggest moment of her life, the changing point that would determine her very future!

"Sorry, did I interrupt an existential moment there? My bad…" Yellow eyes narrowed as she glared at him. That was just a little _too_ specific to be accidental… he actually was teasing her, wasn't he? A naked fool who had almost been eviscerated… was taunting her.

"Look…" she struggled for a word to express what she thought of him, yet couldn't find one, " _you._ This didn't happen – okay? Out there, nothing happ-"

"Young man!" a feminine voice almost _hissed_. Blake's eyes widened, as did the blue of the guy with her. She didn't fail to note it was the first time he'd shown any real fear, but she could forgive that, because the woman before her did look fairly terrifying.

"Uh… hi, mum."

This was his…? So that meant the other girls arrayed behind her, all with varying degrees of blonde hair?

"Eww, my eyes!" one girl cried, holding her arms up before herself. "Where are your clothes?"

"Brother…" another sighed, massaging the bridge of her nose.

Blake's mind whirred for an excuse, for a reason – anything she could say to prevent the obvious question of why she'd been in the restricted area and how she definitely _wasn't_ a terrorist, despite being a faunus and armed. But the chance never came… instead the older woman reached forward to grab the man she'd rescued by his elbow, pulling him into the group of blondes.

Some of the girls made disgusted noises as they backed away, trying not to touch him. A taller one pushed some jeans into his hands as he started to get dressed in the middle of the corridor. To Blake's half-broken mind, she noted he _still_ didn't look overly fussed. Even when there were people _watching_ him from nearby rooms!

"And you," the woman hissed, turning to Blake this time and grabbing her by the shoulder. Every muscle in the girl's body tensed as she prepared to break free, to flee and escape – throw herself off the side of the train. "At least make my son _work_ for it next time. I swear, we never did this in my day…"

And a second later they were gone… leaving her alone in the corridor.

Wait… had that woman just accused her of…?

…

 _What the hell is with today?_

/-/

"And we are asking for any passengers who noticed anything suspicious or unusual to come forward," the uniformed man called out to the assembled people. Blake hid near the back of the group, the bow from Gambol Shroud wrapped around her ears. Damn it… of course the driver had noticed the cars being uncoupled – and had no doubt sounded the alarm so that there would be law enforcement waiting at the station.

This was bad…

She could break through, escape into the crowded streets of Vale… but that would leave her hunted and alone. She couldn't return to Mistral… not when the White Fang was strongest there. Atlas was also out of the picture, mostly due to the SDC.

And Blake hated sand… but it would be preferable to life imprisonment – or worse.

Golden eyes strained as she tried to pick out the guy from earlier. With all the chaos and embarrassment of what had gone on, she hadn't actually gotten too good a look at him. At least not his head... the top one, that was. But any moment now he would step forward and rat her out… of course he would. The fact that she'd saved his life wouldn't matter. Not when she had also been the one who had put it in danger in the first place.

She was a terrorist, a faunus… those were reasons enough for a law abiding citizen.

It was only when she felt someone staring at her that she finally found him. Only to see blue boring into her with an intensity she could feel despite the distance between them. Any doubt fled in an instant… that he might not have remembered (somehow), that he might have mistaken her in the crowd.

He was looking right at her… and he knew full well who she was and what she had done. Blake's hands clenched into fists, legs tensing as she prepared to run.

And then...

He looked away.

"No one?" the soldier sounded bored, holding a clipboard before him. Another minute passed, another sixty seconds of tension piling down on her. "Thank you then for your co-operation, it is more than likely the terrorists escaped into the woods. Please be about your day and welcome to Vale."

She… she was in…? B-But how? Why!?

Blake kept her eyes firmly locked onto the floor as she passed through the checkpoint, half out of genuine confusion, half to prevent her distinctive yellow eyes catching their attention. But as the crowds spread out and the faunus renegade found herself along in the streets of Vale, she was forced to accept it.

She was free.

She had done it... she'd saved all those lives. It felt… it felt good.

And as the faunus girl melted into the crowds, the choice of what to do for the rest of her life was answered.

She never noticed a pair of blue eyes watch her leave.

/-/

 _You're on your own now,_ Jaune mused. The girl slipped away into the darkness, hiding among crowds of pedestrians as she made her escape. Interfering… he hadn't wanted to do that. But when it was his family on the line he wasn't going to take chances. Blake did this alone all the time, or so he heard – but there had always been the small chance that she might have failed.

Jaune wasn't willing to gamble his family on that... he'd have fought Adam before that happened.

And almost certainly died for it.

But this would be the last time. He wasn't going to get involved with everyone… this was just bad luck. Something he'd had to do to protect his family. There was no way he could change his mind now anyway, nor even get into Beacon without forged documents. He was weaker now than he had been for god knows how long. Even if he had a sudden change of heart, he wouldn't even be strong enough to change anything.

This was for the best… for everyone.

"Jaune," Juniper's voice cut into his thoughts as she turned to grasp his arm. He winced as she looked at the nasty gash on it, which was slowly dripping blood onto the floor. It was closing, aura taking its time sealing the wound. "What caused this – what happened!?"

He took it back with a small smile, a low laugh escaping him as he looked back to where he'd last seen his old friend.

"Oh..." he looked up into the sky, "I found a small kitten in trouble and had to reach into some machinery to help it."

 _Good luck, Blake..._

"Is that a euphemism for something?" Juniper growled, "Wait, kitt – pus… for the love of – I don't want to hear anything about what messed up sex games you were playing!"

…

Damn it, Blake…

* * *

 **Oh my, hello Blake – I wonder if anyone saw this coming? I shouldn't need to say this by the way… but I will, just in case people somehow got the wrong idea. Blake is not in lust for Jaune… nor was her flushing and blushing a sign of attraction. I know in a lot of fics blushing = love, but here she was merely flustered and put off-guard by Jaune's nudity. Nothing else.**

 **And there is of course a vast difference between reading smut, and running around with a guy whose penis is waving around between his legs.**

 **Also… yes, here comes one of the first points at which I can fully imagine someone going "PLOT-HOLE… explains reasons" at a point where I have actually** _ **purposefully**_ **done it. It's not a plot-hole, it has reasons which will make sense much later.**

 **I'm glad to see people are liking the fic, I'm doing my best to take what could be a tired premise (time-travel) and give it some more life, specifically without turning Jaune into some kind of Edge Lord, or unrecognisable character. I'm working to keep him in-character and as believable as can be.**

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 **Beta's Notes:** College Fool

Beta Tips and Advice, Mk 2:

In my view, there are two primary roles for Betas in writing. There are mechanical betas, who focus on the mechanics of a story to make sure it reads well (punctuation, grammar, that sort of thing), but don't question the premise of the story itself. Then there are muse betas, who help flesh out ideas, develop themes, and have a responsibility to help keep a story on track if they see something that feels off.

So what should a beta do when their recommendation is rejected? Keep calm, chive on, but always remember who's story it is.

(Hint- not the beta's.)

It may surprise you, but Coeur and I don't always agree. In fact, we just had our first significant disagreement over NTTF. The cause may seem trivial- it's honestly about how far in advance this chapter starts from Beacon- but our arguments in support of our positions... teeth were gnashed, thousands of words were written, and counter-argument essays considered. Anyone who's been in an argument over fiction knows how passionate it can get.

So we stopped. We didn't let it run wild, we put the disagreement in context, and in the end we agreed to disagree.

When you're a beta, that's what you need to be prepared to do. Even if you think you're right, you always need to remember that it's not your story. I give Coeur my thoughts, and Coeur's taken a lot of input from them- more than I have any business expecting. But at the end of the day, my advice is just that- advice- and Coeur is free to take or refuse them as he sees fit. Even if I helped develop the story's idea, it's not my story. The story belongs to the person writing it- and if the Beta is so certain they're better, they can write it themselves. But it's not worth serious fighting over.

Sometimes you have to take a stand for quality and make your position known. When you do, be damned sure you can calmly and rationally support it down to bullet points of supporting arguments. But remember to keep perspective on what's important, so you can know when such a stand isn't called for. It may be that I was right and reviewers will remark on what I thought was a niggling feeling is not-right. It could very well be I was totally wrong and no one will care.

But you know what? Neither of us 'wins' either way, because it's not a contest between us. It's a collaboration between a writer and a beta.

So young writers, take that as your advice on how to handle disagreements in a mature fashion. And betas... know your place. :p

-C.F.

 **Coeur's Addition** : True words. Also remember that both people are humans and thus prone to mistakes, emotional outbursts and passion. The author may feel so passionate about a piece that they refuse to change an aspect, while the beta might consider that a foolish mistake. The trick is in finding a balance. Not every change is a good idea, and sometimes they might have knock-on effects that weaken a core idea the author has for much later.

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 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **April**

 **. com (slash) Coeur**


	5. Chapter 5

**Whaaaaa! Hi.**

 **Thanks for all the kind reviews, I'm really enjoying writing this story so far – even if the word count on each chapter is a** _ **real**_ **nightmare.** **I know that a lot of people have been PMing me recently for advice and such, rest assured I always try to answer when I can. But I'm going through the summer period at work, which is a heavy time for us – so I won't always have time to write these, answer and do my normal job.**

 **Not saying I won't respond, but please don't become upset if it takes me a few days (or even a week) – I really do have a lot on my plate and writing all of these fics isn't easy. I know some people say I'm talented or incredible, but it's honestly just plain old hard work. Hard work still requires a lot of time however, no matter how experienced you are. So yeah, forgive my delays – I will do my best to answer people seeking help on writing if I can.**

 **That said, I can't really `read my fic and help me improve` as a lot of people ask – especially when they are sometimes 40-100k words. That would take me hours, so please if you want my help try for a more specific question. Sorry if that sounds rude, but I don't want to keep disappointing people and I do get over 20PM's a day sometimes. I'm only human.**

* * *

 **Beta:** _College Fool_

 **Chapter 5 - Machinations**

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Let it be known that Jaune hated nothing more than stuffy suits and high-class society. He hadn't had much chance to sample the latter, Weiss was the closest to it and it wasn't like she invited him to any formal events. But their arrival and seating in the concert theatre was enough for him. It turned out that Nicholas' friend had been even more generous than expected, providing them seats in a closeted VIP area. It was little more than a balcony that offered a fantastic view over the theatre, while also being limited to only eighty or so guests. There were numerous such balconies across the top of the theatre, with each one having its own waiting area, bar and bathrooms.

It was a nice touch that allowed them to skip the queues and not worry about all the people fighting for seats. It should have been just that, were it not for the fact that the Arc family stuck out like sore thumbs. It didn't matter that after the ill-fated train journey they had retired to the hotel to unpack and get into their finest suits. Nor that they had fought and squabbled over the showers to ensure they looked their best. To the snobs around them, their lack of branded ware and the sheer size of their family was enough to have noses raised at the sight of them.

Of course, no one dared approach Nicholas Arc, who cut an imposing figure despite his black suit and bowtie, but it didn't stop the dirty looks. Still, it was preferable to the interested look that fat bastard kept sending Sable whenever she wasn't looking. Jaune caught the greasy man's eyes as they roamed over his sister once more, who looked beautiful in her deep purple dress. _Too_ beautiful, perhaps…

 _Try it,_ he mouthed to the man that was at least twice her age. _Try it and see what I do to you._

The man wisely looked away.

It wasn't that he didn't enjoy the concert, it was only the first half and Weiss had yet to appear. Apparently it was going to be an orchestra up until the first intermission, and then Weiss would have her appearance and songs after. It made him shake his head in amusement that she could honestly consider Vale's most expensive orchestra a supporting act. They were fabulous though… the music deep and invigorating, resonating in the soul and shocking many into silence. He could close his eyes and forget where he was, lost in the notes and emotions. But for the fact that he was stuck in a crowded concert hall, surrounded by people he didn't know.

He wasn't sure if it was a recent development, or one he'd always had – but as far back as he could remember, he _hated_ crowds of people. It wasn't the same in Beacon with his teams or the other students. He knew who they were, if not by name then by face. Even those who could and would betray him, he knew. Here however, he didn't have that same luxury. Any one of these people could be a danger. There were just too many and they were all crowded shoulder to shoulder. That he had Amber on one side and Lavender on the other made no difference. He could feel the person sat not a metre behind him, and there was one before him too.

A hand touched his leg, "Are you okay?" Lavender's green eyes, flecked with brown looked into his, the girl brushing back some ringlets of blonde hair over her bare shoulder. Lavender was the closest to his age, only eight months younger – and the result of a premature birth. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he whispered back, ignoring the shushing from Amber, "just uncomfortable – ignore me."

She looked back to the stage, apparently taking his advice. Though a moment later he felt her hand touch his, fingers wrapping around his palm. Jaune let out a silent chuckle, accepting the comfort from her even if it wasn't necessary. Wasn't he the older one who was supposed to look after her?

A deep sigh burst forth from his lungs, body relaxing as he forcefully made himself lean back into the seat. There would be no one here who would attack them… he was being foolish in the extreme, allowing paranoia and fear to reign over him.

It was Vale… it had to be. The moment their train had arrived his good mood had vanished. Familiar streets and structures bringing back unwanted memories of so many previous lives. It hadn't overwhelmed him - it never did - but it had put his nerves on a razor's edge. He didn't want to be in Vale… not so close to the start of Beacon, and certainly not after either. _It's fine, this is for the weekend only, then you're gone._

Blake had been a coincidence… he'd always known she had abandoned Adam on a train. He hadn't expected it to be the one they were on, but that was just bad luck. How many trains travelled through Forever Fall anyway? This would be fine. It would all work out, so long as he enjoyed his time and didn't do anything silly. With that calming thought, he was able to sit through the next hour or so of enchanting music, clapping at the end of each song – as did his sisters.

It looked like it was more than just his musical mind that enjoyed this. His mother and father were sat beside one another, her head resting on his shoulder as he cupped both her hands in his. Coral looked awkward as hell next to them, clearly trying to distance herself from the romantic aura.

He grinned as her eyes met his, asking him to switch places.

Not happening. She deserved it for all the literary crap she'd put him through. Besides, maybe some hands-on experience watching romance occur right next to her would help on the next story she tried to write. He wasn't the only one to ignore her pleas for help. The other girls all focused on the stage with an intensity that might be considered a little _too_ determined.

They really were skilled players… and while none of them used the guitar like he did, the instrument not suited to the music they were playing, he could still appreciate both it and the gesture from his parents. By the time the final song was finished and the conductor turned towards them to bow, Jaune was among many others as he rose to applaud them.

"That was magical," Lavender gushed as the family filed out into the waiting hall for the intermission. Nicholas had gone to collect drinks for them all as they waited, the family choosing to stand so that the more elderly patrons could take the seats.

"It was alright," Hazel fought to hide her smile behind a mask of indifference. "Not as good as metal, but okay."

"What," Jade teased, "not enough sore-throated screaming?" The two of them descended into the familiar argument as to who's musical taste was superior. It was something the rest of them were more than adapt at ignoring.

"You looking forward to the Schnee girl?" Coral dug an elbow into his side, before wincing at how hard his skin was. Aura was good for more than just deflecting dangerous attacks after all. "I hear she's a real fox, surprised you don't make a try on her."

"Not my type," Jaune shrugged.

"Not your type?" Coral sounded aghast, "She's like super rich, super famous, not to mention pretty hot from what I hear. What's not to like? I swear if you say personality, I'm going to laugh you out the room. There's no way _Mrs Green_ has personality."

"How about rich and powerful, with an army of robots that could hunt me down?" Jaune grinned back, "Besides, she's a Schnee. They're not going to be interested in something casual, are they?"

"I guess that would be a bit of a scandal. Such a shame. Star-crossed lovers, one held back by the responsibilities of their family – the other by his wastrel nature and lack of redeeming qualities. It could have been the plot for my new book."

Jaune rolled his eyes, "I'll have you know I have a lot of redeeming qualities. I'm just not legally or morally allowed to use them on you." A few of the other sisters reared away with uncomfortable expressions. Coral always took as good as she got however, and simply grinned at him.

"Kinky, maybe one day we can try them out."

" _Coral_! You two are sick!" Sable hissed and drew her twin aside. Coral for her part simply laughed at the drama, ignoring the telling off she was receiving. She'd never learn.

"Did we miss something?" Nicholas asked as he came back to the group, balancing a tray before him, as Juniper did the same with another. Going to a bar for ten drinks was never an easy task, but the two had perfected it over the last decade or two.

"Nothing unusual," Jaune grinned as he tried to snatch the most alcoholic drink from the tray. Sapphire batted his hand aside and took it for herself, the looks from his parents reminding him that he technically wasn't old enough for that yet.

He _really_ missed alcohol.

"Just Coral and Jaune being their usual selves," Sapphire sighed, "I'm not sure where mother and I went wrong."

"Don't worry sweetheart," Juniper laid a hand on her shoulder, "I just blame Nicky for those two." Nicholas rolled his eyes at the comment, a few giggles coming from the other girls. It was interrupted by a figure approaching them - a soft tap of shoes on marble, accompanied by what sounded like a metal cane.

"Well I must say, it's a surprise to see you here Nicholas." The voice was familiar. Immediately so, to the point that Jaune found himself instinctively fighting the urge to relax. It was a common issue when he met his friends again on every other time he went to Beacon… the ease at which he could fall into trusting them just through the sound of their voices. It had actually caused a few problems once or twice… friends he hadn't rightfully gotten to know feeling more than a little awkward at how friendly he was with them.

This wasn't quite the same however. For as much as Jaune respected the man, they'd never been what one might call friends.

"Ozpin." And neither had he with Nicholas, if his father's growl was anything to go by. Jaune turned from his family to look at the man, drinking in the familiar sight. _Typical Ozpin_ , he was still wearing the same green suit he always wore, even to what was essentially a black tie event. Not to mention that unlike every other person here, he'd been allowed to bring his weapon with him, the silvery cane resting between both hands as the man leaned on it.

Jaune's relationship with Ozpin was… interesting, to say the least. It would have been easy to hate the man for what the headmaster had put him through once or twice… in those lives where Jaune had tried to reveal the truth in one way or another. Death in a mental asylum was one thing, but the tacit agreement to `advanced interrogation techniques` from Ironwood had been much worse. How easy it would have been to never forgive him for that… to hold that cruelty over his head for all eternity.

It would have been a waste too.

Ozpin was no friend of Jaune Arc's, but nor was he an enemy either… in fact, the man was at best an unrelated ally. The man's intentions were clear – defend Beacon, and through that, all of Vale. He actively worked in the shadows to try and limit Cinder's influence, and come Amity did his best to kill her. That he refused to trust and believe Jaune… when the truth was already so incredible as to be ridiculous? He didn't hold that against the man.

Pain was transient, death – for him – temporary.

What was there to hate about a man trying his best, even if the methods he used didn't always lay parallel to his own? But right now… here in this one life where Jaune was determined not to enter Beacon, not to have anything to do with the horror that lay ahead? Ozpin was a very real threat.

"You've met Nicholas Arc, Glynda?" he asked of the woman beside him, who had clearly made more effort to adapt to the dress code. Her blonde ringlets framed her face as they always did, but it was the first time Jaune had ever seen the stern woman in a black ball gown.

She looked _good_.

"We've met once or twice, nice to see you again."

"What are you doing here, Ozpin?" his father demanded. One silver brow rose as the headmaster held both arms wide.

"I am here to listen to the final concert of a talented singer, as I'm sure you are. With term approaching it will be a rare opportunity for me to experience such an event. As I had an extra ticket, Glynda graciously accepted my invitation to come along."

"Don't play games. I mean why are you here talking to me and my family?"

"Nicholas, we are not enemies so I don't know where this animosity comes from. I simply wished to greet an old student of mine and see how they were doing."

"You taught dad?" the words slipped from Jaune's mouth before he could think better of them. Nicholas spared a frown past one shoulder, but Ozpin took the chance to look past the older man to him.

"I was not the Headmaster back then. In fact, I believe it was only my second or third year on the job – I taught politics and history."

"That was a long time ago," Nicholas said.

"Quite… I don't need you to remind me of my age, Nicholas. It's indication enough when my former students have raised families of their own." Ozpin paused to look at each of them, his eyes roving over each girl in turn before coming to settle on him. Jaune met that familiar gaze, not at all feeling uncomfortable. It was just how Ozpin was. "I must say, I was a little disappointed that none considered Beacon Academy for their tuition."

"None of them are becoming Hunters." Juniper stepped forward to place a hand on her husband's shoulder, the man calming down at the look she gave him. The tension in the air seemed to fade as he took a few quick breaths.

Jaune wondered if anyone else had seen what he had, that both Nicholas and Ozpin had been making subtle motions of aggressive intent… as though each was prepared for the conversation to come to blows? The white fingers that gripped Glynda Goodwitch's crop told him that she had.

"I haven't trained any of them, so it's not you personally Ozpin. They simply aren't joining any academies."

"Truly…?" Ozpin looked genuinely surprised, "I hadn't realised – I apologise if I assumed anything. You know that most Hunters offer their children at least some training, it felt only natural to ask."

"There's no harm done," Juniper took the chance to insert herself into the conversation, gripping his father's hand in hers. "Our family is just here to enjoy the music, our son wishes to be a musician himself."

"Ah, is that so? Well, there's no finer person to take inspiration from than Miss Schnee. She is the same age as yourself, Mr…?"

Jaune took the headmaster's hand in his, giving it a firm shake, "Jaune. And yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing her performance."

"Jaune, Jaune Arc," the man tested the word, repeating it over and over as though trying to recall some piece of information. Jaune's shoulders tensed. There shouldn't be any reason for the Headmaster to remember his name… not when he hadn't applied to Beacon this time. He was supposed to be a single face among thousands of others.

"I don't think you've met him," Nicholas interrupted. Ozpin released Jaune's hand as he stepped back. The man's face was as genial as ever, though there was still a certain tenseness to his muscles. Jaune had never seen his father so angry… and he didn't understand it either. This had to be more than Sylver… there was no way Ozpin could have been responsible for that, not when she was his older sister and Ozpin had apparently only been a relatively new teacher when Nicholas started at Beacon.

"I was just surprised by the young man's grip," the headmaster waved off, "It was very strong for someone who is untrained."

 _He felt my calluses,_ Jaune realised in surprise. Perhaps even his aura too… it wasn't something he'd ever have thought to look for in another, but he had developed a bit of scar tissue on his fingertips. Much of it came from his guitar, but there were some that unmistakable came from learning to wield a weapon. His aura… it was said that some people could sense it to some degree, Pyrrha had been able to have a rough idea how big an aura was if she touched someone. Who was to say Ozpin didn't have a similar talent?

"He has his aura," Nicholas admitted, frown deepening, "And we have done some training, but only so he can learn to protect himself."

"Your training must be better than what we offer," the headmaster's lips turned up at the edges. "Especially if it allows a child to single-handedly kill a Beowolf… unarmed, no less."

Jaune tensed. Nicholas did the same, even as Juniper watched on in worry. The only ones who didn't show any reaction were his sisters, for even Glynda's face registered surprise. Clearly she hadn't known that little rumour… and neither should Ozpin.

"How did-" Jaune tried to cut the words off, but once more the man's attention fell on him.

"Grimm attacks are closely monitored by Vale, particularly when it comes to vulnerable villages that might require aid. An attack on a civilian was logged and sent to the city, though that wouldn't have raised such a fuss… were it not for the fact that said child also managed to slay the beast _without_ aura. I must say young man… that is certainly a feat few can boast of. If you would like, I could see about honing that ability further."

"Ozpin…" Miss Goodwitch tugged on his arm, clearly uneasy at the growing anger radiating off his father.

"I heard that you fought to protect someone you cared deeply for, that's an admirable trait and one that all Hunters aspire to. Perhaps you would consider attending Beacon this year, Mr Arc. I think you would be a fine addition to-"

"Nope."

"P-Pardon…?"

If he could have framed Ozpin's expression and put it on a wall, he would have. The man's lips, parted in a small circle, even as his brows rose higher up his face. Even his eyes seemed to grow behind his glasses, before iron-clad control snapped back into place.

"Thank you for the offer," Jaune said, "but I do not wish to be a Hunter." Beside him he could _feel_ his father relax… the threat of combat slipping from the air as the man let out a long sigh of relief. Jaune took the opportunity to step behind him, using his father as a shield against the attention of Beacon's head.

"There you have it Ozpin," Nicholas grinned, "Now if you'll excuse us, we have a concert to get back to."

There was no response from the headmaster, other than him stepping out of the way as the family of ten marched by. Jaune kept his eyes locked on his father's back, resisting the urge to look at Ozpin with some kind of apology. He didn't hate the man… he never would. But that didn't mean he felt no guilt at what was essentially a decision to abandon them to their fate.

 _Next time Ozpin,_ he promised, _next time I'll have earned enough time beforehand to make a difference. Then I'll come and help you protect everyone._

That was his promise to all of them. Still, he couldn't help but consider as he sat back down in the plush seats, just as the lights started to dim. How random to meet with the two of them right here. Their reasons made sense… Ozpin was as much a public figure as Weiss Schnee, and with her attending Beacon maybe this was meant as a sign of support. Or maybe it was just as the man had said, a little bit of relaxation before school started.

It just seemed odd that they happened to share the exact same balcony and the same VIP section…

 _I'm reading into this too much. Dad got tickets from the organisers for saving a family member… of course they gave him the best as thanks. Ozpin is a famous figure and doubtless pretty rich himself. It's not like he would need to save cash and sit down there with everyone else._

Vale was getting to him still, it seemed… first with Blake, now with his former teachers. As Weiss stepped out onto the stage he tried to relax, trusting in her to take his mind off things.

Though why she was wearing her flipping _combat uniform_ , he had no idea. Couldn't she have come in a dress or gown?

The audience clapped loudly in anticipation, Jaune joining in half-heartedly as he strained his eyes to see her better. From such a distance she was nothing more than a speck of white, pale skin illuminated each time a camera went off in the crowd. How odd, to think that the first time he'd seen her he had fallen so deeply in love. A foolish notion, he'd been more attracted to her looks and some strange ideal of what he thought he wanted in a woman. Was this what she had thought of when he kept approaching her? Flashing lights and screaming fans?

He could see why she'd always looked so put out. Over time and the strange magic of repeating lives, they had become somewhat closer – though never as much as his original self might have wished. Weiss was a conflicted figure, a distant friend at best… she had always been loyal to her team, spending more time with Ruby and the other two than she did with him or even Pyrrha. But they'd been friends in their own way... enough to watch each other's backs whenever things went bad - as they inevitably did.

That had always been enough for him, and in some way he could tell it was enough for her too.

Blue eyes drifted shut as she began to sing a haunting melody, accompanied ever so softly by the orchestra, though they dared not ever outshine her in volume or quality. The crowd went silent. No cameras dared to flash and no person dared open their mouth to speak. It was beautiful. Almost like an ocean in the way her voice would rise with a sudden surge, gripping at his heart before crashing back down again, drawing him with it. If there had been any question as to her skill… any as to whether she might have attained such accord through her name or wealth, then this performance surely silenced them.

Why had she kept such talent hidden from everyone at Beacon?

Or the bigger question, why was she throwing this away to become a Huntress at all? The effort that must have been required to become so good, all the hours spent practicing and working – only to put it all aside and do something else with her life? She had her reasons… she always did. Maybe it was family, commitment or a desire to escape Atlas – it wasn't like she would ever admit the truth to him. Maybe Ruby knew, seeing how much the two trusted one another. But Ruby was worth that trust, and definitely wouldn't have revealed such knowledge to him if Weiss wanted it private.

The sad part was that it wasn't any of his business.

He wouldn't be going to Beacon so he never would meet Weiss, Ruby or anyone else. This would be a life they would live without him. He idly wondered who would be on his team without him. There were scores of students who had been accepted but failed initiation. Some due to not being strong enough, often rescued by the teachers who watched over them – others simply because they did not reach the relics in time, finding that they had all been taken.

Beacon had limited resources after all. They couldn't cater to everyone. Maybe one of those random people would find Pyrrha Nikos their partner. Did that mean he was consigning them to death as well? With a shake of his head Jaune dispelled such maudlin thoughts. Whatever happened was already going to happen. Whether he was there or not wouldn't change the end result.

One final time Jaune rose alongside his family, applauding furiously as the small girl dipped a low curtsey. He could vaguely hear Juniper talking about how sweet and cute she was, such a little doll. It almost made him want to burst out laughing. Weiss did look like that at first. But she was about as cute and cuddly as a Beowolf – with the temper to match. She hadn't earned the moniker Ice-Queen for nothing.

"Weiss Schnee, ladies and gentlemen," an orator cried as he walked out onto the stage, pointing to the young woman who was even then backing away through the curtains. The applause grew louder in response to the man's words, with more than a few flowers being thrown towards the stage. It somehow seemed so very Weiss that she wouldn't stay for it all. The suited man waited for the applause to die down, standing centre stage as people returned to their seats. Once there was silence he brought his microphone back to his lips to speak, "And a thank you to all of you who have come here today to see Miss Schnee's final performance, the proceeds of which will be going to many good causes across Vale."

 _I'm sure they will…_ Of course, the charity's Directors would no doubt take their share.

"But before the night comes to a magnificent close we are proud to announce that there will be a mystery raffle, with the prize being one _final_ chance to meet Miss Schnee before she ends her career in the musical world." There was nothing unusual about it… he'd never been to this event before, so no doubt this happened every time. Odd to imagine that Weiss had been through the same Pyrrha had with fans, especially considering how his partner had admitted once or twice that she'd originally felt put-off by Weiss' actions before initiation.

 _You'd think Weiss would have known better if she went through the same._

Who knew, maybe without his interference Weiss would get the partner she had originally desired. He had no idea how she'd handled Ren and Nora, the latter specifically – but it was amusing to imagine. He didn't have to worry about anything though – since there were over forty thousand people here and the chances of him winning were-

"Jaune Arc! If you will make your way backstage, you are our grand winner!"

"Oh my _God_ ," Lavender whispered, despite the rest of their family cheering and clapping, "what are the odds!?"

"Forty-thousand to one," he growled, "almost statistically impossible."

It could be… maybe there was a small chance? His hands gripped the armrests so hard he feared they might break. No. Luck was one thing, chance another… Blake on the train, the fact that it was their train at all!? Now that he thought of it why _had_ there been a train that was half passenger, half cargo? What was the point of doing things that way?

He'd written it off as an accident – bad luck. Then Ozpin and Miss Goodwitch, again more poor luck for him… they happened to share the same balcony and the man happened to know about Jaune killing the Beowolf. What if it hadn't been luck at all? Wait - the Beowolf? Something that had never happened in any of his lives… bad luck, again? For a monster to somehow sneak past _all_ the border guards, the patrols, Nicholas _and_ a range of other houses filled with innocent people!?

Impossible.

Literally impossible – the odds to small that there was no conceivable way they all could have happened in such quick succession, without something interfering to push things along... But that was madness, surely?

The events that changed – things that went wrong, they always happened because of him trying to change the timeline. If he killed Cinder, then things got worse because the revolution happened without her leadership, Adam was a far bigger monster than Cinder in some regards. But he hadn't changed anything this time… the only thing that was different was the fact that he wasn't attending Beacon…

" _Perhaps you would consider attending Beacon this year, Mr Arc. I think you would be a fine addition."_

No… surely not? How could his refusal to enter Beacon cause so much? How could it put his family at risk, nearly kill his mother – manipulate everything to turn out this way?

"Go on Jaune!" his mother beamed, as two men came to escort him to his meeting. One took a position on either side of him, leading him down well-lit corridors filled with people clapping and whistling.

He felt like he was being escorted to his own execution.

 _I refuse. No matter what happens I refuse to let this end up with me in Beacon. I don't know if this is my semblance, Ozpin or fate itself. This means nothing! I won't be roped into it again._

* * *

"What!?"

"I apologise Miss Schnee, this was arranged by your father – I had assumed you knew."

Her father? Of course… and it would be just like him not to tell her. The man before her bowed deeply, clearly uncomfortable with her ire. Perhaps he feared for his job, his livelihood and family…

She hated it.

"It's not a problem," deep breaths – her shoulders relaxed as a mask of simple indifference slipped across her features. "I was simply caught off-guard by it. If you'll see to delaying my guest for a few minutes so I can prepare?"

"Of course Miss Schnee," pure relief – it dripped from him in waves. Was this the culture of fear within the SDC, something her father had drilled into his employees? Or worse… was it her? "I do apologise once more."

The door closed before she could tell him it wasn't his fault. If he had even heard it, she wondered if he would believe her words. _Ignore it. You'll be at Beacon in a week anyway._ That would give her the chance she needed, the opportunity to show who she was and what she could achieve away from Atlas and the long arm of her family. Her face tilted to one side as she inspected herself in the mirror, before looking at the other. Her scar stood out still, the ugly mar visible no matter what powder she might put over it. A frown pulled across her lips before she could catch it, one finger coming up to trace the damaged skin. It could have been worse. At least she still had both eyes.

There was a soft knock on the door, followed by two more. Light blue eyes widened as she quickly snapped her attention back to the present, smoothing out her white clothes as she finished her inspection. Her throat was sore, she looked a little tired – but it would do. The frown was torn from her face, replaced with a genial smile as she pirouetted to face the closed doors.

"Come in."

"This is Mr Jaune Arc," the man from before introduced. The winner was a young man, probably close to her own age though certainly much taller. Coarse blond hair and blue eyes set in a face that looked almost bored. She had to resist the urge to scrunch her nose a little at his clothes. Though… adequate, they were hardly fashionable. And he wore them poorly, as though clearly unused to a suit in any way. Certainly she wouldn't have bumped into him at any of her father's dinner parties, but then again that wasn't saying much. "He was fortunate enough to win the contest for a meeting with yourself Miss Schnee."

"Yes, yes – thank you. Please wait outside." Really now, he'd already explained this to her before. Did he think her stupid, that her hard-earned success and skill was nothing more than the bumbling talent of an empty-headed child?

"Outsi- Miss Schnee, perhaps you should not be alone with an unknown man like this." She wanted to slap a hand into her face. Had he honestly just insinuated such a thing about a person who was right next to him? Even if he did look scruffy and a little below her station, that hardly warranted an immediate accusation that he might take advantage of her.

This was exactly how the poor reputation of the Schnee family had come about.

The boy's dark eyes narrowed, "I'm sure someone about to enter Beacon would be able to handle a civilian," he said. She made sure to keep her smirk hidden at his irritation, though she was impressed with his confidence to speak up. Most fans who met her tended to bumble around gushing about how wonderful the experience was. Insults tended to wash over them, so in awe were they.

"I would prefer it if you didn't insult those who come to see one of my concerts. Rest assured if something unpleasant does happen, I will be able to handle it better than you or my guards could."

Winter probably didn't have to go through this…

The man hesitated still, before no doubt deciding it wasn't worth sticking his neck out for. With a quick bow he backed out of the room, slowly closing the door behind him. She desperately wished she could just sit down and relax, especially after such a draining performance. But instead she smiled at the teen before her.

"Well… congratulations are in order for winning the competition. A pleasure to meet you… Jaune, was it?"

"Hm," he nodded and leaned back against a nearby wall. "I didn't even realise there was a competition."

 _That makes two of us…_

"So…" normally it was they who did most of the talking, her barely able to squeeze a word in edgeways. She never knew what to say to those shy ones who didn't speak. Then again, he didn't look like he was shy around her at all. He was completely at ease. "What brought you to come see my concert?"

"Family. I had a… small accident recently that I recovered from. I think this was supposed to my be parent's way of celebrating things working out."

A small accident, that sounded a bit off. Tickets to her concerts were expensive at the best of times, and who would reward someone for something insignificant? More likely he'd come out of some kind of accident or surgery… something his survival hadn't been a certain factor on. Either way, it wasn't any business of hers. All she needed to do was remain polite and entertain him for ten minutes or so, then send him off with an autograph or something. If he was another weirdo that requested a kiss she would have to stab him.

"I'm glad to hear things worked out, are your family here?"

"Yeah, all ten of us." Some of the surprise she felt at that number must have shown on her face, for the boy let out a short laugh, "I have a lot of sisters."

He certainly did… Weiss didn't know how to imagine having more than one Winter, it would be a nightmare! Still though, he didn't offer any real avenue for conversation… she'd thought he would leap at the chance to talk about his family to her, but instead he went silent after saying just enough to answer her question.

"Don't you have anything you wanted to ask of me?" she finally asked, "It's not like you get to meet me every day after all."

There was a flicker of something in his eyes, amusement perhaps, "I guess not. I suppose… why did you decide to give up this career to become a Huntress?"

"That's none of your business," she snapped, before she could even think about it. A second later she worked to wipe the frown from her face, before he could notice it. Damn, but that had been a constant question back home – why did he have to ask that specifically? "I apologis-"

"It's fine. It's not really any of my business, I was just curious."

Her eyes narrowed at him, looking for any duplicity, but it honestly seemed like he wasn't bothered by her acerbic response. In fact, she'd dare to say he looked pleased… again, a faint glimmer of amusement. That was a far cry from how most reacted to her temper.

"I am sorry though, it's somewhat of a personal question."

"Then don't answer it. What's your favourite instrument?"

"Eh – um, piano. I like the piano more than anything."

"Hmm, piano music is good. I play the guitar myself, but I'd have liked to learn if we had one back home."

She appreciated the swift change in topic, even if she hadn't been prepared for it. Most would have tried to dig deeper, especially after winning an apology from her.

"You play music then, is that why your parents brought you here?"

"Yep. My goal is to travel Remnant as a musician, my parents thought this would be a good experience for me. I don't really intend to get as big as you have though, this is all a little too much for me."

"Not everyone wants to be the best," she said magnanimously. _She_ always had, she was a Schnee and so needed to excel in everything she did – she relished it too. But she knew not everyone else held the same ideals. "So you want to play in a band, or?"

The conversation was safe, easy – just the way she wanted it. It allowed her time to switch off and rest without having to worry about keeping up her mask. Maybe he was doing that deliberately, maybe he was just indifferent. He didn't act like one of her usual fans, so perhaps he honestly didn't care – her music wasn't for everyone. Thank the heavens she hadn't gotten another excitable twit, or worse – some man thrice her age who descended to the mental age of a child upon seeing her.

"I'm thinking more along the lines of wandering minstrel. I want to travel light between the Kingdoms and stay where I can, earn my keep with my skills before moving on."

"Well, that's…" whimsical, silly, unreliable, "an interesting choice."

"You didn't really agree to an interview with someone, did you?" he said, a small grin on his face.

"What do you mean? You're here, are you not?" The question surprised her, more because he'd managed to notice than anything else. She was certain she'd hidden her frustrations well enough – bar that one slip earlier.

"We don't have to if you don't want to." He shrugged, "I didn't actually sign up to win anything so I'm not fussed either way. How about we say you did and call it here?"

It sounded too good to be true. A typical trap laid by reporters and journalists who wanted to see her falter… except that he didn't look like either. It would be nice not to have to waste time. She had enough to think about with Beacon upcoming, not to mention she desperately wanted a shower after being out on that stage beneath so many spotlights. It had been unbearably hot.

"If you are certain…" she said slowly, looking for any reaction.

He just shrugged, "I am. It was nice to meet you, good luck with Beacon and everything."

"You too, Jaune… good luck with your music. Maybe one day I'll get to hear you play."

He had that amused look in his eyes again, but there was no comment as he nodded and moved away, letting himself out of her dresser room. It wasn't until the door clicked shut and she heard multiple footsteps moving away that she finally allowed herself to relax. With a long sigh she flopped down onto the seat before the mirror, letting the polite smile fade.

What a strange guy…

* * *

Okay, that hadn't gone too badly. Nothing had come up about Beacon and him; he'd avoided any traps that might have led to a reaction from her. He would become another face in the crowd for her.

 _Maybe I overreacted before, there was nothing there that could have landed me in Beacon. Other than me suddenly rediscovering my old crush and throwing myself beneath the bus for her._

It had been weird to see the girl wearing that mask, she certainly had little use for it at Beacon. Oh, he'd seen it once or twice – usually when she was trying to talk to teachers or get out of trouble. Most of the time she was the snappy girl he'd seen a small glimpse of back there.

" _Maybe one day I'll get to hear you play."_

Heh… hadn't he tried to play the guitar for her once? He could just about remember the look on her face as she slammed the door shut.

Okay, well his sisters would kill him if they realised he pretty much turned down an interview with Weiss Schnee because he didn't care, but other than that it had gone pretty well. The tension was just about slipping away from him, the fear that had built up inside him draining out. There was nothing to worry about… how would a raffle win to meet her have forced him into Beacon anyway? It was just Vale… getting to him as it had done earlier.

No need to read into thi-

"Oof," something collided with him, falling to the floor. Jaune staggered for another step or two, but managed to avoid collapsing atop the poor soul. With a nervous laugh he held one hand out, "Sorry about that, I wasn't watching where I was going."

"No problem, I suppose I too was lost in thought."

Panic gripped his heart, "Nope!" His hand shot back, feet carrying him past the downed woman as though she might rear up and attack him. Every nerve in his body cried out in a desire to be anywhere other than where he was. That he had to run!

"Wha-?" Pyrrha sounded surprised, still sat on her rear with one hand held up to accept his aid. Blue eyes scrunched shut as he broke into a jog, anything to get away.

Damn it, damn it, damn it – it was official. No way, not a chance in hell. This couldn't be an accident, all of this together… it was impossible. _Not this time, Fate,_ he growled, _I won't be your damned slave!_ A flash of green ahead had him cursing, the blond ducking into a shaded alcove as Ozpin and Miss Goodwitch walked by.

"-always on the lookout Glynda. Besides, if my eyes didn't deceive me, it's not just the boy who has had some training. The eldest daughter carries herself with the confidence of someone who knows how to fight." The two passed by, yet he still gave it another minute before he crept out of the alcove.

Sapphire-? She'd be torn apart at Beacon… no, he wouldn't let it happen. She was too old to go and didn't even have her aura unlocked. Ozpin might want him – might just want an Arc, but that didn't mean he would get one. _Dad will be on my side in stopping him, we just need to get away from Vale!_ He just needed to avoid bumping into anyone else from Beacon. Whatever was causing this couldn't force him to go… all of this, it was just temptation – trying to convince him.

"I've already made up my mind," Jaune whispered as he approached his family, "I'm not going and that's final. I don't care what happens."

He wouldn't be a toy.

* * *

A good night's sleep and the rising of the sun didn't make Vale any better in his eyes. The Arc family had retired to the hotel after the concert night, and thankfully nothing had happened to ruin things any further. But that still left another full day in Vale for him, which he was currently spending with his sisters. He'd tried to derail that plan, to claim sickness and hide in his room until it was time to go home. That had lasted about as long as it took Sapphire to pick some clothes and Sable to threaten to dress him – with a casual reminder of how she used to do that when he was a baby.

"What the hell's up with you?" Hazel sighed over her milkshake, flicking a bit of chocolate foam his way. "You keep looking round like you expect the fucking cops to pop out. You do anything to that Schnee girl we ought to know about?"

"Wha-? _No!_ I'm just… well you know, feeling a little under the weather."

"Not that bull again." Jaune frowned at her but didn't say anything. They couldn't understand – hell, he barely understood. But the events of the previous day had proven beyond a doubt that something was going on. Something he didn't like – and wasn't going to be tricked into.

"Let go of my ears," a familiar voice complained. Like she had been for the last _ten god-damned minutes_!

"What a jerk," Amber growled into her sundae, the look on her face saying she wanted nothing more than to murder whoever it was. Jaune had half-expected it to be Cardin, but that probably would have been too much. Instead Velvet looked to be getting bullied by some children.

 _Children_ …

He half wanted to go over there and knock some sense into _her_! She was a huntress damn it, act like it and either make them stop or walk away. Don't just stand there waiting for someone – for _him_ – to come and make it stop.

Oh yes… Jaune had come to the realisation very quickly, that this day was shaping up to be just like the previous.

 _I don't care. I'm not falling for this crap._

"I've got half a mind to go over there and kick their asses," Hazel said. Jaune sighed as he gripped her wrist. With her, half a mind was more than enough.

"You'll make it worse. If you do anything to them then they'll just take it out on her once you're gone." The older girl looked like she wanted to argue, the words forming in her head, before she looked away with a silent snarl.

Velvet would be fine. She was stronger than she looked.

"You guys finished with your treats?" he asked, looking at the seven girls as they polished off their shakes. "Why don't we go check out somewhere else, I hear there's a big mall near here."

Their cheers were muted, but they each stood up nonetheless. He knew they hated the idea of leaving her behind, but there really was nothing they could do. You couldn't change the mind of people in an instant, especially not with violence.

"So how do you know your way around so well?" Coral asked as they all walked off towards the mall. "We've never been to Vale yet you knew where this parlour was _and_ the mall?"

"Asked the receptionist at the hotel." he lied. "She wouldn't give me her number but she did give me some ideas on where we could go."

"Probably to get rid of you," Jade teased, "Guess our little brother isn't as hot as he thinks he is."

"And yet I still managed to have more partners in the last month or two than you have… oh, ever?"

"Yeah well I'm saving myself," Jade growled and looked away. "Besides, you had to say partners – you haven't even had a proper girlfriend yet."

"Eh~" he waved one hand with a grin, "I'm not really looking for a serious relationship."

"Well you've succeeded at that. Not a girl in Ansel who would take you as a boyfriend with your rep."

"A wandering minstrel has not the time for such attachments," he waxed. Some of the girls laughed, most rolled their eyes. Jaune found his own eyes narrowing however, as he felt the telltale sign of hostile intent. It didn't take long to see him - mainly due to the ugly grin on his face. Cardin Winchester walked down the street with a swagger that felt entirely too put on. Arms swinging widely as he stepped forward with both his feet and shoulders at the same time, like some kind of weird sway. It was easy to ignore the teen... he'd done it time and time again, so he simply stepped aside when they were about to pass by him.

Unfortunately he'd forgotten that this was _Cardin_ he was dealing with, "Hey - watch where you're walking," the ginger teen growled, pushing with both hands. It was hardly an impressive shove, but it was enough to knock him a few feet back since he wasn't ready for it. He'd stepped clear aside to let Cardin past... but of course he had stepped with Jaune... he _wanted_ to bump into someone after all. "Walking down the street like you own it, maybe you should step aside for a hero of Vale."

 _Don't rise to the bait,_ Jaune sighed. "Sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going. No harm done, right?" His sisters watched on, even as he tried to send some kind of telepathic message for them to not interfere. It would be just like Hazel or Jade to try and step in to break this up, probably by antagonising Cardin. But this wasn't Ansel and this wasn't a snot-nosed brat who'd be cowed with a little confidence. Cardin had aura, training and a weapon - and say what you would about his character, but he knew how to use them. "I don't want any trouble."

"Yeah well maybe you should have thought of that before slamming into me." Another shove, this time with both hands. He could have resisted it... hell, he could have grabbed the boy's arms and slammed him into the ground, broken every bone in his body. But he did nothing, allowing himself to stagger back as the other teen connected.

"You're going to just attack a civilian?" Jaune asked, "When he's trying to show his sisters around town? Or were you planning to hit them too when they try to protect me?"

"Gonna run to your sisters to help you?" he sneered, "I suppose it makes sense. Just keep hiding behind your walls civ. Maybe when the Grimm come one of the heroes will care enough to help you out." Cardin's shoulder slammed into his as the boy walked by, vicious grin showing that he felt he'd gained more than enough from the encounter. Jaune didn't even react. Instead turning back to his sisters with a raised brow.

"Lovely people in Vale, eh?"

Sapphire frowned, "Why didn't you protect yourself? Dad's taught you more than enough to stand up for yourself." Just about every other girl nodded, some such as Amber and Hazel looking more than a little frustrated with his submissive display. What had they expected, that he would tear his shirt off and fly into action - suplex Cardin Winchester through a nearby window? It was bullying, he faced it just about every repeat and gave it the attention it deserved. Absolutely none. How could you be offended by the actions and opinions of people you didn't value the opinion of?

"Wouldn't have solved anything," he shrugged instead. "Besides, it's not like I lose anything by letting him win. Everyone here knows he was the one that ended up looking stupid." It wasn't enough for them, that much was clear - but if these encounters were being thrown before him to try and elicit some reaction then the best choice was to do nothing every time. Just ignore every single person and bide out his time until they went home. "Anyway, here's Vale's Central Mall. About a hundred or so overpriced shops, all packed beneath one bird-poo stained roof."

" _So_ romantic," Coral brushed past him, no doubt in the direction of a bookstore. "Why don't you look after Amber while us women have some time to shop?"

"I'm a woman!" Amber piped up.

"Oh?" Lavender smiled and leaned down, "So you want to come clothes shopping with me and Sapphire?"

"I'm not a woman!"

"Come on then my little gender-confused sibling," Jaune rolled his eyes and placed a hand on the top of her head, "let's go play some games at the arcade."

"Yeah!"

Let it be said that if you've visited one arcade, you've visited them all. Vale might have had at least three times as many machines, but that barely accounted for the ten times as many snot-nosed brats running around. It was still the same plethora of chaos and beeping that they'd spent so much time in back at Ansel.

For Amber though, it was like an entirely new world.

"Oh, oh, Jaune look! House of the Grimm 4, Bullhead Racer, Hunting Simulator!" The latter had a _long_ queue of kids behind it, and was a machine featuring all kinds of plastic swords, axes and guns. No prizes for guessing the game wasn't about hunting elk or any other wild animal.

He tried to lose himself in the sounds and machines, but he couldn't quite get rid of the tenseness in his shoulders, nor the way his hands balled into fists. He could only be glad she didn't notice, too enraptured by all the games.

"Why don't we do some bullhead racing first?" he offered, leading her over to the empty machine. It would be fine. He just needed to waste a few hours here with Amber, have some fun then retire to the hotel. Repeat that again the following day and it would all be done. He'd be home, Beacon would start and no matter what happened, there would be no way for him to get in.

The clink of some lien falling through the slots heralded the start of their race, his little sister grinning over him as she gripped the controls.

* * *

"What a day," he groaned as he entered his room, thankful for the fact that as the only boy he got it to himself. The mattress bounced him back up as he threw himself down on it, holding an arm across his vision. "What a fucking day…"

He didn't normally swear, but honestly the day deserved it.

Velvet in the morning, Cardin bumping into him… he'd seen Ren and Nora at the arcades, though he'd managed to stuff Amber into another game and hide with her. That would have been a close call since he recalled he'd promised to meet them both at Beacon. Nora was just crazy enough to try and force the issue too... and even if they didn't, disappointment from his team was something he didn't want to see. The whole reason he'd been so fervent in getting away from Pyrrha - so that he couldn't see the disgust in her eyes.

Then once they met back up with the rest of them he'd caught sight of a distinctive red hood bobbing behind some shelves. Hazel was the only one who could have recognised Ruby, but luckily he managed to distract and lead them all away by offering to carry their bags. That had also given him the perfect place to hide his snarl as they walked past Emerald Sustrai, who just so _happened_ to be wandering down the street. Of course, she was just another random woman to everyone else – but the fury, not to mention the urge to murder, had been very strong.

That would have been one way to ensure he didn't get into Beacon… though maybe a little extreme.

Things hadn't even stopped after that! Coco and Fox walking down the road beside them, Lavender chatting to Sky Lark of all people at the bus stop… not to mention him meeting with Dove who had chosen to start flirting with Sable. The whole day had been an exercise in keeping a straight face while also resisting the urge to start screaming and run away. But none of it _mattered_ , it didn't matter how many people he ran into – nor how many he saw or talked to.

"I. Don't. Care!" he growled into the pillow, using it to muffle a scream of rage. Energy spent, he rolled onto his back, staring up at the patterns dancing their way across the ceiling. "Why won't you let me go? I don't want any of this."

The ceiling didn't answer.

The squeaking bed and thumps from next door did. Jaune groaned, bringing the cushion back over his head as the sounds of feminine moans came through the `sound-insulated` walls. Well… this weekend officially couldn't get any worse.

"Oh _Nicky_ …"

 _For the love of…_

"Don't you have enough kids!?" Jaune shouted, banging a fist on the wall. He doubted their heard him however, considering the noise continued. He couldn't blame this one on fate, or whatever was ruining his day. This was just his bloody mum and dad doing what came naturally.

You'd think they would have learned after the eighth.

It was fine. He could withstand it, they'd finish soon enough and he could get some sleep. If only he'd thought to bring some music and headphones he'd be okay, but the whole trip had been rushed enough that he hadn't thought to. The pillow felt wonderful as he tried to smother himself with it, but even the sweet embrace of approaching death didn't seem to be enough to drown out the noise.

It continued for another few minutes. The seconds ticking by as he tried to think of anything other than what was going on. Lessons, Ozpin, Roman bloody Torchwick… it was all undone every time he heard his mother – _his mother_ – moan.

"I'm done," he said at last, throwing the pillow aside and pulling on some shoes. There was no way he was going to get any sleep listening to that.

Jaune Arc knew exactly what he needed.

* * *

"Another." A glass thudded down before him, the burly man behind the bar taking his previous one and running a cloth round the inside. Jaune paid no attention, reaching for the new offering and downing it in one. He washed it round his mouth, savoured it, before swallowing with a single gulp. The glass wobbled as it fell back onto the bar, but against all odds remained standing.

"Your vodka tastes like water."

"That's because it was water," the man snapped back, "I'm cutting you off. You've had enough."

"Who cuts off a paying customer?"

"One who doesn't want to have to carry said customer out the door. You're lucky I even let you in without ID." The man reached out to flick Jaune in the forehead. Instincts drilled in through years of combat slammed to the front of his drunken mind, causing his hand to lash out.

He grabbed air… a good few inches from the man's hand.

"See?"

The blonde slumped, "Well crap…"

It had happened again.

Every time, at some point or another, he went to a bar or got hold of some alcohol. Sometimes it was in the training period before Beacon, a tool to take off gruesome memories and muscular pain. Sometimes it wasn't until Beacon, some kind of outing with his team or just a way of reducing stress. It was good for so many things; forgetting, distracting, wasting time. No one could call Jaune Arc an alcoholic… at least, not in the same way one could claim of Qrow. But he more than enjoyed a drink, especially the time he'd gone out with said man.

What a night…

But there _was_ one little problem. Something he tended to forget each time, as memories and experiences muddled. His tolerance didn't come back with him. It didn't matter if he had some right away or a year after returning, each time he would still be a young man with a body that didn't know how to handle its liqueur. He had so many humiliating first experiences he could barely recall them. Been carried back to his rooms by Yang, Ren, Sun, Neptune, hell – even Nora one time… though not before the girl had had her fun drawing things on his face. And now it looked like he would be dragging himself home. Joy…

"Right," he sighcupped – something that started as a sigh and ended in a hiccup, "Well, you okay to let me nurse this til my head stops spinning?"

"Fine with me kid," the bearded man sighed, refilling the glass from a tap. "I'd rather you walk out under your own power. Just don't try anything, I've told the others you've been cut off."

"Yeah, yeah… least no one else to see it this time." At least he'd managed to waste a good two hours. That meant there was only the morrow to survive. The first day with the concert had gone… well, it had gone terribly – but good enough that he hadn't been drafted into Beacon. The second day had been a test of endurance against all his former friends and enemies. There was just the final day left… and if he could spend that in his room recovering from a killer hangover, then that would be a day well spent.

 _I'm on the home stretch… and it smells like vomit._

It was still better than the taste of ash mixed with his own blood.

He could perhaps be forgiven then, considering how lost within his own memories he was, for not noticing the drama taking place beside him until it was too late. His first indication was a body settling on the stool beside his, one bare arm entering his vision as she leaned on the bar.

"Yo." Yang Xiao-Long grinned at him, "Looks like somebody's been having a party."

"Oh God," Jaune groaned, wiping one hand down his face in a vain effort to wash away the horror. "Not you…"

"Whoah, my reputation precedes me I see. Unless you're someone I turned down at Signal?" That she had to ask for clarification was bad enough… how many boys had asked her out? Why, oh why did she have to be here… was it not enough for him to have everyone else pushed before his eyes all day without this last solace being taken from him? Ignoring her would be the best bet. She was like a cat in that regard, always thriving off the attention of others. In a very real way she worked like her semblance… getting stronger the more someone focused on her.

"No words? Or have I rendered you speechless?"

He wouldn't rise to the bait, no matter how tempting it was. Yang was easy and fun, always up for a laugh and good to talk to… when she got used to you anyway. She was also one of the few that he'd never had sexual relations with, romantic or otherwise. It would be oh so easy to fall into casual conversation with her. He wouldn't fall for that trap.

"Sheesh, tough crowd. Eh, bartender – strawberry sunrise! Make sure to include one of those little umbrellas too."

It was none of his business… she was nothing to him. None of them were.

"Aren't you a little young for a place like this?"

"Funny. You serve him but not me?"

"I learn from my mistakes. Lucky if he's able to walk out on his own legs."

Yang punched him in the arm. _Hard_. "Ha - looks like you're a lightweight, champ."

"I wouldn't call eleven glasses of vodka mixers a lightweight," Hei `Junior` Xiaong grunted, "I'd be impressed with how much he managed, if I wasn't annoyed at how badly he took it."

 _Ignore me, look elsewhere…_

"Hm, not bad – maybe there's hope for you yet. Anyway _Junior_ , I hear you're pretty good for information here in Vale." Jaune's eyes flickered to the side as she spoke, interested despite himself. So she wasn't here just to haunt him… what _was_ she here for then? Just his luck to choose a bar that housed criminal contacts too… probably the reason they'd been willing to let him in without any form of identification. _Teach me to ignore the obvious signs… been out of the job for a little over two years and I'm already out of touch._

"It's been said," Hei played on the side of caution.

"Good enough for me. I want to know if you have any information on this woman." Yang held out her scroll towards the man, who leaned in to take a look at the image. The older man hummed lightly as he thought it over, before shaking his head with a sigh. Yang cursed, "Crap, what about you champ, think you can help a beautiful girl out?"

Before he could comment, before he could even point out that he wanted nothing to do with her and could hardly see straight anyway, the scroll was pushed into his face. He could tell from the grin she wore that she didn't expect anything. She was teasing him and nothing else, trying to see if she could get a rise out of him. Blue eyes, dark from alcohol, focused on the screen. A second later his face twisted into a hateful grimace.

Raven Branwen…

The glass in his hand cracked, water spilling over his fingers. _Don't get angry, don't react…_ It was hard to let go. Infinitely so, as he loosened each finger individually before looking away from that woman. He had no idea whose side she was on. Even now.

But she wasn't on his… he would _never_ trust her.

"No idea."

He wasn't sure what happened. It felt like he had taken the room with both hands, given it a good spin and then let go. Ceiling became floor and ceiling once more, people, stools and tables flashing around him as he danced through the air weightless. Something caught him, hard and unyielding against his cheek. It took a few woozy blinks for him to realise it was the floor. And that people were screaming.

"Bull," she growled. He'd have known the voice even if he were blindfolded. And with how badly his mind was swimming it might as well be. Something stung, and it took a long second for him to realise it was his cheek.

"You hit me?" It was more of a question than a statement… mainly because he still wasn't quite sure. All he knew was that something hurt, his day was already awful - and now Yang was trying to get in his way too, to ruin everything he'd planned!

"You know her. No one reacts like that to someone they've never met." Yang's eyes were already red. Fancy that, he hadn't even done anything to activate her semblance and she was already half-gone. "Tell me everything you know."

…

"Fuck you."

Someone shouted from the side. Dancers ran left and right, creating an open space around them as people desperately found somewhere else to be. In the distance he could just about make out Hei shouting for them to stop, but he was already gone. Yang was no better.

"You want to rephrase that?" she said, slipping into a wide-legged stance. Ember Cecilia hadn't made an appearance yet, not in its full form – but that was likely only because he was unarmed.

Because he _looked_ unarmed. Only a fool relied on their only weapon… you didn't spar against Pyrrha for over eighty years without learning to fight when disarmed.

"I've had more than enough of this," something snapped within him. "More than enough of you!" He meant plural, all of them – torturing him, reminding him of what he was giving up, what he was going to sacrifice. Couldn't they see it was for their own good? Couldn't they understand that!?

There was a voice somewhere. It sounded like it was inside his own mind, telling him to calm down, to stop doing this. That voice went ignored when the woman before him flung a fist towards his face. Another person screamed, voices raised in panic as he stepped to the side, tilting his head so that her fist whistled past his nose. Even inebriated as he was, his mind still knew what to do, sending a palm down the girl's arm towards her throat. It would be enough to stun her, give him time to get a good hit in.

It should have been enough… if he wasn't so damned slow. Fingers curled around his own like a vice, drawing him across her body as she flipped him over her shoulder. He just about managed to strike her face on the way over, more of a distraction than to cause any damage. It was enough to have her release him, so he could land on a nearby table instead of be slammed into the ground at her feet. Bottles turned to shards beneath him, sending a wave of glass flying in every direction.

"If you ask real nicely, then I might be willing to let you give up and tell me what you know."

"You're a real piece of work," Jaune staggered out of the mess, glass falling from his body like sparkling snow. Was this fate, interfering in his life once more? Bad luck, pah – what a joke! Meeting one of them was bad luck, this was design. "Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners? Or were you such a disappointment that she ran off?"

It was a low blow. He knew that, never would have considered speaking such words to someone he respected so much... not in any other situation.

But she reacted exactly as he expected her to.

"Rarghhh!" The blow might have torn his head clean off had it hit. Yang had always been sloppy when angry however, allowing him to duck beneath it and slam a fist beneath her ribcage. He'd have loved to get another in, but even drunk off his ass he knew enough about her fighting style to know that was a bad idea.

You had three options with Yang… you could overwhelm her in a single strike, instantly destroy her. So far he'd only seen Adam ever pull off such a feat, and even then she'd been exhausted before the fight. You could what he affectionately termed `Neo her` - which was to say pull off flips and dodges that would snap a normal person's body in two, redirect all her force so that she defeated herself. Again, he'd only seen one person ever manage that. The last option was to whittle her down. One blow at a time, like a man chipping away at a brick wall with bare fists. Never enough to trigger her semblance, never enough for her to throw back at you. It was slow and gruesome work. But right now that was just what he needed to take the edge off. Booze was one thing… there was nothing like a good fight to really get the blood pumping.

He'd almost forgot the sensation.

Red eyes narrowed as she struck, a straight punch that he managed to lean away from, following by a roundhouse kick that he knew was coming. She kept him on the defensive with a blistering series of attacks, but he was able to keep ahead of them. It wasn't through skill however… not when his body was untrained and also hammered. It was hard not to know her style… considering she had taught him it.

Slip to the side, one arm up to block her kick – step back as it transferred into an axe kick, duck in and hit her in the shoulder, back out again. His grin only got wider as the fight continued, as he pushed her back.

It was after one particularly satisfying punch to her cheek, that sent her staggering to the side, that things went wrong.

"Argh! _Enough!_ " she screamed, suddenly dashing forward with more speed than she'd shown before. His hands fell into a block instinctively, but the grin on her face told him he'd messed up. It wasn't her style; she didn't feint like that – but apparently to get back at him she'd make an exception. Jaune choked on air as her elbow slammed into his lower back, sending him staggering forward.

Any progress was halted by her knee, which drove into his stomach with enough force to have him bent over. He wasn't sure what happened next… except that something tight gripped his back, and then he was smashing through what seemed to be a pillar of glass. Music squawked to a stop as he landed, skidding and bouncing across the dance floor.

There was a tinkling sound as she walked up to him. Little pieces of glass clicking as they were crushed beneath her boots.

Was that blood dribbling down his face?

"Does it hurt?"

" _Does it hurt?"_ The scene before him seemed to flicker. Blonde hair flashing to black. He could taste blood in his mouth, blood and ash – no, there was no ash. But things were… they were on fire?

"Tell me everything you know," she growled. Tell her? Tell her what, where all his friends were – so she could find and kill them? He'd never rat them out, no matter what she did to him. His collar twisted as she lifted him up, bangs dropping across his eyes as he tried to see past the haze of smoke – alcoho- no… smoke, there was fire.

Wasn't there?

Had she dragged him from the girders that trapped him, pulled him from the ruined wreckage so that she might gloat? His fingers twitched blue eyes widened.

"Agh!" she recoiled, releasing him as he slammed a hand into her face. His hand fell to Crocea Mors, but it was missing – lost somewhere. There was no time to find it. Hands and fingers, nails and claws – teeth, he would use anything he had. He had to kill her. Had to! One knife-hand slammed into her cheek, knocking her back. A shin slammed into the side of his knee, threatening to break his leg but for the adrenaline coursing through him.

He stepped into the pain, ignored it and pushed on to deliver his forehead straight into her nose. It would have cracked like an overripe egg, were it not for her damned aura. He smashed his head into her one more time for good measure, growling as a fist buried itself in his kidney.

The flames were back… they always were, flickering around them both as she tried to incinerate him. Like she had a hundred times before, like she would a thousand times more – it didn't matter. He would kill her one day, he'd never stop until she was dead and it was _over_.

Maybe today would be that day.

"Stay down!" she screamed, the words unlike her – filled with an emotion she lacked, but the flames were familiar if nothing else. Fire… how he hated it. Consuming and unforgiving, taking everything it touched and turning it to ash. Turning him to ash.

To Cinders.

A fist slammed into his cheek. His settled in soft flesh, air driven forth. She dodged his strike that would have slammed into the underside of her chin, lashing out with a foot into his side that drove the air from his lungs. His arm came down to trap it there, elbow slamming down onto the side of her bare knee. Cinder roared with pain, wrenching her leg back and limping away. With a scream of rage, fire erupted all around them, scorching his skin and driving the moisture from his eyes. Against all instincts he kept them open, ignoring the agony so that he could rush forward into the inferno.

Heat rolled across him, the very air distorting in rippling waves as he reared one fist back, fully intent on beating her down and punching until there was nothing left but blood and fragments of skull. Red eyes glared back into his own, full of pain and anger.

Wait -

...red?

"Freeze!" Ten voices screamed at once. The flames winked out in an instant, lingering heat all that remained as glass and whimpers reached his ears. Across from him, his old friend stood… blood dripping from a split lip, one eye swollen. Her shoulders rose and fell with heaving pants. Ember Cecilia was deployed… the girl more than ready for violence that might turn deadly.

Had he…? No… surely not.

"Get down!" someone screamed, a weight impacting his back as he was driven to the floor. He just had the time to see an officer tackle Yang in the same manner, before all he could see was flashing lights and plastic floor. The LED dance-floor painting patterns into his retinas as he was pushed down into it. "You're under arrest, any attempt to use your aura or semblance will result in force."

"We weren't doing anything-" the blonde going through the same treatment as him yelled, only to go silent as her head was dragged up by her hair. Jaune suffered the same treatment, allowing him to see the ruined nightclub with his own eyes. Here and there, suited men were dragging one another to safety. There was smashed glass and broken bottles everywhere.

He didn't think there was a table still standing… and they'd been bolted to the floor.

"You'll be spending the night in a fucking cell," one of the officers growled as cold metal was slammed around Jaune's wrists. " _Different_ cells if this is the kind of damage you cause."

This couldn't be happening. Just a drink – that's all he'd asked for. That and to be left alone, but for the machinations of fate serving to drag him into all this madness. His father would kill him… oh gods, his _mother_!"

"Just so you know," Yang grinned as they were led outside and thrown into the back of a van together. He thought he might have even seen little Ruby, mouth wide as she watched her sister be arrested. Yang though… she acted as though being picked up by the police was just a typical weekend for her, "If that fight had continued, I'd have totally won."

Jaune could only stare at the woman he'd nearly killed… the woman he'd fully intended to kill. Guilt, frustration and alcohol rose up inside him, like bile within his mouth as he thought of what he'd nearly done. His entire body shuddered.

"W-wait, don't!" she cried.

Let it be known… that the scream Yang Xiao-Long let out when he threw up on her face and hair, was far worse than any she had uttered in that nightclub. For Jaune, throwing up on an attractive woman… it was just a typical weekend.

* * *

 **Welp! Some things change and some stay the same. You're still going to be vomit-boy it seems.**

 **So this chapter got me thinking about things… mainly because I had to watch the white trailer for the first time ever (no joke), I honestly was worried about how to write a robot fight into this. Thank god it was just a flashback – but that still got me thinking! First of all… aura, so poorly explained. It's a forcefield, yet Weiss could get cut like that?**

 **That's fine though, I like the mystery. But the other thing… the white trailer makes quite a big deal of her scar, which then goes NEVER mentioned for the rest of the series. I wonder if that was an oversight by RT, or whether they never saw a point to it. I'm not saying everyone should have gone "SCARRRRR!" But a few instances of her running a finger down it, trying to cover with makeup – or hell, a conversation or plot point around it. Maybe a chance to show more of her character through it… but it's just never covered. Weird eh? It strikes me because as a writer I love Chekhov, I use a lot of his advice – and his most famous is Chekhov's Gun – the principle that anything that isn't necessary should be removed. If there is a gun in the room in chapter one, it must go off at some point. It may seem pedantic but they made a big point of the scar in the trailer, then to see it never utilised feels pointless to me.**

 **And the scar just feels randomly uncared for. I think in a recent chapter of another fic I also used the example of Blake and dust. So dust is this substance that they use for all electronics, it's sold in convenience stores and Weiss is the daughter of THE biggest supplier. All seems fairly legit…**

 **It also gives Blake super-powered elemental clones. Okay, still sounds alright. They then go through all other fights never using any… including a tournament that one would** _ **really**_ **think Weiss would want to win – and thus suggest dust for. I mean, do they even care!? Blake fought Adam sans her biggest weapon because… reasons?**

 **Maybe it's expensive, maybe Weiss was cut off from her father, etc… but it's still a substance which apparently powers everything in the lack of fossil fuels. How could a household substance be impossible for them to get, if Weiss already went and got some for the train fight?**

 **I dunno… pointless rant but still… feels random to me!**

* * *

 **College Fool's Notes:  
**

So, story ideas change. And normally you, the reader, would never know. But how about a glimpse behind the scenes for something that was dropped?

When Coeur first started musing about this idea openly, it wasn't what you see today. Coeur sold it as comedy- pure comedy, and snark, and epic trollage. Some of that still applies, but the drama and trauma and underlying angst? I won't say it was all me, but I would say I had an effect on Coeur. Something about how countless loops of failure and misery and death might not be that funny...?

Crazy, I know. And so things changed, maybe for the better. But one thing I do regret- one thing I do miss- was this final scene with Yang.

When Couer and I batted ideas about, I was big on bringing in the cast early. The rough idea was that this arc would be the RWBY trailers, with Jaune encountering the girls during their trailer moments. I didn't win it all- couldn't sell Coeur on Jaune encountering Ruby while on a family winter vacation- but you've seen the results, we both agreed that the Yang trailer was important. Except... it wasn't this.

The 'original' Yang scene, back when it was straight comedy, was for Jaune to be a bystander and witness to the fight, and to be dodging the chaos and raiding the bar while Yang fought. Might not sound so funny now, but Coeur had an idea, and a punchline- in which Jaune entered (and ended) the fight by cracking a bottle of booze over Junior's head, giving a drunken 'I helped!' to round it off. Cue offering Yang a drink, laughs, and the two being too drunk to resist arrest when the police came. With consequences that basically parallel what we see next chapter.

But Coeur went with this. Different, not worse, but nowhere near as funny. Same narrative role, same plot function, but... well, stories change.

I will miss that image of Jaune and Yang cheerfully drinking eachother other under the bar, though.

 **Author's Note:** I feel like I should point out that the original plan relied on a few other factors, just in case some people clamour saying it would have been better ;). In this case Jaune's visit to Vale is under worse circumstances, so getting drunk _with_ Yang would be opposite to what he's been trying to do all chapter. It wouldn't really make sense, given his stress, for him to relax and play with Yang. He wants her to ignore him.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 13** **th** **May**

 **. com (slash) Coeur**


	6. Chapter 6

**Another two weeks pass, another chapter released – I hope you all enjoy.**

 **Thank you for all the reviews and comments, I especially love hearing your suggestions and predictions for what is going to happen. A few people asked for a timeline of ages for the sisters, so there's one right at the bottom. You can skip it if you're not interested though, it really doesn't affect much. It's just there for those who were curious.  
**

* * *

 **Beta:** _College Fool_

 **Chapter 6 – Repercussions**

* * *

Jaune glared at the uniformed officer sat across the table from him, bloodshot eyes fixed on the man's chiselled face. "It'll be easier in the long run if you give in," the man said, standing from his seat and walking slowly around the table. Jaune kept his eyes locked on where he had once sat, not reacting as the voice disappeared behind him. "Trust me kid, this is for the best…"

"I think I know what's best for me," Jaune repeated – for what felt like the sixth time. Did the man think he hadn't faced things like this before – that he was new to this terrible torture? Likely he did… who could have expected a seventeen-year-old to have so much experience with such things?

That was his first mistake.

Hands slammed down on the table, rattling it, "I don't think you do. I'm trying to help you here young man… I think you'll regret not taking me up on this offer in a few hours."

One golden brow arched, "Good cop, bad cop? How original… where did you learn this, Saturday morning cartoons?"

"I tried to help you kid," the man gave in with a weary sigh, "You've only yourself to blame." Still he waited. One final pause to see if Jaune would finally give in… he did not. With a world-weary sigh the man reached down, taking away the offer that was on the table.

Jaune released his held breath when the egg and bacon breakfast was finally removed. With his hangover it had been struggle enough not to throw up at the mere sight of it. _Arghhh, my head – when are these headache tablets supposed to kick in?_ He swore if he found out Aura was somehow blocking them from working, he would find Fate and kick it in the balls. Assuming it was male… they did always say fate was a bitch.

…

Point was, he was going to hurt it – badly.

The hospitality of Vale's finest was certainly as lacking as ever… even if it had come with bed and breakfast. In all his repeats there had been more than one or two cases of visiting prisons. But never as a result of him getting drunk out of his mind and starting a brawl. Could he even blame Fate for this one?

What a silly question, of course he could… but he could also blame himself too for thinking it was a safe idea to get drunk around this situation. Of _course_ someone he knew had come to speak with him… but all he'd needed to do was play it quiet and avoid the situation.

 _Me and my damn temper…_ the young man shook his head. Slow to anger, quick to forgive… his friends had often said that about him – often with an added warning that his anger although difficult to ignite, was very hot when it did. A full day of dodging utterly random attempts at forcing him into Beacon had definitely been enough to tip the scales.

Yang punching him had sent those same scales scattering across the floor. At least he'd gotten a few good ones in on her in return. The guilt from the previous evening had evaporated, probably due to the appearance of hangover-induced trauma. He wasn't feeling particularly forgiving right now, what with his brain dub-stepping its way around his skull.

Yang was fine… yes he'd definitely gone further than he'd intended to. Lost control of himself there for a moment. Had it been anyone else, things could have gotten ugly. But it _wasn't_ anyone else and there was no point in losing oneself in what-if's. She was fine. She pretty much deserved it too for sucker punching him.

He'd probably done more damage with his vomit then he had in combat. At least from her point of view, since he'd seen a few chunks in her hair before he passed out. He hoped they'd kept her in a cell without a sink.

Jaune's attention skimmed over to the door as it opened once more. The office had said his family had been contacted, so he half-expected his mother to come through like an angry Deathstalker at any moment.

It was worse.

"If you're here to be my lawyer then I want a new one," Jaune groaned into one hand, rubbing the fingers against his forehead. The white-haired man didn't even dignify that with a response, instead drawing the seat across from him back and sitting down. His ever-present cane rested against the wooden table.

"Breakfast?" Headmaster Ozpin offered, pushing a plate back towards Jaune. His face turned green once more.

"Did the officer outside give you that?" Jaune asked.

"He did."

"He must not like you very much then." It wasn't until Jaune's chest started heaving, the tell-tale signs of mount vomit exploding, that Ozpin realised what he was saying – quickly removing the plate and placing it somewhere on the floor.

"The feeling doesn't seem to be exclusive to him either," the bespectacled man chuckled once it was clear he wasn't going to suffer a similar fate to Yang. "You seem to hold some particular dislike for me as well."

"It's more what you represent," Jaune sighed. He didn't hate the man… truly he didn't – but right now the fact that _he_ was here instead of say – whatever officer was highest ranked, was not a good sign. "I think I told you last time I won't go to Beacon… so I'm not sure why you of all people would be here to talk to me."

Ozpin sighed, "That would be because of the nature of your little stay… namely that it was caused in an altercation with one of my students. As such, half the damages caused must be paid by Beacon Academy."

"Half? She attacked me!" He should have felt guilty about throwing Yang under the bus, but if she was going to get out of it thanks to Beacon anyway, then no foul as far as he was concerned.

"It takes two to tango, Mr Arc. Surveillance footage – not to mention testimonies from the bar owner himself, suggest that both you and Miss Xiao-Long fought on equal footing. You also neglected to end the fight at given opportunities."

"She wouldn't exactly stay down," Jaune groaned.

"I meant _diplomatically_ ending the fight."

"Ah, right…"

"You've put me in quite the delicate position Mr Arc," the man leaned forward with a sigh, steepling his fingers before his face. "One of my students has caused vast amounts of property damage, not to mention attacked someone."

Jaune grinned through the pain, "I suppose that means she'll be in detention for a while." She'd hate that, free spirit that she was, but it would serve her right for knocking him around while he'd been drunk.

"If by detention you mean prison… then you may be right." The Headmaster must have noticed his blue eyes widen, that or the way his mouth fell open – unsure what to say. "Did you expect otherwise Mr Arc? Miss Xiao-Long is a promising Huntress trained by professionals… she has the capacity to do much good for the Kingdom of Vale, but also much evil too. Hunters and Huntresses stand above average men and women, and as such there has to be controls in place to ensure they don't use that power for reasons considered unacceptable to mankind."

"But she didn't do anything." It had just been a fight between the two of them, property damage notwithstanding. Wasn't that what she did every time?

"Did she not, Mr Arc?" the man asked. "From where I stand, and how the authorities will view it, Miss Xiao-Long attacked an innocent civilian. While I am aware you might have provoked her in some way, that doesn't change the fact that those with power and skill must know how to temper it."

That – that wasn't right, though. Jaune had been fine, he'd have been able to take way more blows than that, plus Yang would normally never have just attacked people like that. Yeah she was a brawler who liked to cause trouble, but even trashing Junior's club she had fought against criminals who had their aura unlocked. He supposed that because it was the two of them this time, Junior hadn't been afraid to call the police – since he'd done nothing illegal.

If Yang was put in jail… if she lost her shot at being a Huntress – that would be a good thing, wouldn't it? She would survive for longer, kept safe in a cell that was designed to keep those with aura and dangerous semblances safely locked away. She would almost certainly survive the fall of Beacon.

But what would that mean for everyone else? The blonde brawler was a key part of her team, the very life and soul of it in some cases. Ruby would be crushed, left alone without her strongest source of emotional support. She would remain trapped in her shell, never reaching out to others for friendship.

Blake would no doubt gain another partner, though he doubted there was anyone else in Beacon who would be able to put up with her secret and her problems. When the faunus girl ran away… would anyone else follow like Yang had?

And Weiss, who had started to become a better person because of the strong personalities present in her team. Without Yang to weather her acerbic tongue in good cheer and warm the heiress up… he doubted she would find happiness within any other team.

And if RWBY fell apart, what would that mean for his own team? Pyrrha, who would already have to find another partner now that he was abandoning her, would have even less friends to rely on. Ren and Nora would suffer too, locked within a four man unit with no one to either take Nora's attention or offer an ear to the solitary gunman.

And then there would be Yang… not safe, not protected – but trapped within stone and metal walls, slowly fading into isolation. Before one day, she receives a note telling her that the little sister she loves has been killed in the fall of Beacon.

Because of him… because he'd lost control under the influence of alcohol and pushed her to violence. Because he had desperately wanted to bury his frustrations in the swirl of melee… because he'd lost sight of what was happening and escalated it far beyond what she would have done.

" _Didn't your mother ever teach you any manners? Or were you such a disappointment she ran off?"_

"I won't press charges."

The man shook his head, "It is not that simple Mr Arc. This isn't a matter between the two of you alone, but also about the damages caused and the security of all Vale. Hunters are held to a higher standard in a court of law. Your choice to spare Miss Xiao-Long won't do anything to protect her… the public would simply believe you were intimidated into silence. After all, you're nothing more than a civilian."

"Aren't you a respected figure, can't you step in?"

"And what would that look like? The Headmaster of Beacon stepping in to wave away the wrongdoings of a prospective student… there would be media outcry, claims that Beacon is willing to sacrifice innocent civilians for the benefit of a single Huntress." The Headmaster sighed then, leaning up to remove his glasses and rub at the bridge of his nose. The action was so uncharacteristic, so honest, that Jaune instantly knew the man was completely serious. "The tenuous balance of negativity that out city resides on… something like this could lead to lack of faith in Hunters, riots and protests. All of these have the potential to draw the Grimm towards us."

Jaune remained silent. What was there that he could say to any of that, Ozpin was dead on with his analysis. The media loved a scandal and this would be just that. They would eat Yang alive, all to bolster their own ratings and profits. If Beacon tried to wade into the mess then they would be torn apart as well. Beacon would survive, the Kingdom needed it, but Yang... almost certainly would not.

"The matter is not so clear cut from your end either, Mr Arc. The damages caused rack up towards two million lien," Jaune choked at the figure. "Though the name may be pretentious, it is called _The_ Club because it is simply-put, the biggest and most expensive nightclub in Vale. I very much doubt you would be able to pay for that… it's likely a financial plan will need to be put into place on your entire family – cutting away at the earnings of not only your father, but also your sisters in whatever jobs they take. That is, I'm assuming you do _not_ have a million lien laying around?"

And no doubt Jaune would face a criminal record for the damage as well… which given the nature of it, not to mention the risk to everyone around, might also see him locked away. That wasn't a big deal for him, he could die and reset – even off himself if he had to.

But just like with Yang, what would it mean for his family? Even if he killed himself, even if he forced a reset at the earliest opportunity… it wouldn't change the fact that this holiday, this life that he had decided to spend to better his relationship with his family - had ended with them all in tears. Back then, two years ago, he'd asked himself what they must have felt when time and time again he ran away… even on his birthday. Now the question was what would happen to them if he was arrested, crippling debt was placed on them, and then he committed suicide?

Jaune's face fell into his hands, palms coming over to rub at his eyes. This couldn't be happening… the threats to him were minor, he couldn't care less, but he _loved_ his family. He hadn't realised how much he loved them until he'd determined to spend time reconnecting with them, but now he had and this was how he always wanted it to be.

He didn't want this life to end. Not like this. Did the world continue after he died, did the people he left behind have to struggle on without him…?

"You can't have come all the way here just to crush my spirit," Jaune growled into the wooden grain of the table, wishing he could smash his head into it. Was it just him, or was the headache starting to get even worse?

"I did not," Ozpin agreed. The man pushed himself to his feet, taking the cane in one hand as he stood across the table from the blond man. "The crux of the matter comes through the fact that Miss Xiao-Long fought with a civilian. To most people this means a man or woman lacking in aura, unable to defend themselves – and is obviously a most terrible crime." The cane tapped once on the wood, drawing Jaune's eyes from his hands, "But you Mr Arc, are neither of these things."

"I think I can see where this is going…" truly he could, and every nerve in his body was screaming at him to reject it.

"It is not quite so unusual for a student to get into an altercation with another student however. Regrettable… certainly meriting detention – but it is expected that the tempers of teenagers might fray, especially if they have both been indulging in things they should not have been served." Blame the club, claim that they'd made a mistake in serving them alcohol without checking for ID… Ozpin was ruthless as always. "Beacon would also be obligated to cover the damages of a fight caused by its students and could weather any media outcry by punishing said students. That is our offer, Mr Arc."

"Of course it is…" Jaune's laugh bordered on the hysterical, rising in pitch before dying down to a sombre mumble. "... of course it is…"

How could he have expected otherwise… Fate was playing its games with him once more, and now the stakes had been raised even higher. It all made sense, didn't it? Start with small things, little meetings with his friends – pluck at his heartstrings as he is forced to imagine what will happen to them without him.

When that didn't work, move onto other things – bigger risks, larger losses… it could have been his mother had he not stepped in before. But doing so had unlocked his aura, resulted in his injury – the recovery of which was rewarded by his parents with this trip to Vale. It had all been one long trap. One he'd sprung the moment he went back to save his mother. If he had let her die then this would never have happened.

He could never regret that – he never would.

But could the same be said of refusing this? He would be locked away, that was fine… his family would be hurt, crushed even. Not to mention that for however long he survived, and prisons could be notorious about preventing suicide, his family would suffer. And that was to say nothing about the friends he loved so much.

Yang was his friend, a companion he'd always been able to rely on. They'd gotten drunk together, partied hard, grieved and lost – no matter what happened, no matter how shit things got – she was always loyal to the end. And now she was going to suffer in jail because of him? That wasn't fair… RWBY wasn't a part of this – they didn't deserve to live or die based on his decision.

"I need an answer before I leave this room Mr Arc," Ozpin sounded contrite - he truly did – like this was the only thing he'd been able to think of to save this situation. And the worst part was that it probably _was_. The Headmaster wanted Jaune, but the true gift here was Yang. Niece of Qrow, one of Ozpin's most trusted allies, but also a young woman with incredible potential. "I need to give some explanation to the officers outside as to what caused this… it can either be the truth as it stands. Or… it can be the truth we have just discussed."

Beacon would be his death. A cell would be as well – in that regard the two were no different. The only real difference was that he would still have some freedom at Beacon. Could he use that in some way? It would be better for his family. They would be worried, but at least he could stay in contact with them. It would save Yang too, and by extension Ruby and the rest of her team.

He could still die and repeat at Beacon – it would be no different to dying and repeating in jail, except that this wouldn't lead to his family getting in trouble financially.

And nothing said he had to _try_ in Beacon, did it?

The moment he was accepted, Yang's record would be wiped clean – his own as well. If he left soon after then there was no way Ozpin could just claim to have changed his mind about the whole affair. Jaune could continue with his planned holiday, except now taking it into Beacon. If he was going to die anyway then it didn't matter if he killed himself the moment he entered Beacon or waited for Cinder to kill him. The latter meant he got to spend more time with his family while the former would only serve to spite himself.

And if Ozpin didn't like that then he could always expel Jaune. Which now that he thought about it…

"Fine, you win – I'm a student of Beacon." Blue eyes locked to brown, both stern. Jaune's were filled with rebellion, a promise that this would not be as easy as the man seemed to think it would be. Ozpin's seemed to hold nothing.

"I thank you for this Mr Arc. It is a brave man who is willing to sacrifice for another," Jaune snorted at the words – as though he hadn't been doing that all his life. "I understand that you feel forced into this, I wish from my end that there was another option. I can only hope that you come to view Beacon as a home in time." The words stung, they really did. He already considered Beacon his home… and he considered Ozpin and every other person who lived there his family. This wasn't about them, as selfish as that sounded.

Yang was the first person he saw as he was escorted from the room, stood on the other side of what must have been a two-way mirror. The girl, normally so bright and vibrant, looked pallid and scared. Her face was pale, red rings around her eyes from where she had clearly been crying. It was clear she'd heard everything… including what could have happened to her.

She was in pain because of him...

He couldn't meet her eyes. Even as she so desperately tried to meet his, to pass some message of thanks on. He didn't deserve it, not when he was responsible for what was happening to her. She never faced this in the past, in any of the repeats – which meant it was solely his fault she looked so broken now. He could only be thankful when the uniformed man dragged him away, to a room where his father waited.

He'd never been more thankful for the way the man leapt to his feet and drew the teen into his embrace. Jaune just wished he could continue to hide there.

* * *

"It's like an anklet," Hazel mused as she flicked one finger against the metal ring. Jaune sat on the edge of his mattress, surrounded on all side by his family. The tears and recriminations had run dry, even if they'd been delivered in the first place during a round of frantic hugs.

"It's to make sure I can't leave the city," Jaune sighed as the girls all leaned in closer, inspecting the non-descript silver band that wound its way around his ankle. There didn't seem to be a latch, and even if there was he knew the risks of trying to remove it. Vale wasn't so dramatic as to install some kind of electric or explosive charge… but it would alert Ozpin and every police station in the city.

He could maybe escape them. His family couldn't.

"I'll be honest with you," Hazel stood up with a sigh, one hand held beneath her chin, "It's not really you. Makes you look like a real idiot."

"I was hoping for a little more than fashion advice."

"How about – don't go fighting crazy people in bars?" Jade snorted, "That advice enough for you?" He gave that the finger it so desperately deserved.

"So you're stuck at Beacon," his father massaged his face with one hand, "stuck being a Hunter. Somehow I didn't expect this when I bought tickets to watch a damned concert."

 _I did,_ Jaune felt like pointing out. He knew he should have trusted his paranoia back when it had freaked out at the mention of Vale.

"He's not necessarily stuck being a Hunter," Coral was the first to point out. Her eyes twinkled as she shared a grin with Jaune. He nodded back, knowing the cunning girl had come to the same conclusion he had earlier. "He only has to _attend_ Beacon Academy. Did they even say he had to graduate?"

"They didn't," Jaune said, "and I thought of that too. They want me to attend Beacon to remove all of this and I will… Ozpin also had me sign a form to say I cannot leave Beacon of my own free will or drop out before four years has expired. Of course, there's no penalty if they decide I'm not strong enough to keep going. They're not going to keep around someone who is just going to drag them down."

Juniper groaned, "I can't decide what's worse… the fact that I'm actually hearing you planning to flunk your way out of school – or that I'm actually thinking about supporting it." The contradiction seemed to be causing her an actual headache… especially since she'd been on his case about his failing grades for so long.

"It's the best option he has," Nicholas was quick to add, "As much as I hate the man, Ozpin pulled some serious strings to get this sorted. If those officers had gotten a statement out of you then this wouldn't have even been possible. That was why I wasn't allowed to enter and offer you any advice." Jaune hummed at that. His father had explained as much on the way back to their hotel, particularly how he'd needed to sit back and let Ozpin handle this because just about anything he or Jaune said might have made the story he was trying to weave come apart.

"So big brother is going to stay at Beacon, get expelled then come home?" Amber grinned when they all nodded, before turning to Juniper. "Mum, can I-?"

"No, you can't get expelled to avoid maths class."

"Double standards!" the small girl howled, though just about everyone ignored her.

"We've got less than five days before Beacon starts," Nicholas sighed, "I've already booked an extension on the hotel until then. We're all going to make the most of this time before we have to leave, am I understood?"

No one argued. No one looked like they wanted to. For many of them this would be the first time someone other than their father himself had been on an extended absence from the Arc family home. He wasn't looking forward to leaving his sisters… and from the expressions on their faces the feeling was very much mutual.

"You'll call every day, right?" Lavender's teeth teased her lower lip.

"Every day," Jaune nodded. "I'll only be a scroll call away from any of you. Hell, call me in class if you want – it'll only help me out."

"Not when they are in class," Sapphire interrupted, sparing a quick glare towards Hazel and Jade, the two most likely to skip their own classes to help him cause mischief. "The two of you are in enough trouble as it with your last report cards." The two sisters shared dirty looks, rolling their eyes and muttering things about having two mums. Sapphire ignored it all to turn back to Jaune, "Try to make sure whatever stupid ideas you have aren't dangerous to yourself. We all know what you're like."

"We'll get through this together," Nicholas said for all of them, wrapping one arm around his wife and the other around Sapphire's shoulders. She extended her arm in the same manner, and before long the ten of them were huddled together, all in one big hug.

Jaune swore right then and there that he wouldn't let Beacon get in the way of this… the entire repeat was about his family, about connecting with them. And in that regard it had already been the most incredible success.

Nothing could be allowed to change that.

* * *

"This really isn't a good idea," Jaune sighed as the three of them looked at the bustling Vale terminal, one of the main entry and exit points of the city. Hazel and Jade stood on either side; one watching crowds come and go, the other keeping an eye out for any security. Neither of them was very inconspicuous about it.

"Live a little," Jade sighed as she fingered the thick black glasses she was wearing. That should have been the first sign on what was already a rainy day in Vale. Sadly it wasn't… the girl had also come out in one of their father's raincoats, which was a good foot too long and dragged along the floor behind her. If that wasn't bad enough then the fact that Hazel kept looking left and right suspiciously, jotting things down on a notepad, probably was.

He'd already seen a few officers pay acute attention to them, and there were two he could make out in a nearby café who had stopped to watch them under the pretence of having a drink. He'd learned how to notice these kinds of things from Blake, that and necessity. The jury was still out on who was the crueller teacher… the faunus could be vicious when she was in a bad mood. Sadly Hazel and Jade had learned _their_ skills through watching b-rated movies and programs on the television.

"We're clear," Hazel reported.

 _We're not,_ Jaune wanted to say, but kept silent. He'd promised the day to the two of them and if this was how they wanted to spend it then he wouldn't argue. That they chose to spend what might be their last real day out together trying to help him find a way to escape… how could he think bad of that?

"Okay remember Jaune, you don't have a ticket so if anything goes wrong there's nothing wrong. Just say you needed the loo and knew there'd be one here. They can't accuse you of trying to run away if you haven't even booked a flight." Jade had been the one to come up with the plan, as she often did. Hazel was more of a hands-on kind of girl, rushing in without the slightest plan if something offended her. Didn't matter if it was a child bullying another or ten bigger guys hurting a wounded animal, she would be among them in a second, fists flying.

She made the perfect complement to Jade, who while just as acerbic and bitchy as Hazel, was a lot more sly about it. The two argued like nothing else, always at one another's throats – yet they were still two parts of a troublemaking team. It had to be some weird kind of symbiosis… both of them instinctively finding some evolutionary advantage in working together despite the frequent fireworks.

"You've only told me ten times now," he sighed as he stepped out of their hold, looking once towards the gated terminal and then down to his left foot. The tag couldn't be seen beneath his clothing, but he could still feel the cool metal against his skin. As much as he knew this wouldn't work – and he knew full well it was doomed for failure – they were right that it would be a good idea to know what the exact limits and boundaries of it were.

"Well now we've made it eleven," Hazel hissed, "Maybe this time you'll stick to it instead of getting drunk or throwing away your freedom for the benefit of a pretty face and some tits."

"I said I didn't accept his offer just to try and sleep with her – I'm not _that_ insane." He only had his reputation to blame for that one… once Juniper had managed to wheedle information out from Nicholas on what the girl had looked like. The moment they heard how good-looking Yang was, they had all looked at Jaune with suspicion.

"Less talk, more action," Jade shooed him away like a mouse. "We'll hold the perimeter."

 _Against what, random passers-by?_ He didn't bother to argue, sticking his hands into his pockets as he faded into the crowds entering the terminal. A bored expression slipped onto his features as he slipped from the view of anyone watching, training kicking in as he aimed to be as nondescript as possible. He'd always been better at that than any of his friends at Beacon… Yang liked to say it was because of how average and unassuming he looked.

He didn't have the heart to point out it was probably because of how ridiculously they all dressed. They could call his jeans and hoodie combo simple if they wanted, but it screamed attention a lot less than the bizarre colour-coded outfits they all wore.

That didn't seem to be enough for the device however, which started to let out a low beeping sound as he approached the gates. A few people looked around for the origin of the noise, likely mistaking it for a scroll. Blue eyes narrowed however as he saw the electric sensors on each set of pedestrian gates leading into the terminal. The repetitive noise started to get louder as he came closer.

He didn't push it any further. "It's a no-go," he said instead as he returned to the other two, "If I'd gotten any closer I think it would have set off a full alarm."

"Tch," Jade looked away, "That's the terminal and both train stations. They've really put a lot of thought into this… you sure you didn't do anything a little more than just cause some damage?"

"It's not just me… they likely use the same tags for all people who need to be kept in the city. If this has had to be used on dangerous people before then they've probably gotten pretty good at it." He'd have asked why the Headmaster felt the need to impose such on him, if it wasn't so patently obvious. Whether Ozpin had noticed it or not… he was absolutely correct to assume Jaune would have fled at the first opportunity.

"Horse shit," Hazel spat onto the pavement, ignoring the dirty looks of a few people who walked by. "This is ridiculous, what do they want with you anyway?"

"Probably wants to see what else Jaune can do," Jade shrugged, "Why else bring up that he killed a Beowolf at the concert? That man wants you," she let out a small grin, "though I should hope not in the way older people in Ansel do."

"I'll keep my back to the wall when he's around."

"This isn't a joking matter!" Jade and he turned to Hazel, who had thrown one arm wide as she growled at them. "I don't know how you're both so fucking calm about this. Jaune is going to have to stay in Vale when we leave. He's going to be risking his life!"

Jade sighed, "Yeah, but… there's nothing we can do about that right now. We just spent the last four hours checking all the ways out of the city."

"Besides," Jaune chose to interrupt before it could turn into yet another argument, "You know I'm just going to force my own expulsion. There's nothing to worry about."

"And what if you can't?" Jaune didn't answer. If he couldn't, then he would die… and it still wouldn't be anything to worry about. "I just don't get how you can be so calm about this!"

And she never would, he realised. He still had no idea what happened to the world after he died. Did it reset with him, simply ceasing to be? That would be the best option… but there had always been a far crueller one that threatened to haunt him, always niggling in the back of his mind. What if the world continued? What if his friends, his family and those he loved all had to continue struggling to survive in those ruined worlds? When he died in this one – however that death came about… what would Hazel feel?

The bigger question was; what could he do about it? He could try to change the future… he'd been doing that for god knows how many lifetimes. It was what he was trying to do now.

Jaune sighed, "Come here," his arms wrapped around her before she could recognise what was going on. Though the moment she did he had to wince, holding tighter as she turned into a Beowolf in his arms.

"Let go of me, what the fuck – this looks weird as shit. Stop it!" He ignored the ranting and raving, sighing as she tried to stamp on his foot and pry his hands apart at the same time. From over his sister's head he could see Jade rolling her eyes, though the twin had taken the chance to snatch out her scroll and record it.

"Can you stop fighting," Jaune sighed at the girl in his arms, "I'm trying to have a moment."

"The fuck we are!"

"I'm going to do my best to be safe, Hazel," he chose to ignore her protests, rocking back and forth as she continued to try and kill him. "I'll avoid trouble, flunk as much as I can… even if I need to defend myself, you know I'll be able to. I promise I won't stop trying to get free and come back to you all."

If he'd expected his words to calm her, then he would have been disappointed, the girl finally breaking free of his hold once he let her. She recoiled back to straighten her hair and clothing, glaring at him with a look that promised murder.

"Don't pull that kind of shit," she growled, "makes you look like a total weirdo. I'm not one of your harem girls."

"That," Jade interjected as she pocketed her scroll, "would be Coral." He grinned through the teasing, the dirty looks too. Even as the two girls grabbed him by each arm and started to drag him away.

He didn't miss Hazel's muttered words, "You better fucking keep your promise."

* * *

Sable and Sapphire chose to make it a group outing the next day, the three of them wandering aimlessly across Vale with nothing more than the intent to get lost and enjoy the pleasant weather. Even though he wanted nothing more than to sleep in, he still agreed to come along. Sleep could wait… as much as it pained him to admit that… his family could not.

"Make sure you eat properly while you're there," Sable lectured as the three of them sat in a small diner. Jaune sighed but nodded, knowing better than to not respond to her words. "We're not going to be there to cook meals for you, but that's no excuse to eat nothing but chicken nuggets every day."

"I think of all the things that might do me in, scurvy is not going to be one of them." He meant it as a joke, but the vicious kick Sable gave him beneath the table said otherwise. Of course, thanks to his aura she was the one wincing – but the fierce glare she gave him was threat enough.

"Nothing is going to _do you in_ ," the girl accompanied the words with finger-assisted air quotes. "You are going to look after yourself and talk to us every day, or we'll come down there and unleash hell."

"And do what?" he asked, "nag me to death?"

"When you were young we used to dress you up. I still have pictures of those times," Sapphire chose to step in, leaning forward to balance her chin on one hand. She waited for his response, which was nothing more than a raised brow. "Not always in men's clothing."

"You didn't…"

"Oh, I remember that," Sable's bright blue eyes lit up as she clasped her hands together. "Oh Jaune, you used to look like such a little princess."

"You mean prince, right?" If his tone sounded a little desperate, he didn't care. Sapphire's smile only grew wider, confirming his fears. If anyone at Beacon got hold of them… if _Yang_ got hold of them. Well, if Yang got hold of them that was as good as everyone getting hold of them. There was no better person to see about distributing potentially emasculating material.

"Alright, fine – It's not like I'd be doing anything silly anyway," he sighed as he pushed some carrots around his plate. "Well, other than the whole purposefully failing every class and trying to get expelled thing." Perfectly acceptable in his circumstances, but probably considered more than a little foolish for anyone else entering one of the most prestigious schools in the Kingdom. People had died trying to get into Beacon.

"I'll collect any homework while you're away," Sapphire said, narrowing her eyes as he looked at her aghast. "If you're not going to actually be working to become a Hunter, then that means you'll still need an education when you get away from Beacon. We'll have much to cover when you get home."

 _Oh come on…_

"Yes, Sapphire…" he couldn't argue with her. None of them could. Oh, Hazel might try – Jade too on occasions. But no matter how visceral the argument or how big the treats to run away got, whatever chore they had been assigned always got done in the end. Besides, there was always the threat that if you got too loud, mum might get involved to settle any fights. That was not a fate any of them wanted.

"Will you be okay without us, Jaune?" Sable's voice became serious as she leaned across the table, to his horror picking up a napkin and dabbing some ketchup from his lips. There were more than a few people nearby who watched in morbid curiosity. With a cough he snatched the napkin, wiping across his lips and chin in a single stroke.

"I'll be fine. Question is, will you girls all be okay without me to look after things?" This was the first time they would be without him for any longer than a weekend after all, it couldn't have been easy on them. Sapphire and Sable shared a look, the two staring into one another's' eyes for a moment.

Sable was the first to turn back, "We'll have a much cleaner house."

"There won't be as many clothes to wash," Sapphire chipped in.

"Less food to carry home from the shops."

"Hey, we might actually be _allowed_ back into some of those shops…"

"Oh wow, you're right – that'll mean less grown men glaring at us all when Jaune's nearby too."

"And less middle-aged women to turn away when they come knocking."

Jaune's head impacted the table, rising and falling in quick succession as he tried to find the blessed realm of unconsciousness. He was stopped on the fourth attempt by Sapphire's hand getting in the way, lifting his head up as the smiled at him.

"We _will_ miss you doofus," Sable cooed, "It'll be hard, but as long as you keep in contact then we'll get by."

"I'll continue to train as well," Sapphire added. "So you don't have to worry about what will happen to anyone. I'll get strong enough to keep everyone safe if I have to. I won't leave anyone behind again."

 _You didn't last time,_ he wanted to argue, but knew better. Instead he grasped each of their hands in his, giving a quick squeeze before letting go. Sapphire had seen right through him as usual, knowing that he was worried about their safety. Hopefully she wouldn't ever need to fight once he was gone. But hope wasn't always enough… it was good to know there would be someone there who could.

"Do you think you will be able to cope in Beacon though," Sapphire asked. "Even if you're trying to get expelled there's still going to be a period of time where you need to hold your own. You haven't had much training from our father… even if you are stronger than me."

"You're worried I'll get bullied?" He couldn't keep the amused tone from his voice, their glares only making it harder.

"You don't exactly fit in well with people. I can count the number of friends you have in school on one hand. No, I can count them without hands – there aren't any." Beside the older girl, Sable made a soft sizzling noise.

"I can make friends," god, he wasn't _Ruby_ , "it's just that the children in Ansel are such kids. They're not as mature as you lot, I just can't connect with them."

"And you think the students at Beacon will be any better?" Sapphire sounded uncertain but he knew the truth. They would be better; they were older – more aware of the world. Not all of them obviously, there were childish ones or bad eggs wherever you went. Weiss would be one of the worst for the first week or so before becoming a better person so fast you'd think it insane. Ruby, too, would go from childish to mature at a rapid rate. Then there was Pyrrha, Ren, No-… well Pyrrha and Ren, who had always been too serious for their own good.

"I think they'll be easier to get on with then those back home," he said instead.

"You think you'll make friends with them?"

"I'm sure there will be some I can get on with, yeah."

Sapphire's blue eyes narrowed, "And what happens then… would you be willing to get expelled if it meant having to leave them behind?"

Now he understood… her reasons for asking, the line of questioning. It made sense from a theoretical point of view – especially for what she thought she knew of him, that he was a lonely teen who hadn't ever had much success with friendship in any way.

"Are you afraid I'll come to love them more than I will you?" She leaned back as he spoke, "That away from the family I'll somehow decide I want to stay?"

"No," she said. "I'm worried you won't be willing to make friendships at all, because you're so committed to what you've promised us. I'm afraid you'll give up on your own happiness just to stick to this plan you think you have to use." His hands tightened on the table's edge, but she had no mercy for him. The final words were delivered like a hammer's blow, "I'm worried you love us more than you love yourself."

Did he…? Was that such a bad thing? He was eternal. They… were not. Was it really so wrong to consider them more valuable than he could ever be? Jaune didn't think so.

Sable leaned across to place a hand on his arm. No doubt she could feel him shivering, "I agree with Sapphire too, Jaune. As much as I want you to come back – and there's that little selfish part of me that doesn't want you to ever leave… I also don't want you to throw away a chance for happiness just because of us. We all have to move on sooner or later… we're not all going to live together with our parents forever."

"Just… think about it," Sapphire smiled, in that moment looking more like their mother than she ever had before. That compromising expression, the way her eyes crinkled as she asked you to make up your own mind – to do what _you_ felt was right, not what she decided. "You might decide you hate all of it and it becomes a moot point. I just don't want you to go in prejudiced is all."

"I promise I won't make a decision without having thought about it."

The two blondes perked at his words, tension seeming to sweep away from the table as the conversation drifted to more casual things. Jaune too relaxed, smiling as he enjoyed what might be the last chances he had to spend with them.

He didn't bother to say however… that he'd already thought about it all.

It didn't matter what happened. He would be coming home.

* * *

"The others are all pretty worried," the blonde girl pulled a book out from the shelf, reading over the back with a critical eye before pushing it back in. Jaune watched from nearby, knowing from experience that waiting for Coral to select a book she wanted to purchase could be an arduous affair. The grizzled form of Tukson stood in the distance, though he'd long since given up on waiting patiently for them, and was now doing some paperwork of his own. Jaune half expected something crazy to happen considering where he was, but now that he'd been trapped it looked like Fate had stopped throwing things at him.

"Just the others?" he asked, head leaning against the spines of countless books.

"Oh, I worry as well," her sharp green eyes took on a teasing edge through her glasses, "But if you expect me to wait for you then you're mistaken. A young maiden's heart is fickle after all."

"Careful, you'll bring me to tears." She hummed a small laugh in response to his comment, a strange habit of hers he'd never truly come to understand. "What was wrong with the last book… or the last hundred?"

"A poor synopsis," Coral sighed, finger drifting down one more as she pushed the book back into the case by its spine.

"The story inside might be good."

"If a writer cannot take the time to make the summary engaging then they don't deserve for me to read the contents."

"Isn't that a little pretentious for an amateur writer with no book deals to her name?" She glared at him for that, lower lip sticking out in an uncharacteristic pout. He chalked a single point for him, on what was likely a tally of thousands for her.

"Looks like I'm falling out of love with you every time you open your mouth," the short girl sighed, flipping some locks of blonde hair back over one shoulder. "It's probably for the best… mother always warned me about men like you."

"We share the same mother," Jaune sighed. Coral grinned back.

"Maybe she was specifically warning me about you then."

"You'd think she would be thrilled," he rolled his eyes, "She's always been obsessed with grandchildren."

"Yes, but I don't think she expected them to come from seventeen different mothers, each of which might be scattered anywhere across Remnant. Or that those closer to home would be to women similar in age to herself."

"Well, you can't have everything." Coral laughed, pulling out another book before grimacing at the cover on the image and putting it back. In the distance behind her he could see Tukson let out a long sigh. If this continued they would literally be here when Mercury and Emerald came to kill him… and that was probably months away. "You dodged my question though; you're a lot calmer than the others about me going to Beacon. I'm curious to know why."

"You know, when a lady avoids a question you're not supposed to ask why."

"I'll keep that in mind next time I come across one."

" _So_ falling out of love right now," she sighed. "I am worried in my own little way. I don't suppose you remember when you were little, do you?"

"Not really." She probably meant it as to did he remember his time as a child. But in truth he couldn't remember anything of his life before this whole repeating ever started. When he'd first arrived he had even struggled to remember their names.

"Sapphire had a hand in raising most of us, at least helping mum anyway, but she was going through her school exams when you started to walk around and need watching." Coral smiled as she recalled it, shaking her head gently. "It was left to me and Sable to look after you when mum was cooking or cleaning, even though we were only young at the time."

"Little wonder I ended up like this then," he joked, "I must have gotten it from you."

"I doubt it… since I hated you." The words were delivered with the sort of finality used at a funeral. He laughed them off, rubbing his hand on the back of his head, "No comment?" she asked.

"Not really… I was probably an absolute brat."

"You were," she agreed easily. "Always running around underfoot screaming or wailing, wanting to be the centre of attention. You kept trying to imitate us too, which was endearing to the others but a pain in the ass to me." Coral sighed, "But the worst thing… what really made me hate you… was how much you took Sable away from me. Like I said Sapphire was the surrogate mum to most of us, but with you it was Sable and she just absolutely idolised you. You spent more time in her lap than you did a baby-chair, and even when we were like ten it was her who would read you stories at night and tuck you in."

"You were jealous." She didn't answer but gave a small nod and a shrug, like she was neither upset nor proud of it… like it was just a statement of fact. "I suppose it makes sense. You were young and she was _your_ twin. You seemed to grow out of it though, it's not like I can hold a grudge for something I don't remember or even really care about."

"You grew on me, I suppose. We were never really close but I got used to putting up with your presence if only for her sake. I got used to you like… like my period. You hate it but it happens, get used to it."

"Okay… I'm more offended at the choice of metaphor than anything else." He couldn't say he'd ever been compared to the red flow before. Nor did he want to think about that and one of his sisters. Coral grinned at his discomfort, clearly enjoying his grimaces. "Apart from this mysterious confession though, I'm not sure what this has to do with anything."

"A good story requires a structured introduction," she rolled her eyes and looked towards the ceiling, as though seeking divine aid with her foolish brother. "The point is that I never really worried about you before, you weren't exactly in danger of anything worse than bumping into furniture. Do you remember the Beowolf attack?" She cringed as she said it, clearly not liking to remember it any more than he did. "That was the first time I ever worried about you."

"You held me in your lap…" he recalled with a grimace, "I remember you put your hands over my eyes and started humming a song into my ears." He hadn't thought on it at the time, mainly because he was trying to decide what he was supposed to do.

But Coral had been certain they were going to die… her actions those of someone who just wanted to ensure the other person didn't have to see or hear their death approaching. It was… he wasn't sure what it was. A kind move, perhaps… but also very sad and bitter at the same time.

"Eh," for the first time he could remember her cheeks flushed red. "Mum used to do that to me when I was younger and afraid. That wasn't what I meant though. The point is, that was the first time I was ever worried about you – and then you just went and killed it, just like that." The blush faded as quickly as it had arrived, the girl shrugging as she grinned at him. "So I thought to myself, my little brother can probably look after himself well enough without me worrying about him. All it's going to do is make you try and look for some way to stop me worrying, so why not save us both the time and just have fun?"

"That's... a weird way of looking at things, to be honest." It made sense to him… more than the words of anyone else did – and maybe that was the problem. Jaune knew he struggled to deal with people well, mainly because he felt so much older than them, so much colder and more used to a life or death way of living.

"Sable calls it my brutal pragmatism," Coral shrugged. "Mum and dad used to think I was broken or a little strange," she knocked her fist against the side of her head to point out what she meant. Maybe there was something wrong with her… he knew there was with him.

Did that matter though?

"You're a really annoying sister," he shook his head, ignoring her giggling. "But I suppose I have to put up with you."

"Just like how I had to put up with you," she nodded. "Anyway that's all in the past. You're easier to be around now. You've got this… strange charm, like an older man. You always talk and look at people like you've got this secret joke inside that amuses only you. I think that's what all the older women like about you. Young looks, young body, mysterious older personality."

"Should I be worried for my virtue around you now?"

"You're not _that_ charming," she wound a lock of hair around one finger. "But if you ask _really_ nicely, I might consider giving you a kiss. Maybe I'll even use tongue."

She was joking… he thought? Surely… in fact he was 99% certain she was, except that the little smile she wore said he didn't want to push her. She was the kind of crazy to do it just to prove him wrong. In the end, despite all his years, it was he who looked away first… flushing like a little child as his sister's green eyes danced with laughter.

"A shame… I would have preferred my man to be more confident. I suppose as a consolation prize I'll give you a gift." She reached behind her back and brought back what looked to be a small leather-bound diary, with a pen attached. It was with some trepidation that he opened it, half afraid of what traumatic exhibitionist smut he would find on the pages.

They were blank. With a raised brow he looked up at her.

"It's so you can record all your sexual conquests in Beacon," the older girl explained with a cunning grin, "I want to be able to pick your brain for ideas for my next book."

"You know… the idea of a gift is that it's something to the benefit of the receiver." Jaune deadpanned.

"Hmm? I never said it was a gift _for_ you, only that I'd give you _a_ gift. It's a little arrogant to assume the world revolves around you, Jaune."

God damn it Coral…

* * *

"A-Amber, slow down!" Lavender gasped as she jogged after the smaller girl, trying to follow her through the aisles of the store. The younger girl had shot off the moment she arrived, desperate to look at the video games that were on offer – especially since Jaune had offered to buy her two. It was to be his own apology for not coming home with her… even if she realised the necessity of it.

Poor substitute for her brother… he knew she felt that. But at the same time she was old enough to know better than to complain about it.

"You don't need to chase her around so much," Jaune placed his hands on his younger sister's shoulders, even if she wasn't even a full year below him. Lavender's body was shaking from the effort, curly hair coming a little loose as she gasped for breath. "We know exactly where she's going to be… not like she'll leave without those games I promised her."

His sister nodded with a sigh, leaning back heavily into him as she struggled to catch her breath. There was nothing he could do other than stand by her, letting the girl rest on him… all the while he watched on in worry.

Lavender was a weak child. Had been ever since her birth, which as far as he knew had been the only truly complicated one Juniper ever had. Too early, too weak, not breathing… she was the miracle child if only because against all odds the doctors had been able to save her. Though that wasn't without complications. Her body was weaker, she had blood conditions, she ran out of breath so easily.

"You don't have to look at me like that," she sighed.

"Sorry." It was instinct every time, as well as a profound sadness – yet he knew she hated it, hated that sympathy and pity. He had tried to pretend for her benefit so many times, but every time she gasped, whenever she looked in pain… he couldn't help but run to her.

None of them could.

"You can't help it," she sighed, referring more to his reaction than her condition. She always acted like she didn't care… and in a strange way, maybe she didn't. It felt like she had come to accept it so long ago, even if none of them were quite ready to. "I saw you glaring at that man the other day, you know… you can't scare off every person who shows an interest in me. I'm not a porcelain doll."

"Lav – he was _so_ old though! You can't tell me you were actually interested in that slimy bastard, he looked ten years older than you – not to mention how overweight he was."

"I don't mean him specifically," the girl poked his chest with a stern pout. "I just meant it as an example of how you act. Stop treating me so differently from everyone else. I'm an Arc as well."

"You're my _sister_ ," he pulled her closer into his embrace, "that matters more than a name. Besides, you know I'd be just this protective if it were Amber in your place."

Lavender chuckled, the sound light and airy as she extricated herself from his arms. Chest now rising and falling at a normal rate, even as her pale face turned to him. Her hand came out to touch his cheek as she often did, always the touchy one. She smiled at him.

"Yes… but you wouldn't always look at her with such a tragic expression." And with those words she walked away, off to find Amber and be big sister to the energetic girl. Jaune stood behind, cheek still cold from the absence of her hand.

His feet took him in a direction away from his sisters. It wasn't like they needed him for shopping, and as he currently was, he didn't want either of them to see him. The day with the two of them had been a joy up to this point… it must have been the realisation that Beacon was less than a day away that finally ate away at him – that finality which scared him more than anything else. It had made him clingy, frightened…

 _There's no reason to be frightened_ , he chided within his own mind, _you have a solution to this all, and a plan to get there._ Beacon wasn't going to be permanent – this was still his holiday, his chance to de-stress and spend time with his family. The ultimate goal of surviving even longer by doing this was still in effect… so that the next time he might have six or seven years, enough to rescue everyone.

He shouldn't have been worried; he should have felt excited – amazed that after so long of drudging failure, there was finally some hope on the horizon. _No hope – you can't afford to hope!_ The blond shook his head, dispelling those doubts with an angry growl.

Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets and headed back to where Amber and Lavender were no doubt still browsing games, idly noting how empty the aisles were so late in the evening. It was while he rounded one of the pillars in the store that he saw them.

And that his eyes narrowed. "There a problem here?" he asked of the suited man who currently had Lavender's wrist in one hand. Her face was defiant but there was a tinge of fear in her eyes that already had his blood boiling. Amber was nearby, clinging onto the back of Lavender's tartan skirt, as though trying to pull her away. He had to fight the instinct to just unleash his rage on this random man. It was only her earlier words that stopped him… there could a hundred reasons for this situation. He couldn't just react with assumptions to every one of them.

"Store's closing," the man grunted, eyes hidden behind red visors. "If they won't leave when I tell them to then I'll throw them out."

"The sign said the store was going to be open for another three hours."

The man spat to the side, making Lavender cringe, "Yeah well, situations changed. You don't want to make a scene of it." Jaune's eyes slipped to the side, noticing a few other men in similar outfits slowly starting to fill the store. Eight, no maybe ten of them – there could even be more.

He knew exactly what was going on…

But that didn't mean he felt any need to get involved, "Thanks for letting us know, we'll leave now – come on girls." They were scared, of course they were… but it was far better to co-operate, especially if they just wanted to scare them away from the scene of whatever crime this was.

At least this way they would be able to avoid –

A window smashed - a pained scream and the sound of frenzied shouting. In an instant the building went from tense and nervous to a cauldron of chaotic action. The man before them cursed, turning away as he reached into his black blazer. Jaune only saw the handle of a gun. That was enough.

The man looked back as Jaune grabbed him by the wrist, twisting cruelly to force the goon to release his sister. The gun came free, about to be drawn from within his jacket but for Jaune's arm slamming into the back of the man's forearm, locking it in place. His other came round to grab that same wrist, twisting the arm down and around so that the body followed. The gun clattered to the floor harmlessly. Just to be safe, Jaune twisted, pushing the elbow against his calf until it snapped like dry wood. Lavender winced, hugging onto Amber from behind in a vain effort to protect the little girl from what she was seeing.

"You okay?" Jaune asked as he let the man fall to the floor, already passed out from the pain. He didn't miss the bruise on Lavender's pale wrist, but far worse was the look of surprise and fear in her eyes… as she looked at him.

"Y-Yes… I… I'm fine."

"We need to get out of here," he grabbed her by the hand, making sure to be as gentle as he could as he ducked and led the girl through some of the aisles. There were gunshots and cries from the rest of the store, but so long as they remained low and hidden, they should be safe.

Would have been… were it not for a body crashing through a stand of confectionary, not only spraying them with sticky candy but also destroying the cover that kept them hidden. Eyes looked towards them, guns strayed for a brief moment… before a red blur intercepted.

"Nope!" the small girl cried as she barrelled into one of the men, monstrous weapon lashing out to smack the gun away from one, while no doubt shattering the wrist of another. "You ought to worry more about me!"

 _Damn it Ruby…_ he growled as the downed man before them started to rise with a groan. His glasses were shattered and there were gummy bears stuck all over his skin, but that only seemed to have made the crook angrier. His hand gripped the baton beneath him as he staggered to his feet to glare towards Jaune.

Yeah, sure… you get your ass handed to you by a little girl so you instantly turn on what you think was an easier target. That sounded fair. "Back up," he hissed to the two girls as he pushed them back a little. Ruby, as much as her appearance was a pain, would at least make sure no one took pot-shots at innocents. And with her semblance would be much better at stopping that then he.

"Rargh!" the man before him screamed as he lashed out in a wide swing with the black baton. Jaune winced as he caught it on the side of his arm, blocking the strike even as pain lanced through his limb. Without aura, it would certainly have broken, but as it was his arm might as well have been a baton of its own – albeit that this one still felt pain. The crook looked baffled, completely unused to dealing with anyone who didn't have a weapon of their own – let alone one who fought back like this.

"I," Jaune growled as he pushed into the man's guard and stamped one foot down atop the man's knee, "am not-" the suited man howled as the bone shifted, leg failing as he slipped down onto one knee, "in the mood!" Jaune finished, spinning on one foot to slam his heel directly into the man's face. Spittle and blood flew as his head snapped back, knocking him to the floor in an explosion of gum drops and chocolate bars.

"What is this?" a familiar voice sighed, "I didn't realise we were robbing a day care… isn't it past your bedtime kid?"

Blue eyes strayed over to the flamboyant criminal, who sauntered towards them with his cane swinging on one hand. Despite the mayhem, the fighting and what must have been a ruined evening – the master thief still looked incredibly smug. Jaune noted that Ruby was still fighting in the background… which meant that Roman didn't yet feel any need to flee.

"We're just trying to leave," Jaune attempted, making sure to step between the two girls and the taller male. "How about we just get out of your way?" Roman was a career thief – a professional. There was no need for fighting or wasted movement from his point of view… surely he would take the deal.

"Sounds good to me, how about we leave together – just to make sure no unpleasantness happens? I'll even escort one of those lovely ladies for you." Jaune's frown deepened… a hostage – that was what he was saying. He wanted some form of collateral to ensure neither Ruby nor the authorities tried anything.

"You don't want to do this," Jaune lowered himself into a fighting stance, one foot forward as he prepared himself. There was no way he was going to let Lavender or Amber be relegated to that… not when he had no idea whether Roman would even return them in one piece. He might… Cinder or her cronies would kill them for the sake of it.

"You're right kid," Roman bit down on his cigar, "I _don't_ – but needs must as they say!" The cane lanced out, aiming to strike the side of his temple and remove him from the fight in a single move. On anyone else it might have worked, such was the sheer surprise of it.

Jaune wasn't easily surprised however. Melodic Cudgel sailed above his head, displacing blonde hair but little else as he dashed forward. Blue eyes met green as he broke into the older man's guard, trying to deliver a devastating blow the underside of his chin. Enough to rattle him – maybe even knock him unconscious. Aura protected the skin and bone, but it couldn't stop physics working its magic – the internal organs still moved about when struck, which meant striking the head was always a good way to have the brain deal with itself.

"Not bad," the criminal teased however as he swayed aside, dodging the blow with consummate ease, before driving an elbow into Jaune's breastbone. He winced but took the strike, trying to knock aside the arm that was returning with the cane, to disarm the man.

To his shock, Roman let it go, tossing the cane up above him. He paid for watching it, cursing himself for the mistake even before a fist buried itself in his stomach. His own counter-attack was blocked, a knee coming up to deflect his attempt at striking Roman's groin, even as another strike caught Jaune on the cheek. With a laugh Roman caught the descending cane by the middle, hooking the crook behind Jaune's neck and using it as a lever to throw him down to the floor.

The blond coughed and spat blood as he pulled himself from the ruined display stand he had been smashed into. A can of beans conked loudly as it bounced off his golden mane. Roman cocked a grin, twirling his cane with a self-satisfied smile. There was not a hint of concern in that gaze…

And Jaune realised there needn't be.

He'd made a mistake… thinking he was as strong as he usually was come this time, after maybe a year or more extensive training – also armed to the teeth with whatever he could get hold of. Roman was a small-time crook… skilled, cunning and sneaky, but ultimately never as strong as Cinder, her lieutenants or Adam.

But then, neither was Jaune right now. He had experience, both in his own style and Roman's… but that meant little considering how Roman had decades of combat experience on him this life. He was faster, stronger and better armed. That wasn't a good trade no matter how he looked at it.

 _I don't need to win though,_ Jaune thought as his eyes strayed over to the other melee going on. _Roman's nothing to do with me, none of this is… I just need to hang on until Ruby finishes up._ Or more realistically, until Glynda and the authorities arrived… Ruby would be just as unable to beat Roman as he was, but if he remembered the stories she'd told him of this event then that would be about the time the cavalry arrived.

Roman must have assumed he'd given up. For the criminal turned with a grin back to his sisters, who huddled together once they realised what was happening. Lavender pushed herself in front of Amber, clearly intending to be the hostage in the situation. Torchwick reached out towards them, only to curse as he was tackled to the side, Jaune's shoulder slamming into his waist as the two were dragged through two display stands filled with sunglasses. Metal and glass shattered around and beneath them as he tried to clamber atop the older man, only to cry out as a finger gouged at his eye.

Roman subscribed to the same school of thought Jaune sometimes did with fighting… some considered it an art, others used forms and techniques. To Roman, fighting was about causing as much pain to the other person as humanly possible, so they would _stop_ fighting back. Jaune tried the same, grabbing the man's orange hair in both hands as he worked to slam his skull back down onto the ground. The bowler hat rolled free as the renowned criminal growled and kicked Jaune off, sending him back a few feet as he clambered up – snatching the hat with one hand and spending a good two seconds righting it on his head.

"Oi!" a high-pitched voice cried as a sniper rifle round struck the tiles between them, "Why don't you come pick on someone your own size!?"

Roman groaned, "Oh for the love of… truly, you lot were worth every lien."

"You okay?" Ruby asked as she dashed over to them, rose petals floating in the air behind her. Beside his sisters, he noticed she was only as tall as Amber, though she looked far more confident than the younger girl. Ironic that such was only in combat… Amber was by far the better socialite.

"Well I'd love to stay and babysit you kids," Roman cajoled as he stepped back, pulling Melodic Cudgel up towards them. "But I left the oven on back home. Ta-ta~"

"Down!" Jaune shouted as he grabbed Ruby by the hood, pulling her back to suddenly that the little girl choked as she was ripped from her feet. Luckily Roman had aimed for the two of them as opposed to his sisters, and the red dust round pierced the display behind them, exploding on the other side of it as souvenirs, gummy bears and assorted crap rained down on top of them. As the smoke cleared, Jaune was just able to see Roman leap out a shattered window to make his escape.

"Quick," Ruby cried as she climbed onto her knees, "we need to foll-"

"Down sparky," Jaune sighed this time, repeating the same action and tripping the girl back over. "There's really no point, he's already away." Plus, knowing his luck they'd soon have to-

"What on Remnant happened here!?" Glynda Goodwitch demanded as she strode into the ruined store, pushing aside some unconscious bodies with a flick of her crop. It took her approximately 0.3 seconds to spot them, green eyes narrowing behind her glasses as she levelled one of her dirtiest glares onto them – or was it just him? His reputation proceeded him, it seemed.

"We had a wild sex party," Jaune drawled, ignoring the startled eeps from all three of the girls. "What do you think happened?"

"I _think_ , Mr Arc," the woman said as she levitated Ruby over to her and grabbed hold of her arm, "that you have all gotten involved in something you should not have." A wave of some cool air brushed over him, sticky candy gently untangling itself from his hair and clothes as her semblance brushed them all aside. "You'll be coming with me to sort this all out I think."

"No."

"Pardon?" her voice took on a dangerous edge.

"This is my last night with my family," he pointed back to his two sisters, "and it's already gone to hell. I am _not_ spending my final night here talking with him again. The girl knows enough to give a statement, and you all know where I'll be if you need me." Her eyes flickered down to his ankle, confirming his suspicions in that regard. She looked back up to him for a moment, and he found himself wondering what she would do. If she wanted to take him with her it would be as easy as activating her semblance… he had no counter to it.

He maintained eye-contact however… and after a long moment she let out something between a sigh and a growl. "Very well… while I don't agree with this, I can understand your reasoning. You will be expected to provide a statement at Beacon however."

"Oh wow, you're going to Beacon!?" Ruby Rose crowed happily, well… as happily as she could while also looking a little worried about being yanked around by such a scary woman. Looked like she didn't exactly recognise him from that moment where he'd been arrested with her sister. Though to be fair, she'd probably been more focused on her sibling at the time. "Wait, where are you going? Why am I the only one being taken away – what's going to happen to me?"

"You're going to be arrested, locked in a dark room – then a creepy old guy is going to come and offer you candy to live at his house for the next few years," Jaune sighed. Silver eyes blinked towards him, before sliding over the other woman. When the Deputy of Beacon didn't refute that statement Mount Ruby erupted.

"Argh, help meee!" the girl wailed, flailing with arms and legs to try and escape. Glynda levelled a glare on Jaune as she waved her weapon and levitated the girl, letting her rant and spin in the air as she tried to escape.

"I do not appreciate that, Mr Arc."

"You'll get over it, I'm sure. Come on girls… let's go back to the hotel." The two nodded, eager to follow him and escape before the woman changed her mind. As he closed the shattered shop door behind him, Jaune heard Ruby's final words.

"I don't _want_ to be molested by an old man~"

"This…" Lavender looked for the right words, "Are you _sure_ you'll be okay in Vale? This seems like a really messed up place…"

"You don't even know the half of it…" he sighed. "Sorry I couldn't buy those games for you Amber, I-"

"Hmm?" the small girl looked up to him in question, four video game cases clutched beneath one hand, a long jelly snake dangling from her lips. With a sucking motion she swallowed the sweet hole, digging another out of a bag of candy she had purloined. "Sorry, wasn't listening – what's up?"

Lavender sighed. Jaune could only shake his head.

"I don't know why I'm even surprised…"

* * *

It wasn't until the final night, when they all sat together in the crowded hotel room that Jaune realised how unready he truly was. His mother and father stood by the door, watching the eight of them awkwardly say their goodbyes to one another. Hugs lingered just a little longer than normal, words cut off before they could be fully spoken. If anyone noticed the glistening in more than one set of eyes, then they didn't comment on it.

"I'll call every day," he promised once more. He wasn't sure how many times he'd said it that week, but the words felt necessary at every opportunity. "I'll keep my eyes on the goal too… expect me home before long."

"Try to have some fun as well," Sable warned.

Jaune's expression turned vicious, "Oh don't worry… I will."

"Before that," Nicholas coughed, drawing all attention to him as he stepped forward. "Obviously it goes without saying that none of us want you to go to Beacon… myself least of all. But if this is the way things are going to be, then I think it's worth ensuring you come out in one piece."

His eyes widened as his father drew forth Crocea Mors, holding the sword by the blade, balancing it horizontally between both hands.

"Crocea Mors has been passed down the Arc family for generations… always held by Hunters in the family." Nicholas' face twisted as he spoke, the words clearly a sick joke to him – but he continued nonetheless. "I had hoped that it would no longer need to serve that purpose… and maybe in the future it won't. But for now it can serve to protect you."

Jaune didn't reach out for the blade. Crocea Mors… he had come to forget the feeling of it on his hip, despite the way his hands sometimes moved to touch it when he wasn't paying attention. This would be the first time it had ever been given to him… as opposed to him stealing it. How strange that the one time he didn't want to be a Hunter, was the time his father deemed him truly worthy of holding it.

"There's some ceremony behind the handing over of the blade," Nicholas sighed. "I'm not really one for it since I don't believe in that pretentious tripe. But… I suppose it couldn't hurt." He cleared his throat with a loud cough, eyes going blank, "I, the scion of Arc, do deem thee worthy to continue the glory and honour of the Arc name. As you step out into this world we bestow unto thee a tool which will fell thy enemies. A blade to defend those you care for, a weapon with which to strike down those who would come before you. Take now, Crocea Mors, and remember thy duty."

The moment was ruined as Nicholas tossed him the blade, the younger man stumbling to catch it without causing an accident. Jaune chuckled as he sheathed the blade, resting it by his side. His dad was right… that speech was pretty ridiculous.

"We wanted to get something to help defend you as well," Coral coughed as she stepped forward, imitating their father's pose. She even tried to mimic the ornate and pompous language, though her smirk ruined it a little. "Though I speak now, this is from all of thy beautiful, talented siblings who thou should feel honoured to be associated to. Thy Scion has given thee a blade with which to cut down thy foes – and now we give unto thee a shield by which to protect you from unwanted disaster!"

A shield…? Surely they realised that Crocea Mors' sheathe doubled as that – they'd seen the blade enough times. Coral bowed and held the object out before her, sparking giggles from the other girls and a deep sigh from Juniper and his father.

"It's dangerous to go alone – take these."

"I am truly honoured," Jaune intoned as he reached forward to take the box of condoms from the girl, holding them in his left hand, Crocea Mors in his right. His mother was shaking her head, muttering about having gone wrong somewhere – even as the other girls continued to giggle into their hands.

"You're well equipped it seems," Nicholas smiled.

"I'll be honest," Jaune said as he hefted the two items, first lifting one up, then the other, "one of these… is probably going to see more action than the other."

 _You may think you've won…_ Jaune stared out the window towards the floating academy in the distance. His family closed ranks with laughter and chatter, spending their final night together in celebration. _You may think you're so clever, Fate…_

 _But this war is far from over._

Beacon had better be prepared.

* * *

 **Not much to say, hope you enjoyed it! I know a lot of people called the recruitment, it was kind of obvious – but I hope it surprised you in how it was handled. Except for one plucky reviewer who literally guessed it all, right down to Yang being used as collateral... wow, good job.  
**

 **I also know a few will be disappointed he is going to Beacon. I know some people wanted an entirely original story in which he goes off and does his own thing, but this was planned from start to finish in advance, so I'll be sticking with that. Don't worry though – this won't be a mere repeat of canon. Things will be _very_ mixed up.**

 **Thanks for reading another ridiculously long chapter, please let me know what you thought.**

* * *

 **Beta's Notes:** College Fool

So now that we've got to the point that- spoiler!- Jaune's actually going to Beacon anyway, I can mention one of the cooler things about the brainstorming process- trying to define the mechanics of how Jaune loops.

It might seem an odd question- he dies, he goes back- simple, right? But it wasn't. How far back? Why? What does he keep with him? Coeur knew he wanted Jaune to go back and try different things, but there was no clear goal post of when and where Jaune would go back to. A fixed point too close to Beacon wouldn't allow for training. A fixed point too far back had other problems, such as Jaune spending most of his time each loop outside of Beacon rather than inside it.

The rubber band mechanic came about by confronting a pretty important question- why doesn't Jaune just kill himself to get out of being trapped to Beacon? Coeur and I argued about this, but one of the key things is that Jaune can't be 'trapped'- he can always kill himself, relatively easily, and if the alternative to killing himself is more painful, then killing himself to loop out approaches a good idea.

Coeur made one point that I'm not sure got communicated clearly- if Jaune dies in this loop, he'll go back to the 'canon' timeline rather than back in the context of NTTF. He won't still be in the timeline that he's gotten close to his family in. But that doesn't stop him from running away and being a minstrel without them- which was also an idea.

What the rubber band mechanic does is provide Jaune a goal to work towards (survival and progress), with an incentive for success, while also deter throwing away any given loop. If Jaune went back a fixed amount of time, it wouldn't matter as much. But with a rubber band mechanic, if Jaune shams and kills himself out of convenience, he only goes a short time back- which is inconvenient, since it not only removes him from the loop he'd rather stay in, but hinders his ability to do anything the next loop and that he'd have to live without them. Add to the fact that not even Jaune knows what would happen if he died before the 'zero' point- and call that the real fear of death you saw with the Beowolf- and the worst point for Jaune to die is right at the start.

Which is fine- Jaune's plan of running away to survive for years as a minstrel applies no matter if he's in a loop close to his family or not- but it is inconvenient. Which, aside from emotional appeals that he's already trying to resist in a timeline in which he's aiming to run away and leave his friends to die, is the only real way to make Jaune do anything he doesn't want to do.

Which you shall (eventually) soon see. Mwahahahaha.

 **Author's Addition:** To explain further on CF's example – because it is a good one. Why doesn't Jaune just commit suicide at Beacon and go do it all again? Because it wouldn't be the same… because he does so one day into Beacon, he would go back one day before… to a time where he has already run away from them, where all these bonds he forged are broken. That's why he doesn't just off himself.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 27th May**

 **. com (slash) Coeur**

* * *

Because it was requested…

 **The Arc Family Timeline**

All ages here are based on what age they are when Jaune is seventeen and going to Beacon.

Nicholas – 44

Juniper - 42

Sapphire - 25

Coral & Sable (twins) - 21

Jade & Hazel (twins again) - 20

Jaune - 17

Lavender – 17 (only eight months younger than Jaune, born by C-section prematurely)

Amber – 13 (and a half!)

So it's quite the range of ages as you can see… and as some have pondered in reviews, there are reasons to be noticed in why. Obviously there is a big gap between Sapphire and any others, but also a big gap between Lavender and Amber. It likely doesn't take a genius to figure out that the latter is likely from complications that occurred with Lavender, and a fear of trying again.

There are whole stories hidden in a history, many of which aren't told in a single tale. Even when coming up with these ages I had this head canon on how it had all worked, how they met, how they loved and lived.

And yes, against all odds, it's compliant with things he mentioned in One Good Turn.


	7. Chapter 7

**One thing to note here, I usually don't like pointing things out, as to the majority of readers it was obvious, but some didn't seem to get. Jaune wasn't "tricked" into attending Beacon, nor did he care about the jail time for himself… he as good as** _ **said**_ **that in the chapter. The reason he accepted was all for Yang. The exact same reason as when he went back to save his mother from the Beowolf, despite that also being unnecessary. As she would die anyway when the repeat ends, he still did it because he cares for her. The same happened here…**

 **One or two people seemed really worked up over it while a few others were just genuinely confused. They seemed to think Jaune was going full idiot mode, somehow forgetting that he can die and repeat. That's not the case. It's easy to** _ **say**_ **you are going to let your best friend (or mother) die or go to jail… harder to actually go ahead with it. I think it would have been very OoC for him to have been fully okay with being the sole factor which determines that Yang will go to jail and suffer alone, which (as I said in the chapter) would also condemn the rest of RWBY (and JNPR) to suffer in various ways.**

 **I thought I might as well explain it to those who didn't grasp it.**

 **For the majority who understood that, sorry for the pointless AN.**

* * *

 **Beta:** _College Fool_

 **Chapter 7 – Making a Statement**

* * *

All around her, people descended the metal ramp and crowded onto the cobblestoned plaza of the Academy, fanning out with muttered whispers and awed gazes, turning so that they might take in the beautiful sights before them. She was less impressed, heels clicking lightly against stone as she made her way to a quiet copse of trees beside the path, remaining hidden in shadow.

Beacon Academy… the point at which so many people's careers began. For Blake Belladonna it was a fresh start and a chance to be something more than she had been. Fighting Grimm would be somewhat of an easier nature ethically than what she had fought before. There were no questions of whether the Grimm had loved ones back home, no one screaming or begging to be spared… no lying awake at night over nightmares of Grimm lives ruined.

Surely this would be a life she wouldn't need to run away from. It had to be. _It will be,_ she sighed, trying to dismiss those doubts within her. Every other person here was in the same boat as her, coming to a new home, nervous, alone. She'd passed the tests, impressed the teachers… perhaps the Headmaster had hinted that he knew more than she was willing to admit, but he had accepted her application nonetheless.

The fabric of the hated bow scratched against her delicate ears, constricting them when they wished to move. She couldn't prevent the occasional twitch, the muscles were _supposed_ to be used – this was like having one arm perpetually tied behind your back. Eventually they began to ache, no matter how used to it she got.

A sigh slipped from her lips, head dipping as she resisted the urge to scratch them. It was just one more thing she needed to get used to if she wanted to pass herself off as a normal human. There would always be the privacy of bathrooms to work the kinks out of her ears or give them some fresh air.

 _It shouldn't have to be like this,_ the idealistic protestor within cried. Amber eyes clenched shut as she ignored it. It shouldn't, but it was – and whining about it wouldn't change anything. _Hadn't_ changed anything… but then, nor had violence. She would become a Huntress, she would gain skill, power and most importantly respect. And then… then she would work to change things, to fix everything.

But to achieve any of that she needed to leave the old Blake Belladonna behind. Something which shouldn't be too difficult, since there wasn't a single person at Beacon who knew her sordid past, nor her true identity as a member of the White Fan-

"Excuse me, gonna hurl!" A blond figure brushed by her, crouching beside a dustbin as he retched and heaved, loudly cursing something about things never changing. The acrid tang of vomit reached her nose, even as others around them started to move away in disgust. Something about it kept her watching however. A vague sense of familiarity, mixed with an unusual desire to punch the guy in the face and tell him to cover his-

"Ah, better in than out," the blond man sighed as he brushed past her.

The entire left side of Blake's face twitched, eyes going wide as her mouth fell open.

No…

No way…

Could she be mistaken? Could it be nothing more than a figment of her imagination? She'd know for sure if she saw him without – no, she wasn't going any further into that line of thinking. Maybe she was wrong… blond haired, blue eyed males weren't exactly uncommon. Plus, it had been dark, with powerful wind and fast-paced combat to distract her.

But what if it was?

 _Then I'm screwed… this is only going to work so long as people don't realise what I am - what I was._ She had to make sure. It was those thoughts which carried her feet forward, shoulders hunching as she stalked her prey through the trees. The young man kept to the paved pathways, winding his way towards the central building where the welcoming speech would no doubt be held. She kept to the shadows as she always had, winding her way past thick trunks as she padded across the soft grass in near silence.

His height fit her memory just about… a little taller than her, stockier too – the build of someone made for a more direct form of combat than what she employed. She hadn't considered his level of fitness back then, but that had perhaps been on account of her desperate attempts not to look at anything incriminating. The man on the train had been a civilian though… hadn't he? Now that she thought about it, had he ever said as such?

 _He could have chosen not to fight because he was unarmed… he did make as though to stand up against Adam, as foolish as that would have been._ It still wasn't enough – not enough for her to make a decision as to whether he actually was the same person. Damn it all!

 _And what are you going to do if he is?_

That made her pause, breath hitching as she considered that gap in her plans. Would she kill him? Was that how far she was willing to go in order to protect her secret? A fine start to her new life, where she was going to make a difference… just begin by practically assassinating an innocent on the first day, all because she thought he _might_ be someone else.

No. She couldn't kill him – she wouldn't be like Adam. But then, what was she supposed to do? Bribery or blackmail were the only other options, and she had a laughable amount of lien on hand – her clothing was worth more than the contents of her purse. Her nose scrunched up as she imagined using those to buy his silence… or rather, what lay beneath. She wouldn't go that far either… she wasn't that kind of woman.

But was just as unlikely on account of the fact she had no dirt on the guy… other than the fact that, if he was her little stowaway, he had been caught having sex in a restricted area. And wouldn't that be fun to explain to the authorities… especially why she had been there to witness it on a train that had just so conveniently been attacked by faunus terrorists?

Darn it… Beacon was supposed to be an _easier_ career move, where the hell had this come from!?

Golden eyes narrowed, body turning to the side as she let out a frustrated sigh. She had to ascertain the truth, whatever that might be. All of this could be wasted panic, paranoia, and lingering fear. There was one way to find out for sure.

"Whoah!" the young man gasped as he was dragged off his feet and slammed up against a tree. Her fingers clamped over his mouth before he could scream, dragging him a little further from the path – just in case anyone came to investigate. Finally satisfied, she pushed him back against the bark of an oak, locking her eyes to his. There was something about those blue orbs which made her nervous… they had the surprise in them… but there was also something else, buried within those depths. He looked… bored… distant somehow.

"Don't make any noise," she whispered, "I'm not going to hurt you." She felt stupid even as she said that… it was true, she didn't want to harm the guy, but who in their right mind was going to believe that given the current situation? "I'm going to take my hand away now… I want you to answer my question. Do you recognise me?"

"Of course," the blond gasped as she let go. Blake's knuckles went white at the words, "Uhh… Pauline, right?"

Blake blinked, "That's… not my name."

"Oh crap, uh… Oh, of course – Samantha! You looked very similar to my uh… sister, yeah, my sister Pauline. I got you mixed up."

"I'm not called Samantha either." She could only watch as the man's eyes seemed to glance away from her, chuckling nervously. Did he… did he honestly not recognise her…? Did she have the wrong guy after all? And who were these people he was mistaking her for?

"Right… I knew that. Well uh… _sweetheart_ … I just want you to know that I am regularly tested and am clean, plus I _always_ wear protection. So whatever you think happened definitely didn't happen because of me." Oh for the love of…

"We haven't had sex," Blake growled, wincing when she instinctively slammed him back against the bark.

"We haven't?" The simple uncertainty on his face was really tempting… she wanted to put her fist right through it. It also confirmed for her that this probably _was_ the same guy from the train. Because really, she'd caught the guy having sex with a random girl in a storage container… somehow that fit what she was hearing right now oh too perfectly. "Then why did you-? Oh… _Ohhh…_ wow." He coughed and looked away.

"What?" Blake's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Well I just mean, this is pretty damn quick, even for me. Normally I at least have to flirt with girls a little first, but I can understand it if you became desperate after being stuck on a Bullhead with me. I have that effect on women." He somehow didn't notice her fingers tightening on his collar. Despite that it must have cut off some of the oxygen to his brain. Then again, maybe he didn't have a brain. "I just want to mention though, I've put up with some pretty crazy kinks, but despite what it looked like when we landed, I am _not_ into any kind of vomit-play." Then, to her mounting rage, he looked her dead in the eye, one hand coming up to pat her shoulder. "I'm sorry Christie, I'm not willing to throw up on and then make love to you."

The sound he made as he sailed through the air, cracking through a few branches before landing in a bush, was one of the more satisfying ones she'd ever heard. Plus, she'd managed to resist the urge to punch him, which was good. He'd recover from his little throw-assisted flying session… and maybe next time he'd think twice before accusing her of something like that!

She was safe… he didn't know, or didn't remember – either was fine. Beacon could be the new start she wanted, the new start she deserved. No longer would she be known for what she had been, but what she could bec-

An explosion ripped through her thoughts, leaves, twigs and loose gravel scattering off the side of her face as two girls argued from the side. Amber eyes blinked as she watched the Heiress of the SDC berate a small girl. No… she was no longer Blake, the faunus… she didn't need to react with instinctive animosity. She was _not_ going to go over there and belittle the white-haired child for the amusement of it.

…

Okay, after _this_ it was going to be a new start…

* * *

"Got to love Beacon," Jaune growled from his position flat on his back, legs resting vertically up the trunk of a tree he had crashed into. A leaf fluttered down onto the tip of his nose, doggedly refusing to budge no matter how hard he snorted at it. The vibrations coming from his pocket hardly helped, even when he pulled the scroll out and accepted the call.

"You're asleep?" Jade scoffed as she looked down on him, or rather such was the angle he held the device, so that it was above his face. "I know you're lazy and trying to get expelled but this is a bit much, even for you."

"I'm not sleeping," Jaune flicked the leaf on his nose away with more force than was strictly necessary. "I am lying on my back because this is how I landed after I was cruelly and unjustly attacked by another student." Seriously, how was he supposed to expect Blake – _Blake_ of all people – of practically kidnapping him like that?

"Was it a girl?" Jade waited for him to nod, "Then you probably deserved it."

"Eh," Jaune's eyes drifted shut for a second, a sigh escaping him, "touché." Still, it was better this way. Better if Blake and anyone else associated with him had reason to want to stay away from him. "So how are things back home, shouldn't you be in lessons?"

"Shouldn't you?" He shrugged to that, "Things here aren't bad. Amber's already turned your room into some kind of games room, moved all her consoles in there so she can have more space."

"Tch… she moved on quickly. Was there at least any tears this morning, cries for their beloved brother?"

"If you count Hazel tripping over some books you left by your bed and threatening to castrate you, then sure. Also, we found your stash of porn novels."

" _Coral's_ stash," Jaune growled, "Not mine, Coral's. And yes, I know she will be denying it," Jaune tacked on before Jade could interrupt, "she's lying." With a tired yawn, he rolled over to place one hand beneath him, climbing to his feet while keeping the scroll held out before him. "But everyone else is okay?"

"We're all fine," Jade rolled her brown eyes, tiny flecks of green shining through. "You realise you're like third youngest, you don't need to ask if we're going to break down in your absence. Mum's fine, dad's fine, Hazel and I are ditching class, everything is normal. What are you going to be getting up to today?"

"Not much," Jaune sighed as he pushed his way back out onto the main pavement, sparing a quick glance to make sure Blake had truly left. Most of the people had already made it to the auditorium by now. "We have a speech then we have to stay in the hall overnight. Initiation is in the morning."

"You going to fail that or try get expelled even sooner?" Jade wore a smug grin, the image on the scroll bouncing up and down as she laughed.

"I'm thinking I'll cause some trouble today," just as a bit of a slap at Ozpin really, "But otherwise look to bomb tomorrow. If I just refuse to take part, then they'll have to fail me."

"You're going to completely dishonour the Arc name, aren't you?" It would be childish… especially so. Plus, he didn't actually need to act like an absolute bitch to get expelled… but after what Ozpin pulled the other day, holding Yang's fate over his head like that?

"Yep... I'm going to make them suffer."

"I love it." There was some noise off-screen before Jade turned back, "Hazel says she fucking loves it, presumably that's better than my mere love. Ow… I passed your damn message on, let go! I'm not taking the piss out of you, oh calm down you stupid cow."

"Jade?"

"Ugh, sorry bro. Got to – ow you bitch – go. Catch you later!"

"Later," Jaune sighed, even though the screen had already gone blank. It was as he was stuffing it back into his trouser pocket that he noticed the scene ahead of him. Or rather, the figure laid flat on her back in the middle of the courtyard. Blue eyes blinked stupidly as he looked towards her, before letting out a short sigh.

"Sorry Ruby," he shrugged, turning and walking away. "This is for the best."

* * *

"Yang, this isn't a laughing matter!" Ruby growled as she slapped one hand against her sister's arm, trying in vain to stop the girl laughing. "You totally ditched me and I made a fool of myself." Not to mention she'd made a complete enemy… on day one no less, that shouldn't have been possible.

Even for her!

"Oh calm down Rubes, every mistake is a lesson to learn from. Besides, what's a little embarrassment?" As always her big sister didn't have so much as an apology for her, not even an iota of remorse for cruelly abandoning her in an unfamiliar place. Never mind that it was as unfamiliar for Yang as it was her, she was the big sis and that meant she was supposed to help Ruby! Not… rush off with her friends from Signal.

"Ugh… I haven't been this humiliated since I accused Headmaster Ozpin of being a paedophile…"

"Wasn't that just yesterday?" the blonde asked.

"I've had a bad week, okay!?" Ruby erupted once more, hands flying into the air as she collapsed back onto her pillow. "Oh my God, what if my bad luck continues, Yang? What if I don't make any friends, what if I die in initiation, what if cookies are deemed bad for my health!?"

"Nice priorities," the older girl rolled her eyes. "Besides, one of those is true and the other two probably won't happen."

Ruby paused for a long moment, staring at the girl in wide-mouthed horror. "I'm never gonna make any friends!" she finally wailed, collapsing onto her stomach.

"I meant the cookie one…" Yang leaned over to pat the smaller girl's shoulder. "Look, Ruby… you'll be fine. I mean, look at you – youngest person to ever attend Beacon, and yes I know… normal knees," she was quick to add before Ruby could, "but still… that's got to count for something. I mean, I can barely still believe my cute little sister is in Beacon."

"I can barely believe my older sister nearly wasn't," the smaller girl growled into the pillow, words causing Yang to recoil with an ashamed expression.

"Hey now… I told you not to talk about that. It's not something your big sis wants everyone knowing about…"

"You're just lucky they didn't want to press charges," Ruby sighed, glancing away from the girl as she laughed nervously. Yang always went quiet when they asked more about what had happened to her, but she trusted her to know what was best. At least she wasn't likely to start any more brawls in the middle of Beacon.

Not with the rather _epic_ telling off dad had given her. Ruby had heard it all from her room, despite the headphones, loud music and five walls between them. Zwei had been hidden under her legs too, poor thing shaking in terror. She hoped he was doing okay with them not in the house…

"Yeah… lucky me…"

 _She's hiding something,_ Ruby sighed to herself as the older girl looked away. Yang always thought she was so smart when she told fibs… but she was way too expressive for her own good. Even now, Ruby could feel the complete shame that seemed to permeate through her. She didn't like seeing Yang like that… it felt so out of character, so wrong.

"Hey, a distraction," Ruby crowed as she pointed into the crowd, "I mean, uh… what do you think that guy's doing?" Yang hummed in question as she followed Ruby's finger, looking towards a rather unremarkable blond guy who seemed to be lugging a huge backpack around. That wasn't what had caught her eye however, nor the eyes of the thirty or so other people watching him. It was more the fact that he was dragging out huge coils of rope from said backpack, laying them on the ground beside some rather over-sized nails. He looked a little weird too, almost out of place, with what honestly looked to be black, formal trousers and a white dress shirt.

He didn't seem bothered that he'd become a spectator sport though, digging away in his pack and laying things out in the centre of the room, even as the teachers started to make their way onto the stage.

"Wait," Yang whispered, "that's the guy I fought with at the club."

Really? Ruby's eyes narrowed as she leaned forward. _This_ was the guy who had fought Yang to a standstill? He didn't look like Ruby had imagined. Namely, he wasn't seven feet tall and built of pure muscle. Her sister was tough!

"Why don't you go over and talk to him?" Ruby suggested, not failing to note how Yang's face twisted with an almost dizzying array of emotion.

"I-I'd rather not…" Yang stammered for a moment before laughing it off, "Besides, best just to let bygones be bygones right?"

"Hmm…" Ruby wasn't convinced. Not by what she'd said or the way she tried to fake that laugh of hers. They must have already been in a parallel universe where it was she, Ruby Rose, who was suggesting they go over and talk to someone, while Yang was suddenly the one with cold feet.

Any thoughts of fixing it however were pushed back as the Headmaster strolled onto the stage, cane tapping on the wood as he made his way to the microphone. Ruby flushed at the memory of their last meeting, even if he'd laughed and waved the misunderstanding off. Sticking close to her sister lest she run off, the two made their way to stand with the crowds before the respected man.

She was barely able to contain her excitement as the man tapped the microphone with one finger. This was the Headmaster of Beacon… Ozpin himself! If all Hunters were cool then one who was a Headmaster of Hunters was definitely high up on the list. He also wasn't as scary as that other teacher stood beside him.

"Allow me to keep this brief. You have travelled here today in search of know-" a loud clang tore through the man's speech, making Ruby flinch even as others in the crowd held their ears in pain. There were a few scattered comments, but with a cough the headmaster brought things back on track. "-in search of knowledge. To hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you have finishe-" Another ear-shattering sound of metal striking stone echoed across the hall, this time the people in the crowd looking around to try and figure out what it was. Ruby cursed her height as she hopped up, trying to spot the source of the noise over everyone's shoulders.

Yang placed her hands beneath the smaller girl's armpits, lifting her up above the crowd. Ruby just about managed to swallow her indignant yelp, and the urge to howl in embarrassment, because she was finally able to see what had caused all the commotion.

"And when you have finishe-" Yet again the noise sounded, Ruby watching with morbid curiosity as a wooden mallet slammed down onto a metal spike, the noise echoing as the metal bit down into stone. Was that guy from earlier… driving a nail into the solid, marble floor? "When you have fini-" The hammer struck again, at the exact moment the Headmaster tried to go further. A few giggles rose from the crowd of students. "Excuse me…"

"Hmm?" The blond teen looked over towards them all, wiping the back of one hand across his forehead. "Sorry, what's up?"

"The Headmaster is trying to make a speech," it wasn't the man in question that responded, but rather the blonde woman at his side. With the way she was glaring towards him even Ruby felt the urge to start sweating. "But perhaps we could all wait patiently as you vandalise the hall of this Academy, would that be better?"

Oh God, talk about embarrassing… Ruby could just imagine how utterly mortified the guy must fee-

"Yeah, that would be pretty handy actually."

 _Bwuh!?_

" _Excuse_ me!?" Okay, this time it definitely wasn't her imagination – the temperature really was dropping. Even the Headmaster seemed to be looking towards the woman with some degree of fear. "I will thank you to cease such wanton destruction entirely, or failing that – at least wait until the Headmaster has finished his welcome speech."

"Oh, okay…" the teen's mallet fell to the floor immediately. "Why didn't you just say so?"

"Thank you Glynda," the Headmaster pushed the woman aside before she could explode, taking the microphone in hand once more. "And when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose – direction."

Ruby blinked as the Headmaster paused once more, looking over his glasses at something behind them. When the small girl looked back though, it was just in time to see the blond guy with one hand behind his back, innocent smile on his face.

"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first ste-" the man didn't even blink when the hammer struck one final time, this time making a loud splintering sound as the spike was successfully driven into the floor. "That is all, have a good evening."

"Well…" Yang blinked a few times, "that was a thing…"

"This isn't how I imagined Beacon starting," Ruby sighed, ambling her way towards the changing rooms with the other students. Maybe things would look better in the morning… especially since that was when she could bring out her baby and show people what she was really made of.

"Wh-What is that!?" Ruby just about cried as they both exited the changing rooms fifteen minutes later, now in their sleep ware.

"That is a tent," Yang blinked.

"I-I know that," Ruby aimed a glare at Yang, though as usual she missed or ignored it. "I'm just wondering why there's a tent now taking up _half_ of the entire hall!" The thing was gargantuan, reaching up to about six feet in height, but spreading out much further across the room. To make matters worse, thick, coiled ropes covered some of the space which remained, holding the tent up as they connection to big metal nails driven into the ground. Sorry, into the solid marble floor. _My brain hurts…_

"Renny!" a voice screamed from the changing rooms, "I _told_ you we should have brought our tent!"

"Looks like he's been busy," Yang mumbled, looking towards the entrance of the tent, where the same blond from earlier was sat pushing a wooden spoon around a black cooking pot. He even had a small dust-powered stove set up along with a reclining deck chair. "At least he's finished… don't think I'd have been able to deal with all the noise."

"Now's our chance to go speak with him," Ruby grabbed hold of Yang's arm and ducked forward. It didn't quite go as planned however, since the older girl refused to move, lifting her arm up so that Ruby's legs were kicking in the air.

"Maybe we shouldn't…" Yang bit her bottom lip.

"No way!" With a blur of semblance-enhanced speed she was gone and behind her sister, pushing her hands against her hips as she drove the blonde forward as she growled out. "You're always telling me to be more social, well here's your chance to show me how!" Not to mention a chance to clear the air between this guy and her sister…

"Hi!" Ruby chirped once she had finally managed to bodily force Yang over to the blond guy. Dark blue eyes met hers in surprise, blinking lightly as she suddenly found herself the centre of attention. All that social anxiety, all the nerves and confidence issues crashed back into her. _This was a bad idea!_ "I'm Ruby and this is Yang."

"Hi…?" the man replied.

"Hey…" Yang grumbled out the side of her mouth, standing so that she was almost facing away from him, eyes firmly fixed on the ceiling. That left Ruby in the middle, blinking in confusion as she watched her sister look more awkward than she'd ever seen her before. Okay…

"I think you know my sister," Ruby pushed on regardless.

"Yeah…?"

"And she knows you."

"Okay?"

"And we're all at Beacon."

"Yeah?"

Ruby laughed brokenly, eyes twitching as she tried to bring the conversation into something resembling a… well, conversation. Seriously, couldn't the guy answer with anything other than one word?

"Ruby, we should leave…" Yang whispered out the corner of her mouth, "He clearly doesn't want to talk to us."

 _No,_ Ruby growled, _you just don't want to talk to him._ "I like your guitar," she finally said, nodding towards the wooden instrument that hung over the guy's back. Most people would have had weapons, but his was probably in a locker like her own. "It goes really well with…" _come on Ruby, you can do this…_ "uhh - your guitar."

There was a long moment of silence between them, as Ruby stood still with hand outstretched, still pointing towards his musical instrument, even as her brain struggled to comprehend what she'd just uttered.

"My guitar goes well with my guitar?"

"Yes." That was her story and she was sticking to it.

"Thank you…"

Yang sighed, one hand coming up to rub her forehead, "Ruby, this is ridiculous… let's just leave, we look like idiots."

"Can you play?" she asked instead, forcing a smile onto her face as she crossed her hands behind her back. Somehow the words seemed to catch him off-guard, the wooden ladle in his hand going still.

"Pardon?"

"Can you play something?" Ruby asked again, "For me?" It had been a simple question, one that sprung to her mind more as an attempt to buy time than anything else. She didn't even think about the fact such a request might be embarrassing to him, especially being made to perform in front of so many people. The guy sighed however, reaching one hand over his shoulder to grip the neck and draw the instrument out.

There wasn't anywhere to sit, she realised as he knelt down with the guitar resting in his lap. So instead she remained where she was, standing beside her sister as she watched his fingers gently strum over the strings. He seemed to be testing them… a few light notes coming forth as he plucked each string. Finally satisfied, he took a deep breath, holding it in before letting it go in one explosive motion, hand coming down.

Ruby's hair blew back, one eye scrunched shut as the most horrifying cacophony washed over her with enough force to almost knock her back. She might have said silence reigned over the hall as everyone turned to stare, but that didn't do the sheer horrific volume of bum notes justice. It didn't sound like a cat was strangling itself… it sounded like three guitars having sex with an angle grinder while the cat howled an accompaniment.

 _Is this his semblance?_ She wondered past the twitching of her silver eyes, _I can't tell if this is actually damaging my aura or just my hearing…_

To her relief, and probably everyone else's too, the _music_ came to an end soon enough. One final strum, one final discordant twang, and he put the instrument down. "That was for you," he smiled, "I've dedicated it to you."

"T-That's… nice…" Ruby tried to laugh, "Wasn't that nice, Yang?" The blonde didn't answer, probably because she still had her hands clamped over her ears.

"What is this… this _racket_!?" A familiar voice growled, Ruby's spine going stiff as she spotted the girl from earlier stalking forward. Oh crud, she'd forgotten about that… and now the prickly girl looked angrier than ever, despite letting her hair down and being dressed in nothing more than a sleeping gown.

"Eh," Ruby laughed nervously, "it was just some music, I-"

" _You_! I should have known… bad enough knocking into me earlier but now you cause this infernal noise as well?" The white-haired girl snapped one arm to the side, as though she were decapitating some imaginary foe. "Do you have no respect for those trying to sleep?"

"M-Me!?" Ruby looked behind her, just to see if she wasn't talking to someone else. "But I didn't do anything… I wasn't the one who made that noise. It was him!" The girl turned to look at the man, only to see an empty space and the closing flap of the tent.

"Probably because you were being as much a pest to him as you were to me earlier. This isn't a game for children, this is Beacon Academy – do you even know what that means?"

"Come on now," Yang tried to step in to help, apparently more than happy to pipe up now that the blond guy was out of sight. "It looks like the two of you got off on the wrong foot…"

Ruby could only pout as the mean girl ignored her sister and continued to rant. Got off on the wrong foot indeed… it felt like she was willing to ignore everything else, so long as it meant she got to shout at and blame her.

This really wasn't how she imaged her first awesome day at Beacon to go...

* * *

" _Just a little further," Jaune gasped, breath leaving her in great gasps as snow crunched beneath his boots. "We'll be there soon, you'll see."_

" _Hmm…" the woman leaning against his shoulder hummed, neither an answer nor an assent, nothing more than acknowledgement that his words could be heard. Blue eyes narrowed as he watched her face, shifting the girl further up his arm._

" _You'll love it," he laughed, "it's where my family live… a small village, but friendly. I've not seen them all in a while but I really want to introduce you to them."_

" _I want to meet them too…" the words were weak, only audible through the wind because of how they brushed against his ear. It was enough to give him strength though, strength enough to push on._

" _They'll love you. They've always wanted me to get a girlfriend; it'll be a real surprise for them. My mum will be all over you, probably cook you whatever you want while telling you all sorts of embarrassing stories about me."_

" _That sounds fun…" He stumbled as she lost footing, the weight pressing down on him suddenly dragging him to the floor. Landing on one knee, he turned to hold the girl against him, trying to lift her back onto her feet._

" _Come on now, you can't rest here." She didn't budge, seeming to become all the heavier as she slumped._

" _Hey Jaune?" she whispered, "You said you could play the guitar once, didn't you?"_

" _Y-Yeah… it was so long ago though. I might be a little rusty."_

" _When we get to your family's house…" silver eyes blinked tiredly as she looked up at him. "Can you play, for me?"_

 _He leaned down to press his lips to hers, feeling her move against him. "I will," he said as he came back up. "I promise, Ruby."_

 _She didn't respond, pale face set in a small smile._

Blue eyes snapped open, revealing the dull fabric ceiling of a tent above him. With a soft sigh he looked about, remembering where he was. One hand came up to his face, fingers dabbing beneath his eyes as the memories faded away.

His fingers came away dry. There were no tears… not even a burning sensation behind his eyes.

Somehow that hurt even more.

 _It's been a long time since I had nightmares,_ he thought to himself, sitting up and stretching his arms as he considered the dull ache inside him. How long ago had that one been? He couldn't quite remember… but it was back when he still sought out romantic attachments in his repeats. _A long time ago, then…_

Memories merged and swam together in his head. It was hard to recall specific things at times, mainly because he'd repeated the same period of time so repetitively. If someone asked him to remember exactly what he did on initiation day for instance, then it was almost impossible to recall… he'd gone through initiation hundreds of times, maybe even thousands. Once or twice that had put him into some trouble too, little mistakes in conversations where he mentioned something that hadn't actually happened in that particular run. They were usually easy to write off, sometimes just as one of Nora's dreams or Port's tall tales.

Some memories however, the really big ones – things that he regretted or could never forget, no matter how much he wished to… those stuck with him. He could remember the first time Pyrrha had died, for instance. He could remember Blake being executed by Adam. Ren giving his life so they could escape from Mercury and Emerald.

And he could remember making Ruby Rose fall in love with him, for no other reason than because he hadn't done it before.

"Still no tears," Jaune sighed as he pushed the tent flap aside, stepping out not into bright sunlight and fresh air, but an armada of snoring and tired mutters. The scent of too many people sleeping too close to one another... All that was needed was vomit mixed with alcohol, and this would have looked just like one of Sun's stupid parties. "And yet this is the future hope of our world… that's rough."

Picking his way through the sleeping bodies was easy enough. To be fair, many of them had started to wake up of their own volition, and there was no doubt a few already using the showers and changing rooms before the crowds made it. Jaune had to fight back his own yawn too. Once-upon-a-time he'd been an early-riser too… instincts trained into him from the live he lived. It was amazing what two years of being a complete bum could do to your internal clock however. Right now his mind felt heavy and his feet heavier.

 _I could still be asleep in my bed… Coral would come wake me up in an hour so she could watch dad knock me and Sapphire around the garden for her own twisted amusement._ By the time they were sweaty and exhausted, their mother would come out with a platter of fresh fruit, urging Jaune to wash and get ready for breakfast so he could get to school on time. It was a simple life… but oh so satisfying. _Unlike this._

Yang and Ruby, Blake too… that was a lot of his old friends to corner him last night. He'd honestly been surprised…

At least it had all gone to plan somewhat. Blake had just been trying to make sure he didn't know who she was, and though he doubted he'd managed to fully convince her, it would be enough that she would bend over backwards to make sure they didn't get teamed up together. He'd seen the way Yang looked at him too… a mixture of guilt, shame, curiosity and suppressed anger. She didn't seem to have any idea what to do around him and had instead decided on trying to ignore him entirely. That was a shame. A shame in that he didn't like to see that conflicted expression on his friend's face. But it was also a lucky break too… something that would again shield him from her ending up as his partner. He also didn't think Ruby would have the guts to seek him out, especially after last night. She'd get Weiss as usual, with all the amusing drama and friendship that would slowly build from it.

 _That just leaves my old team then… I need to make sure they either ignore me or actively don't want me on their team._ That could be difficult with Ren and Nora, because they had met him back when he wanted to be a Hunter.

Which left Pyrrha as the defining factor… and also the most dangerous. Mainly because she hadn't left their partnership to chance like she had at first suggested. Her javelin piercing him to a tree, her showing up to reclaim it… that had all been a premeditated decision that he was going to be her partner. Whether he liked it or not.

 _Maybe I could pretend to be a rabid fan. That would probably push her away. Or would it be better for me not to speak to her at all?_ It wasn't something he could afford to mess up and there were pros and cons to each approach. Ignoring her might seem like an easy choice, since it prevented him making a good impression… but what if she got a bad enough impression of everyone else that she felt the one person who _didn't_ ogle at her fame would be a good partner?

The irony was of course that the actions he'd taken with the others had only been necessary thanks to his bloody bad luck and the fact that Fate was playing hop-skotch with his life. Yang and Blake had never given two lien about him in every previous life… not before he go to know them through his team, anyway. But his efforts to avoid Beacon in the past week or so had ended up putting him slap bang in the middle of their radar.

So now it was all damage control. The ultimate goal being that if he couldn't fail initiation entirely, he could at least ensure he was on some middling background team. One with people who wouldn't get involved in the madness. Considering Team RWBY and JNPR had only ever been friends with one another, that shouldn't have been too hard.

 _That's where you come in,_ he patted his backpack with a small grin. With a quick shrug he adjusted it on his shoulders, strolling out into the locker corridor. The usual scene greeted him, rows upon rows of bright blue lockers with students milling around looking for their number. It seemed odd that he would get the exact same one every single time, maybe another trick of Fate, but it certainly made life a little easier as he pulled out Crocea Mors with a sigh. It wasn't her fault… she'd always stood by and fought with him. He liked to think if she were capable of thought she'd agree with his decision too.

"And now I'm talking to a sword…"

"What does it say?" Jaune almost jumped as Ruby's voice came from behind him, so focussed had he been. He was surprised she even wanted to approach him again after what had happened the last night. Then again… Ruby had always been socially awkward, but he couldn't ever say she lacked in determination. She was sort of like a battering ran in some regards… she'd make a complete mess of the introduction, but give her enough time and she'd break through to you. The girl started to look a little embarrassed as she realised he was staring at her, "I mean… sometimes I like to talk to my baby – my weapon, I mean. I like to think he would talk back if he could." There was a brief silence between them, with him wondering what he was supposed to say, "Sorry… I'm messing this up. I wanted to say I didn't get your name last night, mine's Ruby Rose."

"Jaune Arc," he offered a hand to shake, more automatic reflex than anything, but typical Ruby seemed to miss it, bouncing up and down. Did she honestly not recognise him from the fight with Roman? The lighting hadn't been bad or anything, and it seemed like the kind of thing she'd recall.

"So… Jaune… I know you know my sister, right?" He blinked as she pushed on, wringing her hands together before her. "I just wanted to say that she's not that bad a person – and I don't know what went on between you, but she's being really awkward and I didn't want you to think she hated you or anything."

"Don't worry about it. Our meeting was a little awkward, I think it might be best for both of us if we just avoided one another for a bit." He could just about pick out Pyrrha and Weiss in the crowd, the two of them chatting away by some lockers. Actually, that might have been a bit of a kind description, Pyrrha looked awkward as hell – though she hid it well. He'd been her partner long enough to see through that polite mask however, even if Weiss couldn't.

"I guess… I just didn't want you to hate one another…" She sounded so upset, so distraught that he reached out to rub her hair on instinct alone. It was just something he'd done… so many thousands of times before whenever Ruby was in one of her rare moments.

"We don't hate one another; you don't need to worry about it."

"Okay… Hey, Jaune? Most people come to Beacon with some kind of combat outfit, yours looks a little off though." _Says the girl in a skirt,_ Jaune rolled his eyes. He knew what she meant though. Even his old jeans and hoodie would be better than what he was wearing now, that being a ruffled white dress shirt and some tight black trousers. He certainly looked smart enough to get into a club or restaurant, but he wouldn't be winning any practicality awards anytime soon.

"My attendance to Beacon was unexpected. I don't have a combat outfit because this was all I had on me." It was either this or the full suit he'd worn to Weiss' concert. And his mum had threatened him with death if he got that torn up.

"Oh! You're like me?" She sounded excited at the prospect, a bad thing since he was meant to be falling _out_ of her attention, not become the centre of it. "I didn't explain but I was accepted into Beacon just two days ago, it was a really big surprise."

 _She really doesn't remember… sheesh…_ There was more to what she'd said then that however. Namely that she knew he was the man who'd fought with Yang, but didn't know the facts on how he'd gotten into Beacon. Which meant Yang hadn't told her the full story. _That explains why Ruby is so unsure on why Yang is awkward around me… but why wouldn't she tell her family the full story?_

It wasn't like her to keep secrets… especially not from her little sister.

It was also none of his business. Since he'd decided he wouldn't be getting involved and all. He shouldn't have needed reminding of that fact… was he falling into routine now that he was at Beacon? He'd need to watch out for that… do something a few hundred times over and you soon started doing it without thinking. Much like how he'd rubbed Ruby's head, he realised as he looked at the hand still ruffling her hair. With a quick sigh he brought it back, wiping the palm on his trouser leg.

She was dangerous indeed… if just for how familiar she was. How simple a thing it was to adore her.

"You look really tired too," the small girl carried on, "did you get enough sleep?"

"I'm," Jaune fought back a yawn, "fine. Not used to waking up so early. You should go and find your sister. You don't want to be late, do you?"

"We've not even been called yet." Such simple logic, how could he even argue with it? _Don't make me crush you Ruby…_ he begged. _Don't make me have to do something so cruel it pushes you away._

"Are you causing trouble _again_?" To his surprise it was actually Weiss who came to his rescue, striding towards them with Pyrrha in tow. Green eyes met his for a moment, before narrowing in recognition. With a small frown she glanced back to Weiss, choosing to ignore him entirely.

"I haven't done anything!" Ruby said as she hid half-behind him, one hand on his hip as though to push him in front of Weiss if she made any aggressive moves. "Why do you keep being so mean?"

"Mean, me?" Weiss sounded shocked, despite that just about everyone in the area was giving her dirty looks. To Jaune though, it was just like any other conversation between the two… it was almost impossible to imagine that at this point they actually did dislike one another. Two partners, though they didn't know it yet, at one another's throats. _They're not the only ones, it seems…_ he thought to himself, spotting the polite look on Pyrrha's face. To anyone else it might have seemed vaguely interested, passive and kind.

It seemed he'd already managed to earn her ire… or at least distaste. He couldn't think what he'd done however, they hadn't even met ye- ah. The time at the concert, when he'd run into her… had that been all it took to offend Pyrrha? _No… not offend. Every time before she picked me out on nothing more than a whim, because she thought I might not recognise her._ Now that he thought about it, that had been an almost ridiculous stroke of luck, one that could have gone badly oh so easily. And all it took now to put a stop to it, was to give her the smallest bad impression of him. Just enough that she hesitated, or felt that letting the chips fall as they may would be better than dealing with him for four years.

It hurt to think it would be so easy to turn her against him, but that wasn't strictly true. She didn't know anything about him, other than that he had run into her and specifically chosen not to help her up. What else was she to think, other than that he was either incredibly rude – or actively disliked her? _Fame like hers, she always said there were as many who hated her or were jealous, as stalked or became obsessed. She likely thinks I'm some scorned fighter she once knocked down, one who's holding it against her._

"I'm not being mean at all. I'm just standing up for those too polite to admit that you're bothering them."

"We were just talking! You can't just keep following me around and insulting me at every opportunity, that's not fair!"

"You think Remnant revolves around you? That I have nothing better to do than spend my time telling you off!?"

"Yes! Because you keep finding me when there's just as many other people being loud or happy to be here!"

Jaune's eyes flicked left and right between them as the two descended into their own little world, Ruby's shyness evaporating as she got into a miniature shouting match with the heiress. Even Pyrrha seemed morbidly interested in it, tilting her head to the side as she watched them butt heads. That was his cue to run, however, as he slipped away from the group and vanished among the crowds, Crocea Mors in tow.

He was glad he got out before the inevitable question came. The moment at which they'd each turn to him and demand to know who was in the right. Yet another question where there was no good answer… trapped between agonised puppy dog eyes and a volatile tongue-lashing.

 _I don't get it. I've done everything to ensure they all should want nothing to do with me, yet I can't seem to bloody escape their attention._ Case in point, even as he tried to push his way towards the cliffs he bumped into golden eyes and a black bow, the former of which narrowed suspiciously at him as he shuffled by. This was getting ridiculous!

"Jauney, is that you!?" Oh for the love of… yep, his ears weren't deceiving him, as Nora waved one arm wildly over her head, as though signalling to an incoming aircraft. Ren's own greeting was more muted, a simple nod as the two walked up to him. "You made it," the orange-haired girl giggled as she gave him a big hug, nearly cutting off his airflow but for Ren prying her off. "You're dressed funny, though."

"This is my uniform," Jaune choked, massaging his windpipe.

"That's a Hunter uniform?"

"No, no, this is the uniform for my part-time job," Jaune waved his arms in what he hoped was a grand manner. "I'm a parachute salesman, would you like one? I have one that should fit you."

"Parachutes…Hmm?"

"I think we'll be okay," Ren interjected before Nora could buy thirty. "We'll consider base jumping off the cliffs _after_ our position here is secured."

"But Renny… he has your size…"

"We are not going to need parachutes, Nora." Ren rolled his eyes before turning back to Jaune, "Either way, it's good to see you here. Nora and I will be working on getting paired together, do you have any ideas who you want for a teammate?"

"I have a few," Jaune nodded. It was sort of the truth, except his was more a list of people he couldn't be paired with. Luckily, neither of these two needed to be on it… because there was no way they would let anyone break up their partnership. "I'm on my way to the cliffs anyway, I'll maybe see you two later."

"The cliffs?" Ren said, "Why are you heade-"

"Will all prospective students make their way to the Beacon cliffs for initiation," the voice of Miss Goodwitch came over the tannoy, silencing everyone around them. "I repeat…"

"Eh," Jaune shrugged as the two turned to stare at him, "Lucky guess?"

* * *

Weiss adjusted Myrtenaster at her side as she waited on the cliff's edge, taking deep breaths to calm herself. This was nothing compared to what she had trained to do… absolutely nothing. That didn't stop the tiny worm of nervousness, wriggling around in her stomach. Others were beginning to congregate now, so many people – Beacon truly was a place the best aspired to enter. Not all of them would be able to… some would fail in this initiation.

 _But not me. I won't allow myself to._ Her eyes just about picked out the irritating child from earlier, now stuck to her big sister. What a child that age was doing here, she had no idea. There was simply no way someone that young could measure up to her… not with all the training and effort she'd put into getting where she was now.

Such a kid would get killed… which was why it would be for the best if she had realised that first, and stepped out for her own safety. _I wonder what the Headmaster's playing… some kind of influential backer, a daughter of a board member?_ No, this was a school – there wouldn't be a board of directors. She needed to stop applying things from back home to where she was now… this was exactly why she'd left Atlas in the first place.

Weiss nodded to herself as she listened to the Headmaster explain their task. A simple search and secure, combined with destroying Grimm that came across their path. The method of selecting a partner was frustrating… she'd put so much effort into securing Pyrrha Nikos, and now this happened? No matter… she could use her glyphs to carefully select her landing, bringing her closer to the champion. Pyrrha's skill and reputation, mixed with her own. There could be no better team.

"Now, are there any questions?"

"I have a question!" a male voice shouted out, drawing Weiss' attention. It was the person she'd saved earlier, standing on one of the launch pads with his hands in the air. "This landing strategy… are you going to be handing out parachutes?"

The Headmaster took a sip of his coffee, "No. You will be using your own landing strategy."

"Okay… that makes sense. Well then…" The man dove to the side, suddenly sprinting across the ground before them. Weiss didn't think she was the only one who watched him with a kind of slack-eyed expression. For a moment she even wondered if he had become frightened, if he was bowing out already… That changed when he leapt off the cliff, falling from their sight. A second later he came back into vision however, drifting towards the forest canopy with a bright yellow parachute deployed behind him.

"See, Renny? _See_!?"

"Wait," a large man in silver armour gaped, "is that allowwwwwww-" he didn't get to finish, the metal plate beneath him springing up to launch him away. The Headmaster didn't even seem fazed by the happenings, sipping his mug as they were launched away one by one. Weiss shook her head, taking a deep breath as her turn came. _This so wouldn't pass health and safety_ , she sighed as the air whistled past her, reaching the crest of her flight before forward momentum rapidly became downwards. Any hope of maintaining her flight and finding Pyrrha was lost – maybe, just maybe, she'd underestimated how hard it would be to focus on selecting a target location while plummeting through the air at terminal velocity.

Just maybe…

"Focus Weiss, you've got this…" Myrtenaster came forth, aimed towards the rapidly approaching ground as she concentrated. A single glyph would kill her… you couldn't survive the change to momentum from terminal to still instantly. Even with aura, she would smash into her own glyph would all the force of a meteor. Instead she summoned it at an angle, an acceleration one but set in reverse instead of to speed up her own attacks.

Even as her feet touched it, she felt herself slow. Not enough to prevent her wincing at the strain on her ankle, but enough for it not to snap as she bounced off it, slowing herself a little further as she summoned another, each consecutive one becoming slower and safer as she hopped her way down to the soft ground. One final glyph, one final leap – and Weiss Schnee touched down, landing delicately while sheathing her weapon in a dramatic flourish.

"Yes," she said to herself, proud beyond belief at such a perfect landing.

"Hey," the red-hooded girl waved.

"No…"

/-/

"We are _not_ partners," Weiss growled as she pushed through the bushes and branches before her, a few snagging against her clothing and one going so far as to snap back into her cheek. "So I don't know why you're following me… we haven't even made eye-contact yet."

"You're going to keep walking into things if you keep your eyes shut like that," the other girl's voice came from behind, sounding more than a little put-out. "Plus we totally made eye-contact. I even saw how yours widened in horror."

This could not be happening… not to her… not like this. "It was your imagination, a trick of the light, nothing more than your wildest dreams."

"Don't you mean nightmares…?" the girl muttered. "Look, we got off on the wrong foot, but that doesn't mean we can't become the bestest of friends. Just give me a chance!"

"I'm sure we can become firm friends," Weiss said, "so long as it's with you on another team!"

"But Wei-"

"No buts!"

"We-"

"Ah, ah, ah! Nothing!"

"But _tree_!"

"Wha-" Weiss' words were cut off as bark imprinted into her face, the tree coming out of _nowhere_ to viciously attack her. Such was her momentum, such was how much the girl was distracting her, that she hadn't even sensed it – and had instead almost run into it. She was knocked from her feet entirely, bouncing back onto her rear as she rubbed her nose.

"Are you okay?"

"Of _course_ I'm not okay, you dolt. You distracted me so that I didn't see this tree!"

"You had your eyes closed!"

"That means nothing…" Weiss paused as she looked further up the tree, something that was made an easier task now that she was sat down at the base of it. She didn't know how she hadn't seen it earlier (though the closed eyes might have had something to do with that), but there was another figure in the tree.

"Oh hey, it's Jaune."

 _That was his name…_ Weiss thought to herself, glad to finally have a name to put to the face of that guy from the interview. She'd recognised him of course, how could she not? But she hadn't remembered his name from that event, not when she'd expected him to just be another random person she would never run into again. At the time he'd said he wanted to be a musician too, and had no interest in being a Hunter, so it had been a small surprise to spot him being harassed by this irritating girl the other night. It soon made sense however… how could it not?

After meeting her and having a chance to talk to her, he had been inspired by her tale and ambition… choosing to follow in her footsteps for a chance to be like her.

She could respect that. Who didn't want to be Weiss Schnee?

"What's he doing in the tree still?" Weiss wondered out loud.

"Bigger question," Ruby sighed, "Why isn't he moving?" The two girls shared a panicked look, though if anyone asked later Weiss would claim they'd still somehow not made eye-contact. He looked okay, there was no blood – but his parachute had clearly become tangled in the boughs of the tree. What if one of the ropes had wrapped around his throat as he fell through the branches? He would be hung from the tree, left to die… like some kind of overripe fruit.

"Keep an eye out for Grimm," Weiss hissed as she clambered onto her feet, drawing her weapon and summoning some glyphs leading up to the man. "I'll get him down."

"Got it!" the girl waved one hand back, deploying her over-sized gardening tool. Weiss sighed as she hopped up the floating platforms, bringing her closer to him with each step. Gods, what if he died trying to emulate her? It wouldn't be her fault, not legally anyway… but that wouldn't stop her from feeling guilty about it. How could she sleep at night, when through her inspiring presence she had condemned a man to death?

"Jaune," she shook his shoulder once she reached him, swinging Myrtenaster above his head to sever the strings attaching the chute to his backpack. "Damn it, you better be alive or I'll _ruin_ you." His body slumped forward, head resting against her shoulder as she caught his weight. He still felt warm… but oh so heavy, as though he had no energy of his own to hold him up.

He'd died… she just knew it. _I'm so sorry…_

And then blue eyes were staring into her own.

"Arghhh!" she tried to push the zombie back, logic not quite snapping into her mind fast enough, the realisation that maybe he was actually still alive only hitting when she pushed him back _off_ her glyph. Sending the possibly hurt man plummeting back down to Remnant.

 _Okay… now if he dies, I'll be legally responsible too… great job, Weiss._

"I'm sorry," she gasped as she leapt down to land beside him, hesitating as she looked at his body squirming in agony. Agony was good, right? It meant he was still alive. With a shake of her head she knelt down over him, waving two fingers before his eyes. "Can you tell me how many fingers I'm holding up?"

"Why did you push me out of the tree?"

"That's…" how was she to explain that? "Not the correct answer – I'm holding up two fingers."

" _Why_!?"

"To check for a concussion," Weiss dodged the question again, lifting him up a little. "You were trapped in the boughs when your parachute caught. It's okay, we got you down."

"Trapped? I was _sleeping_!"

"Yep," Ruby walked up to stand beside them. "But we rescued you, so it's okay now."

The poor man groaned, holding one hand over his eyes as he mumbled curses to himself. Weiss could understand it… that pride which didn't allow you to admit that you'd made a mistake, that you needed help. She would do him a kindness and not comment on it… it wasn't his fault he'd gotten stuck after all.

"So," he said after a moment's recovery, "you two are partners, right?"

"Y-"

"No. We haven't made eye contact yet." The younger girl sighed but didn't argue, knowing better than to get into another shouting match.

"How have you not made eye contact with one another?"

 _Determination,_ Weiss thought to herself, sparing a glance for the other girl and then the man at her feet. Ruby was young, annoying, brash and about a million other things. She would hold her back, whatever team she was on needing to put in extra work to account for the two years' lack of experience.

This guy, Jaune, on the other hand… well, she didn't know anything about him. He'd set up that massive tent in initiation, which was honestly a little bizarre – but then again, wasn't that just good preparation? While everyone else, even her – Weiss Schnee – had been forced to… shudder… _rough it_ on the floor, he had taken steps to attain comfort. Then with the parachute, yes it had gone wrong, but it showed a certain level of ingenuity that he had thought of it in the first place. What's more, it showed that he knew what the initiation would be.

Bribery, research – asking older students? Weiss wasn't sure which path he'd taken, but either showed that he was using his brain to get an advantage – something she could more than respect.

"What colour are my eyes?" she asked, grabbing him by both shoulders.

"Light blue?"

"Congratulations." Weiss smiled, "You're my partner."

* * *

 **Wow, what a chapter this has been – I will admit, I got caught up in playing Total War : Warhammer, which is the main reason why I had to rush this. Forgive meee, for I was weak. I actually don't get much time to play games nowadays, because I want to keep writing and I have to work my 9-5 too, so I'm unpractised on how to fit playing into the system. Eh, it's just early release day excitement, it will fade in time.**

 **So, here we have it – one half of Jaune's team has been cemented, it's Weiss and Jaune, now who will be the second pair? It's also fun to mimic things in the show so well and subvert them in tiny ways… the scene where Jaune is stuck in the tree, a mimicry of when Weiss discovers him stuck to a tree by Pyrrha. The only difference? Jaune didn't flirt with Weiss.**

 **That was all it took. So her bad impression of him hasn't happened… yet. Poor Ruby too, I feel like I'm bashing, but I'm not – I love them both. Just that like it or not, Weiss was a bitch to Ruby at this point.**

* * *

 **Beta Notes:** _College Fool_

This chapter was a hard one for Coeur and myself to get behind. The broad beats were known for some time, but the specifics? The jokes? That's harder. And that was part of the tone change. In the Lighter Happier Concept (TM), this section was pure laughs and Jaune trolling. Now? Different, not worse, but a bit harder to get through to the points Coeur really has in mind.

Still, even as tone changed it was still fun. I remember laughing when Coeur suggested Jaune and the parachute- it's just that sort of little call-back to canon that makes time-looping fanfiction a fun subgenre in and of itself. Even if this chapter might not be the funniest, there's a number of things Coeur has in here that are good stuff from the insider perspective. Look forward to it playing out over time.

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 10** **th** **June**

 **P atreon . com (slash) Coeur**

 **Oh, and because people wanted it. I wrote a small summary of how Nicholas and Juniper Arc first came together. It's just their background, and yes it's weird. You didn't think a family like that would be normal, did you?**

* * *

 **The Story of the Arc Family – A Summary**

Nicholas Arc was a disillusioned scion of a famous family, forced into attending Beacon by his parents – he accepted more to escape them than for any other reason. His life at Beacon was easier than home, even if he bitterly hated the idea of becoming a Hunter he still made strong friendships with his team and other people.

It was on his second year at Beacon that his team took him out for his eighteenth birthday, getting drunk and having a dinner at a ratty diner in downtown Vale. It was there that he met Juniper White, a young waitress who ended up serving them. Juniper claimed to be 18 but was in truth only 16, an orphan from the Mt Glenn disaster – unnamed and given the moniker White as hundreds others were at the time. She had lied about her age in order to secure a job for herself after running away from the mass-filled orphanages. That she both looked and acted older was enough to convince most people of her age.

Nicholas developed a crush on the girl after meeting her the first time, dragging his team back there on multiple occasions – despite the trash food. It was only ever a distant admiration from a young man too uncertain to ever approach her, but it was enough to draw the teasing attention of his team. Juniper in return noticed it, but instead played with his feelings in order to generate more tips for herself. She barely earned enough to get by, and needed the job to continue being able to pay rent on her apartment and get enough food to live was through this flirtation and teasing from her that the two got to know each other a little more.

Things carried on like that for a year or more, with Nicholas still dragging his team to her diner whenever they were free, and coming alone when they weren't. Juniper continued to encourage it, the venue relying on constant custom and her on tips to get by. When Juniper became seventeen however, she finally gave in to some of his approaches, namely to go out on a date. In what turned into a drunken night out she decided to both let him down gently, but also take him for a ride anyway. She never expected to get pregnant from it, and neither did he.

Nicholas immediately asked for her hand in marriage – something she rejected quite vocally in the middle of a crowded café where she had taken him to break the news of her pregnancy. She then rebuked him for embarrassing her, despite him feeling humiliated on one knee. On the other hand neither were willing to go through with an abortion. Nicholas being the most vehement, and immensely relieved when Juniper turned out to feel the same. Sapphire was born naturally nine months later, with Juniper drawing on some level of support for single mothers from the Vale Council, and also her maternity pay from her job - which she continued after giving birth.

Nicholas, still being a student of Beacon, obviously couldn't raise a child – but was desperate to be involved in his daughter's life any way he could… despite that, he was worried that Juniper might not want him in their life at all. He was surprised when Juniper encouraged it, however. It was only then that he learned her life as an orphan and how she didn't want her child to go through that. He also then learned that she was only 17 to his 20, leading to much ribbing from his teammates. They raised Sapphire together, with him visiting in evenings and spending time with her every weekend (his team also helping out when she needed to go work her shift, a veritable squad of aunties and uncles happy to do whatever they could) – and by the time Sapphire was 2, he had been such a constant presence in Juniper's life that she slowly began to fall for him. Not for the bumbling, amorous teen that always watched and admired her, or the shy man who asked her out - but a kind and laughing young adult who doted on his daughter, who made mistakes and got baby vomit on him, but laughed it all off as part and parcel of life. A reliable person.

They were married a year before Nicholas left Beacon. In a small and private ceremony attended only by his team and some civil officials who could recognise it. And, when he graduated, Nicholas cut ties with his family and built a small house with Juniper out in Ansel (land outside the walls being dirt cheap due to danger). Coral & Sable came a year after that, with Juniper joking that it must have happened when they were "breaking-in" the house.

Jade & Hazel came soon after those two, another pair of twins that came without any complications. And though the family was beginning to grow large, Nicholas was gaining some reputation as a powerful Hunter and thus life was comfortable. Juniper though, desired a son, if only because after living a life without family – she now wanted to surround herself with it.

Jaune was to be that son.

Lavender actually came about as a result of the two celebrating the birth of their son a little too happily, Juniper conceiving barely a month after giving birth. This pregnancy however, was filled with problems…

It was touch and go for a while, with doctors not knowing whether the child, mother or either of them would survive. At just seven months they decided to operate, bringing forth a child that was both weak and dying – only just surviving thanks to the fast response from the hospital, and the vast amounts of lien Nicholas was able to throw at what might have been a fool's chance. Against all odds, Lavender was able to survive.

Juniper and Nicholas decided not to risk it any more after that. Already so drained and broken over the fear of losing their littlest girl. She was weak and needed constant care, along with medical check-ups and such. The Arc family was big enough, they felt… let's not risk anyone on another.

Then Amber happened four years later… whoops.

* * *

 **So as you can see, not a perfect family in any sense of the word - they were irresponsible, but they were teenagers from difficult backgrounds. The important thing is that both were willing to do their best for the people who really mattered - and eventually - found love with one another. Obviously the event with Sylver Arc did happen among that, but I left it out for the sake of focussing on Juniper and Nicholas. You know how that happened from previous chapters.**

 **And now we can all see the origins of "All you need is a little confidence, son."**

 **And imagine Juniper rolling her eyes so hard she nearly knocks herself out.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Ahh initiation, bane of my writing. There are things that just need to be done in a story in most cases and this is one of them. You can't really skip it, not unless you start your story _after_ it. But after writing about it so often, I do start to despise it.**

 **Just need to get it out the way so I can move onto the better stuff. This chapter may start off a little jumpy as a result, mostly my attempt to get through it at a decent clip. I mean hell, I think it took up like… 3-5 episodes?**

 **I wonder if it might just be a case of me personally having written one too many initiations.  
**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Chapter 8 - What's in a name?**

* * *

Ruby wasn't sure what to think.

On the one hand she'd already lost her partner in what had to be the fastest time ever achieved since Beacon's founding. That was a little depressing, even if it wasn't quite as traumatic as most people meant after having `lost` their partner. Weiss was still alive and kicking, not to mention talking. Oh, but the talking….

"We'll continue on towards the temple ruins where the relics are supposed to be. As long as you follow my instructions this Grimm-infested forest shouldn't hold any nasty surprises for us." Ruby mouthed along with her, rolling her eyes as the girl went on and on. She stopped with a start when the girl spun around – just managing to hide her mockery in time. "Ruby, you may not be part of our team but you can come with us so long as you keep quiet. I'm not so heartless as to leave a little girl out here alone."

"That's… generous of you?" She wasn't sure really, since not only would she be faster travelling on her own, but probably safer too. All this noise was bound to attract Grimm. Plus, she was hardly a helpless little girl.

"I know," the heiress nodded, "Never let it be said that the Schnee Family does not fulfil our charitable obligations."

So yeah… here she was, casually thrown aside by the first person she'd mad eye contact with so that said person could have someone else as a partner instead. Ruby's replacement didn't look thrilled at the prospect either. If the slouched manner in which he followed after her wasn't indication enough then the expression on his face was. She'd struggled to place it for a while… wide yet vacant eyes, mouth slightly ajar – body moving as instructed, but without any sense of life.

In the end she'd realised it was the face of a man who'd just been told the unusual discolouration on his finger was a terminal disease, and that he had approximately two weeks to live. The occasional twitching above the eye also added that said hypothetical man had then been handed a big, fat medical bill as well.

She could have argued Weiss' decision. Surely there were cameras watching them, otherwise how did any teams get formed? She did feel disappointed that the girl had judged her so quickly – without her even getting a chance to show off Crescent Rose too! If she pushed hard enough then she could probably get Weiss back as her partner.

Then again…

"Walk straighter, stop slouching," the girl snapped at the blond boy. "You need to carry yourself with poise and respect. How is anyone supposed to respect you if you don't respect yourself? On that note, keep in mind that as my partner, your actions reflect on me. With that in mind we'll be working to make sure you are at least in the top three male students within Beacon at all times - in all subjects!" She didn't even look back as she spoke, for if she had she would have seen the guy drooping lower and lower in his stance. "I'll set out a study and exercise plan for you. If we take into account two hours each night to ensure your homework is at the standard I demand, that will leave you at least five hours of sleep each night."

"Doesn't the average person need eight?" Ruby felt compelled to ask, coming to the defence of the poor soul who had saved her from such a fate.

"He cannot afford to be average," Weiss huffed. "If he needs more sleep then I suggest he sleeps harder. Now Jaune, I understand that as a person who never intended to become a Hunter you probably feel weak and afraid, but you must have some skill if you were able to pass the entrance exams. As the person responsible for inspiring you, I will be magnanimous and take you under my wing."

"Yay…" he sighed.

"Indeed. All you need to do is listen to every single thing I say and commit my words to memory. Always give your all and undertake and training I set out for you. I'll soon have you up to the standard a Schnee expects of those that would stand beside them."

"You are too kind…" Even to Ruby's oft-naïve ears, his voice dripped with sarcasm.

"I realise. It's possibly my only fault and one that I'll fix in time." Ruby's eye twitched, "Either way, I understand that after meeting me face to face you would desire to emulate me, but I feel that I must warn you…" she sighed and turned around, bringing the party to a stop. One hand came to rest on his shoulder, Weiss' eyes looking up into his with an almost comforting expression. "You shouldn't try and compare yourself to me, Jaune. While it is ambitious of you to reach so high, I don't want you to feel hurt when you cannot reach my level. There's no shame in settling for second place."

 _Yeah_ , _that_ … Ruby thought, as she watched the arrogant girl turn around and start walking away. A few leaves blew past them as the remaining two stood still, neither knowing quite what to say. Ruby _sort_ of wanted her partner back… sort of…

"You made eye contact with her first," Jaune broke the silence between them, startling her slightly. She glanced up at his dark blue eyes, noticing how they were locked onto hers. "The Faculty have cameras around to watch this. I can testify that you saw her first, that way you and her can be partne-"

"I didn't make eye contact." She flushed as she said it, feeling bad for the lie even as every other part of her body screamed that it could live with the fib, but not with the heiress.

"Ruby," he sighed – and the pleased notion that he'd remembered her name was muted by panic. "I know you made eye contact wi-"

"Nope!"

"You're telling me you both walked here with your eyes shut?"

"Nope."

"Wait. No to that? That doesn't make sens-"

"Nope."

"Ru-"

"Nope!" She pretended she didn't see the way his eyes had narrowed into thin lines, nor hear the faint growl coming from between his lips. "Come on silly, we need to catch up with _your_ partner, before she leaves us behind. I still need to find a partner for myself, after all!"

 _I'm strangely okay with this,_ Ruby hummed to herself as she jogged after Weiss.

* * *

 _I am so not okay with this…_ Jaune thought to himself as he trudged through the mud behind his shiny new partner. Phase one of his plan complete, sort of… he didn't have Pyrrha as a partner. That should have warranted some celebration, as cruel as it sounded.

Looked like Karma had come right back and hit him in the balls however, by giving him possibly the worst person he could ever imagine instead. Was Fate and Karma in collusion as to his misery? Were they collaborating!?

That wasn't the important question. This biggest thing confusing him was why Weiss hadn't chosen Ruby. Nothing had changed from how things usually went. Ruby and Weiss had been at each other's necks, but that was how they always were. A few arguments later and they were usually the best of teammates, if you ignored the constant verbal ribbing anyway.

 _This isn't an unsalvageable situation, though._ His eyes trailed from Weiss back to Ruby, who was skipping alongside him. The fact that she was still here meant that he could try and force them together in some way… if not by claiming rules, then by finding someone else to be his partner. If Weiss could change partners on the fly, then so could he.

The question wasn't so much who he should choose, but rather who he could _not_ choose. And that narrowed down to most of his old friends, many of which would be dragged into the battle against Cinder through sheer-minded stubbornness. Ruby would charge in headfirst, Blake had her grudge to settle, Yang would go wherever Ruby did… at least Weiss might be amiable to not getting involved if there wasn't anyone drawing her into it.

But his old partner would be the worst… there would be no escaping her being chosen as the Maiden candidate by Ozpin, not with how strong she was. He absolutely could _not_ be partnered with-

"Pyrrha!"

"Oh…" the redheaded girl froze in place, almost like Jaune had. She looked nervously back, as though she would have liked nothing more than anything to flee. "Um… hey there Weiss, fancy meeting you here. Is one of these two your partner?"

"Actually, n-" Weiss began.

"Yes." Jaune appeared behind the white-haired girl as if by magic. His hand fell on her shoulder, both staking his claim and preventing her from running away.

"Yes!" Ruby echoed, practically shouting. Pyrrha looked a little confused until Ruby coughed, "Well he is, not me."

"Nothing is set in stone yet," Weiss coughed. "The position is still open. In fact, why don't you and I become partners, Pyrrha?" To her credit, the heiress looked a little embarrassed to say that, not meeting Jaune's eyes in the slightest. Any joy that she was maybe doing his work for him was quickly washed away when he considered the two alternatives.

"But haven't you made eye contact with either of them?"

"Ah, well… it's kind of… let's just say it's complicated." The heiress fiddled with the hilt of Mytenaster, "Would you believe me if I said I saw both at the same time?"

"You should," Ruby chipped in. "Because it's totally the truth."

 _Ruby, you're really bad at lying…_

Pyrrha sighed, one hand coming up to rub her forehead as she turned to regard them fully. She wore the ever-polite mask she always did, though he'd long ago learned to look beneath it. In truth, she looked a little frustrated – and he could figure out why.

"Well it seems clear to me that one of these two must be your partner then. I suppose I should take whoever is left over, since technically after you they would have seen me first. I'll let you choose, however." Pyrrha was as intelligent as ever, phrasing the offer in such a way that made sure Weiss wouldn't be partnered with her.

It wasn't Weiss' fault… she'd just made a mistake approaching Pyrrha from the professional angle. The championship fighter was in the market for a best friend, not a potential sponsorship deal. _And if Weiss chooses badly, that might end up being me again!_

"Hmm…" the white haired girl turned to look at the two of them. Jaune felt himself nudged slightly as Ruby promptly hid behind him, face pressing into the small of his back. " _Hmmm…_ "

 _How can you consider harder?! She's practically telling you to pick me!_

He wasn't going to beg… he wasn't some kind of dog at the pound trying to catch an owner's attention. A bead of sweat appeared on her forehead, dribbling slowly down her brow. What little ego he still had lay in tatters at his feet.

"I suppose I'll stick with Jaune," she finally said, drawing a relieved sigh from him. "That means you get the hyperactive fifteen-year-old."

"Yay," Ruby cheered as she sped over to Pyrrha, shaking hands with her so fast that the older girl seemed to vibrate. "I get _not-Weiss_. This is the best day ever!"

"Oi!" Weiss growled.

 _And I get Weiss,_ Jaune echoed in his head. _This is the worst compromise ever…_

"You have anything to add to that, _partner_?" Her pale blue eyes seemed to glow as she looked at him. Jaune laughed nervously, waving his hands in the negative. "Thought so… Fine, so the two of you are partners and the same for us. Maybe we can still all end up on the same team."

"Anything is possible," Pyrrha hedged with a polite smile. "Do you know where the temple is? I must admit I've been more focused on trying to find a partner than making my way there."

"It's north of here," Weiss smirked. "I made sure to get a good look as I was manoeuvring for my landing strategy. There's a clearing around the temple, so it stood out easily enough. Follow me!"

"Ah, Weiss?" Pyrrha held one hand out as the proud girl stomped away, "That's west... north is this way."

"Wha-? But we've been travelling in this direction for the last ten minutes." Weiss' eyes widened, made all the worse by Ruby's not-so-silent snicker. The red-faced girl spun on Jaune, "Why didn't you tell me we were going the wrong direction?"

"Because you told me I should just follow your instructions and learn from your example," he added a smirk for extra sarcastic effect, waiting for the explosion.

"Hm, you're right. I'm glad you were listening. Well you can't be blamed for following my instructions. Clearly this was all just a terrible misunderstanding."

 _Is she serious…?_ "Perhaps there was some moss growing on the tree wrong, just to trick you?"

"You may be right. None of us can be blamed for such an event." He could already feel that special vein by his eye twitching. "Northwards then, and let's hope we all end up on Team Winter."

"Winter?" Pyrrha asked as they pushed through the trees and deeper into the forest.

"Of course, it's a wonderful name for the team - WNJR, with myself as leader naturally."

"Uh-huh…" Pyrrha sounded interested, but her face painted a different picture.

"The J doesn't really fit, but if we imagine the bit at the bottom cut off then it could fit as a T, at least from a distance."

"Why is my name the one to be butchered?" he sighed to Ruby. "Maybe the team ought to be called Team Whinger instead." The small girl had to hold her hands over her mouth to hide her laughter.

"What was that, Jaune?"

"Nothing Weiss!"

 _Somebody help me… where's Cardin when I need him?_ At least somebody seemed pleased with the transition. That being Ruby, who had jogged up to Pyrrha in order to chat. He could tell the older girl was still a little uncertain, the way she held herself screamed that she was worried the young girl would be another fan. Well, screamed to him… to anyone else she probably looked perfectly happy. Still, they would be good for one another. Ruby would help Pyrrha to break out of her shell better than he ever could – and Pyrrha could definitely handle Ruby's hyperactive nature. For the two of them the partnership would be a win-win, even if neither realised that yet. It was actually a bit of a surprise... he'd never seen Pyrrha and Ruby partnered together, as far back as he could remember.

It was his which was a little less stable. _At any other time, Weiss would have made a fine partner. She's just as dedicated as I usually am – all training and no play._ Problem was, he wasn't as he usually was – and it was too late to start now. Even if he buckled down and did everything to the best of his ability, there was only so much that could be achieved in five or six months. If he died at that point, then he'd wake back up five or six months before Beacon again.

It would still be far better to get expelled and live for another three or four years… enough time to make a real difference in the next life. Of course, Weiss would _totally_ understand that.

 _I hate my lives…_

* * *

"You're saying the temple is on the other side of this mountain?" Weiss wasn't quite so certain as she looked up at the huge mass of rock and stone that had risen from the treeline. It was like the blasted thing had appeared just to spite them.

"Maybe?" Pyrrha shrugged, "I mean we haven't come across the temple yet, and this cliff is north of us. I don't fancy climbing it, but we could certainly go around it."

Travel around it? That would take hours… the Headmaster hadn't actually specified a time limit for initiation, but Weiss wasn't foolish. There were more prospective students then there were places at Beacon, this test was as much to weed out the unworthy as it was establish teams. If they arrived at the temple to find that all the relics had been taken…? No, that couldn't be allowed to happen. The Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company could _not_ return in disgrace. Not after the boasts she had made to her father… what would it look like to fight so hard for independence, only to come crawling back weeks later asking for help?

Climbing the mountain was out of the question as well… while the direct route would be faster than going around it; their clothing and equipment wasn't suited for such a task. There had to be another way… they couldn't be the only people to have fallen on this side of it. Her eyes widened as she saw something to the right, barely visible through the branches and foliage.

"Or we could take the direct route," she cheered, rushing through the trees with her future team hot on her heels. It was only about fifty metres further down that she broke the treeline to reveal what had caught her attention. "Ta-da~"

"A cave?" Pyrrha asked, no doubt impressed with her find. "Do you think it goes all the way through?"

"Most caves do," Weiss nodded. "Unless they are small alcoves cut into the rock-face, which this obviously isn't, then it makes sense that there would be an exit point. Look," she pointed to some vines on the outside of the cave.

"Vines!" Ruby gasped. "Why are we excited to see vines?"

"Not the vines, you dolt. See how the leaves are blowing back and forth, as opposed to just one direction? That's a sign that there is some air coming from the cave – which means…"

"That there might be some monster inside it?" The blond man piped up. "Its breathing is moving the leaves."

"That there must be an exit on the other side," she corrected with a roll of her eyes. _Come now Weiss,_ she rebuked. _It wasn't a terrible guess and he is new to this, you need to give him some time._

"But there _could_ be a Grimm in there," he repeated, leaning forward to take a look inside. She couldn't see anything and apparently neither could he. "I've got a feeling this is a bad idea."

"No more likely a Grimm in there than out here," she argued. This _was_ a Grimm-infested forest, after all. And they were also Hunters, even if in training. Grimm were nothing more than an obstacle to be overcome, whether they were in a cave or outside it. "Grimm don't need food or water, and so don't need shelter either. It's not like the cave is any more likely to hold one." Her studies were very detailed; she'd had the best tutors Atlas could provide. Again, though, it wasn't completely stupid of him… he was at least trying to apply normal animal behaviour to those monsters.

"Did I mention that I have a bad feeling about this?"

"Yes, you did."

"What if there's a giant Deathstalker in there or something?"

Ruby snorted, "The entrance is only as big as you or Pyrrha, how would a Giant Deathstalker even fit inside?" As much as Weiss hated to admit it she was forced to nod along with the child's point. Really, he was worrying over nothing.

"I want it on record that I don't like this…"

"Consider it on record," Weiss rolled her eyes as she walked into the cave, drawing forth her scroll for light. She heard Pyrrha and Ruby enter after her, and a second later heard her partner's grumbling as he too gave in. "See, no Grimm?"

"Give it time…"

She ignored it as the cave wound on. Her SDC-branded scroll gave off only a little light, enough to illuminate a small area around them, which they all huddled into. The cave was certainly a disgusting enough location for a Grimm, she couldn't help but admit. The air was thick and heavy with just a tinge of moisture that spoke of damp rock and fungi, the walls also closed and opened every now and then – creating a claustrophobic sensation that forced them to squeeze together at certain points. It was definitely a hazard… but the fact that the breeze was starting to get a little stronger told her they were coming upon the exit.

An entire mountain, traversed in a matter of minutes… once more, the Schnee family came to the rescue. It was only to be expected.

Now if only the air washing across her wasn't quite so humid.

"I see a light!" Ruby squeaked, making Weiss jump a little as she pushed by. She considered calling the girl back but decided against it. There was a small prick of light ahead, though it almost seemed to be moving slightly. _Likely the sun's rays shimmering in the differences between air temperatures._ _The hot air outside mixing with the cool air creates a hazy effect._

"Er, Ruby," her partner called, one hand held out to stop her. "I think you shouldn't go running up to that light!"

"Why?" Weiss felt more than a little impish as she grinned. "Is it a Deathstalker?"

* * *

Ruby sighed as they sped through the forest, the agile girl idly ducking beneath a low hanging branch. It would have been a fairly nice moment, were it not for several hundred pounds of death chasing them.

"Nobody could have predicted this!"

" _I_ predicted this!"

"Are you two _still_ arguing?" Ruby cried, not sure which of them was worse. If she wasn't so focused on making sure she didn't trip over or run into a tree then she would have sped off and left them all alone! Okay, she wouldn't have done that – mostly because she wasn't one to leave a friend behind, but also a tiny bit because no one should have to admit to losing _two_ partners in as many hours. "Less talking, more running!"

"Ruby does have a point," Pyrrha coughed, struggling to keep pace with the faster students not burdened by armour. "How about we consider who was right or wrong once we manage to escape this thing?"

"What's there to consider?" Jaune growled, "I was- ow!" Ruby ducked as the Deathstalker barrelled into another tree, causing it to explode and sent splinters everywhere. Thankfully she had a six foot shield jogging behind her, who was currently picking bits of wood out of his hair. "Okay, fine – once we're away from this."

 _Do Grimm actually get tired though?_ This one certainly wasn't acting like it was going to run out of steam anytime soon. Sure they could try and hide or lose it, but it was destroying everything in its path… where were they supposed to go?

"I see the temple ahead!" Weiss gasped, "We should head there!" Ruby looked up, just in time to see what looked like the lower portion of a stone tower. It was now nothing more than a circle of grey brick, dilapidated and broken.

"How will a ruined temple help us!?" Jaune shouted back.

"We can grab the relics we need, obviously."

"We're being chased by a Giant Deathstalker and you're still more worried about the exam!?"

"You are not?" She sounded incredulous, or perhaps just disappointed. "Remember, I won't allow anything but the best results from you."

"I see some people ahead," Ruby's own partner piped up, silencing the duo as Ruby strained her silver eyes to see. There were four figures, becoming more distinct as they moved closer. It didn't take long for Ruby to identify that bright shock of solid gold hair.

"Yang!" she cried, loud enough that the girl in question turned to see her. Her big sister waved happily, shouting her name back. Apparently they didn't realise what was lumbering after them. Eh, she shrugged, they soon would.

"Hey Rub-" Yang didn't get any further, hair billowing back as four figures dashed past her. Ruby snatched a random chess piece, noticing the white-haired girl do the same.

"Hey Yang," Ruby yelped, "Bye Yang."

"Bye…?" Yang watched her sister run off with a raised brow, only to turn back as the black haired girl tapped on her shoulder. The quiet girl pointed back in the direction they had come from, just in time to point out a tree being hurtled towards them. "God damn it, Ruby…"

"Would anyone care to explain why this is chasing us?" Ruby didn't recognise the black-haired girl with the bow but didn't think this was the best time for introductions either. Not now that their party of four had become eight. She had to wince when the ruin behind them was practically blown up, showering brick and golden chess pieces around them. _I hope we don't get in trouble for that…_

"It was an unfortunate accident," Ruby winced, "no one could have predicted it." She pretended not to see the dirty look Jaune gave her. "I'm open for ideas on how to stop it."

"I'll be sure to share any that leap into my mind." The girl sighed. Her head turned to the guy running beside them, "I don't suppose _you_ have any plans for this, do you?" _What's with the emphasis on the you?_ Ruby thought to herself. It sounded like the two of them had history… and with the way she was acting, it wasn't a good one. Maybe they came from the same school, or had been bitter rivals in the past.

"…Oh, right. She's called Bethany!"

"My _name_ is Blake! How could you-?" She cut off, shaking her head as though to say she wasn't playing that game. "We're going to have to fight it. This thing isn't going to just sit back and let us get away. It's keeping up with us just fine and the only ones who are going to get tired is us." Ruby nodded as the message was passed further through the group. There were a couple of sighs, some half-meant complains, but there wasn't a single one of them that didn't realise the necessity of such an action. Even if they managed to run all the way back to Beacon, the thing would just crush them against the cliffs.

"Break apart and surround it," Ruby called to the others, "If we attack it from all angles we can bring it down. Bethany, pass the message onto everyone else."

"It's... oh whatever," the girl rolled her eyes and started passing the message down the line. Ruby saw them all nod in her direction, signalling their agreement to what was going to be a do or die moment.

"Scatter!" Yang shouted, ducking off to the side as they all split into different directions. Ruby activated her semblance and shot to the left, so fast that the Deathstalker could barely register her. Crescent Rose deployed in her hands, the blade cutting a furrow into the ground as she used it to halt her flight, spinning her round to land on two feet, weapon at the ready.

Only to see the Deathstalker bound off into the trees, leaving them all behind.

Ruby would admit to feeling just a _little_ bit cheated.

"Well," she coughed, hiding Crescent Rose and trying to not look like she'd just pulled an epic combat pose and then had a monster ignore her, "Maybe it wasn't actually chasing us after all?"

"Oh, oh!" The ginger girl jumped up and down, "Maybe it wanted to be a Hunter too, and was following us so it could get one of the relics. Ren, we _must_ have Mr. Fluffiekins on our team."

"Nora, please don't name it…" the man sighed.

"Don't worry Ruby." The younger girl looked up as a hand fell on her shoulder, Pyrrha coming to stand beside her. "There will be plenty of opportunities for us to show our skills later."

"Yeah sis, don't sweat it so much." Yang came up to ruffle her hair, not even realising how much she was embarrassing her in front of her new partner. "All's well that ends well."

"Wait, where's my partner?" Every single one of them turned to the girl who had spoken, noticing the conspicuous absence of the blond guy from earlier. Weiss was looking left and right, even going so far as to life up one shoe and look under it.

"All's well that ends well?"

* * *

"Why!?" Jaune ducked back as the Grimm's huge stinger buried into the ground he'd once occupied, grass and plant life withering as poison was injected straight into the soil. The nature of the `why` could have applied to many things. Why did such a huge creature have a poisonous stinger in the first place, when its main source of prey was small enough to be _crushed_ by it, rather than pierced? Why did such a huge creature live right next to a school that trained people to kill it? Had no one even noticed it? Why was it in a cave in the first place, where the entrance was too small to even contain it?

But for Jaune it was more of a "Why does this always happen to me?" sort of thing. The plan had been so clever too. They would all scatter and surround it. And Jaune, in his infinite wisdom, would scatter onwards – ergo, out of the fight entirely.

It wasn't running… it was aggressive scattering. And if the others just so managed to kill it before it was his turn to have a go? Well, that would have been a shame, but one he could live with if he tried hard enough.

Except that the asshole had decided to follow him and only him, leaving all the other more powerful combatants behind. _This is Karma again, isn't it?_ He ducked behind a tree, only to wince as it was reduced to sawdust and splinters not a nanosecond later.

"You know," the blond called out almost conversationally, "I'm supposed to be trying to fail this test." The tail came down again, slamming into the ground as this time Jaune stepped closer to the beast's maw. Crocea Mors slid from its sheathe, twisting in a two-handed grip as he swung it at the struggling stinger. There was a roar of agony as it reared back, bleeding stump of a tail flailing angrily.

"Yeah I know, right? That's sort of how I feel too. Because there I was, just trying to live my life normally and fail," quick step to the side to avoid the pincers, a hop over the other set as they tried to snatch his feet. "And then you have to come along and go all `violent creature of darkness` on me."

Okay, those pincers were starting to get annoying now. Jaune ducked under them with a sigh, rolling forward on one shoulder to pass beneath the two snapping mandibles. The creature's legs skittered angrily as it tried to turn its heavily armoured bulk back to face him. It stumbled, however, as Jaune lopped off two of its right-hand legs.

"Do you have any idea" he sighed, circling the Grimm as it tried to turn to follow him, struggling with its unbalanced number of legs, "how inconvenient it would be for me to die here?"

He was, what, three hours into initiation? That would be the most irritating re-do ever. He wouldn't even get to try and avoid Beacon, basically coming back to when he woke up this morning, except that his family would once more be strangers. People he had no interaction with… who thought their son had abandoned them. He wouldn't have Coral, Hazel, Jade… he wouldn't have any of them.

"Some things change," Jaune sighed, jogging a little faster around the flailing creature, before cutting off another leg. "Some things stay the same… there's no Nevermore for Ruby and her lot to kill, but I guess I'm always at least somewhat responsible for putting you down, aren't I?"

It screeched at him. The sound low and undulating, filled with anger and… well, more anger. The Grimm really weren't very original, but that was for the best. It was the original ones you really needed to look out for - because those tended to be intelligent.

"Any last words?" he sighed. The Deathstalker's mouth opened, spewing another high-pitched scream, only to go silent as Crocea Mors bit into its maw. "Sheesh, forget I asked." It twitched and spasmed for another ten seconds or so, legs slowly starting curl up beneath it as the claws came to rest against its face.

 _Now what?_ Jaune wondered as he stepped off the decaying Grimm, sheathing Crocea Mors as he landed. There were always teachers watching over the students, so with this little display he'd probably gone and secured his spot in Beacon… if Ozpin hadn't gone and done that already. Such a pain… _Damn Deathstalker wasn't even strong, for all we panicked about you every time. No matter what happens, you were always killed by fresh recruits._

It didn't even matter that his training in this life was just about null. He'd had zero training _and_ zero experience the first time, and still managed to kill it. At the end of the day, the Grimm really weren't what he tended to die to. Well, except for when he met the really ridiculous ones… like the one time he'd decided to try and save Beacon by fighting that dragon one on one.

That hadn't been the best idea… on the bright side, being turned into a smear had been a new experience.

Jaune bit back a yawn. All that running had taken its toll, not to mention the lack of sleep and dangerously early morning. Normally he liked to wake up at the crack of noon… this was going to be a rough transition.

 _Speaking of home,_ Jaune looked down at his scroll with a smile. It couldn't hurt, and he doubted there'd be much time later. With a small sigh he knelt down, sitting back against some tree roots before kicking his legs out before him. The grass was soft and untouched, while the canopy above sent tiny dappled specks of sunlight dancing across his skin. The Grimm-infested places always were the most beautiful… a testament to the way mankind liked to destroy and change the landscape around them.

"Jaune!" the screen flickered to life as the call went through, Sable's bright blue eyes lit up as she saw him, the girl waving at the camera. He chuckled as he waved back, lifting one hand up to his face as a toothy smile broke out. "Oh, it's so good to see you – how is Beacon?"

"Exhausting, sis… definitely exhausting."

"Are we talking normal person exhausting, or Jaune Arc exhausting?" she teased. "Because one tends to involve heavy lifting, while the other sometimes just involves walking to the bathroom."

"The former," he sighed. "Up at seven, rushed breakfast straight into a monster-filled forest. I'm not sure why anyone would actually want to do any of this for a career. Enough about that anyway, I want to hear about home."

"Things aren't bad here," she said – and it was the `not bad` which had his eyes softening. "We all miss you, which is odd since we normally wouldn't even _see_ you at this time in the morning. But just yesterday Sapphire went into your room to wake you up for lunch and just sort of stood there. Mum thinks this counts as the first time one of Sapphire's chicks has left the nest, and she doesn't know how to deal with it."

"Tell Saph I love her," a pointed cough came through the scroll, "and all of you as well, naturally."

"Damn right," Sable flicked some of her blonde hair behind her, only to frown as it came back down to hand before her left eye. Her bangs had always been a defining feature of hers, no matter how much she tried to control them. "Coral's been moody as well, though she'll hardly admit it. Someone tried to ask her out yesterday. I hear the guy will make a full recovery in time. Physically, anyway."

Ouch, poor guy… at least she hadn't said yes. That would have led to even more psychological trauma for the man.

"Mum's been cranky too, stalking round the house like a real Beowolf. Dad had to go on a mission, so he's not even here to calm her down. Hazel said she looked like she needed a good f-, well, some alone-time. You can imagine how well that went down."

"She alright?"

"Who? Mum's fine, managed to work out some of her frustration chasing Hazel round the house."

"I was talking about Hazel."

"She'll make a full recovery in time." Sable grinned, "Physically, anyway."

"Why are all the women in my life so violent?" he sighed dramatically. Theatrics aside, it was actually a rather pertinent question. The kindest person he knew was probably Velvet, and she was an absolute monster when she was in a bad mood. Plus, the whole stealing everyone's weapons and fighting style whenever she felt like it.

"That's like a bad driver asking why accidents keep happening to him. We're violent because you make us violent. Please tell me you haven't slept with someone already?"

"Such faith," he grinned, enjoying the way she slammed a hand into her forehead. "Even I need at least a day or two, Sable. You must really have a low opinion of the women here to think they'd jump on the Jaune express so soon. Or maybe just a high opinion of my abilities."

"Please don't name it, brother…"

"Ahem?" Someone coughed from nearby.

"Anyway, make sure Amber doesn't wreck my room, okay?" The last thing he needed to hear was that she'd organised some kind of girl's party in there or something. The little brat… he loved her, but she'd better be prepared to run if he found unicorns drawn on his wall.

" _Ahem_!"

"Amber won't do anything," Sable laughed, "She acts like she's glad to have the extra room, but I think she just wants to be closer to her brother." Sable cooed through the scroll, Jaune's expression echoed it, a soft _awww_ running through his head.

"A-HEM."

"Hang on Sable," he sighed, turning with a frown, "Do you mind-?!"

"Jaune…?" Sable's voice came through the scroll, wondering why her brother was being so quiet.

"Please," Weiss Schnee smiled… the gesture filled with teeth. "By all means, don't let me distract you from what must be a very important conversation. We can wait." Behind her stood the rest of the two groups, though none looked prepared to step between the two of them. Likely because none of them were that stupid.

"Hey Sable? I'll uh… call you back later, okay?"

"Wait, have you been eating properly?"

"Yes, I've been eating properly…" he sighed.

"Have you made any friends?" Another question, this time loud enough for everyone in the quiet clearing to hear. Weiss' eyebrow seemed to rise even higher, threatening to take flight and leave her face entirely. Yang was snickering however, while Ruby looked on in that sort of `I know your pain` way.

"Sort of?"

"You _did_ have a shower and wash yourself properly this morning, didn't you?"

" _Sable_ ," he whined. What was he, a seven year old? "Yes, I had a shower… and yes, I know how to wash myself. Now, I have to go – bye!" His thumb slammed down on the end call button, but not before she got one final comment in.

"Don't get anyone pregnant!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Blake sighed, eyes flat, looking down on him as though he were some terrible insect that had dared to appear before her. Of all the impressions he'd made, hers seemed to be the worst. Yang's snickers had turned into full blown laughter by this point. Even with her being awkward around him, it still didn't seem to change the fact he was, as always, her prime source of comic relief.

"Finish your call?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah actually, thanks for waiting."

"No probl- WHERE IS THE DEATHSTALKER!?" Her shout frightened birds from the nearby trees. It was just his luck that it _didn't_ summon a Nevermore that would have saved him from answering. Naturally, if it were him, he'd have probably caught the attention of one if he so much as coughed.

"Deathstalker?" He tried, only to wince as two deceptively small and delicate hands fisted in his shirt, lifting him back onto his feet.

"Big Grimm, chasing you, did _that_." She pointed back to where the Grimm had chased him from, and more importantly the rather obvious trail of destroyed trees and churned up soil. All of which ended literally at this point, where he'd been sat.

"It…" Could he say that he'd killed it? Easily enough, they might believe him – but then that would also paint him as a competent Hunter in training, which would mean they'd know he was faking it when he started to act out in an attempt to get expelled. "Tripped."

"It tripped…?" She did _not_ sound impressed.

"Yeah… it was chasing me, going absolutely crazy – I had no idea what to do. And then, as though by Fate, it tripped on its own legs – falling into the crevasse." Jaune nodded sagely, crossing his arms. "Truly the creature was hoisted by its own petard."

"You expect us to believe," Pyrrha started.

"-that you were chased alone… and managed to bring it here," Ren continued.

"-where after chasing us with no problem for so long, the Deathstalker," Weiss took over.

"Which has eight legs for stability, by the way," Blake added – just for good measure.

"Tripped over," Weiss again, "fell into a crevasse and died?"

"Yes." Jaune nodded happily. "You're all acting like that's unusual... Grimm _are_ mindless. They don't exactly do well with strategy. And I, of course, being an intelligent and adaptable human, was able to use that to my advantage." He held his arms wide, as though inviting them to shower him with praise.

"You're covered in blood," Weiss pointed out.

"Don't worry, it's not mine."

"That's the _point_ , idiot! If it killed itself, then why are you all bloody and tired!?"

"Ah, _that_." The blond hedged, fighting for an excuse. "I also tripped and fell."

"…" Weiss' eye twitched. "Did you hit your head on the way down as well? Should I see about taking you to the infirmary once we return?"

"Why, _Weiss_ , are you worried about me?" Deflect with teasing. It had always worked before, usually to drive her into a stammering mess if you suggested that she actually cared about you.

"Of course I'm worried for you! Don't you understand!?" Blue eyes widened. She was… but she'd never- "Can you imagine what it would look like if I were to appear back at Beacon with my partner having died? I'd be a complete laughing stock!"

 _And suddenly we're back in the real world…_

"Looks like the two of you are getting on well." Jaune had no idea how Ren managed to say that with a straight face. Maybe living with Nora had taken more impact on his friend than Jaune had ever realised. "There are eight of us though, and if my guess is correct we're going to be teamed with the corresponding relic pieces. Nora and I have castle."

The others all quickly started rummaging around for their pieces, eager to see how the teams had shaped up. By this point Jaune had already given up, knowing he was going to be stuck with some of them. _Please Ren and Nora, please Ren and Nora._ The lesser of six evils by far...

"I have a Knight!" Weiss cheered. _Damn it!_ The heiress ignored him entirely, instantly spinning to look towards Pyrrha and Ruby. Well, the latter was debatable – since she was staring hungrily at the famous redhead. Ruby just came along as part of the package.

"Castle," Ruby announced.

"You idiot!" Weiss screeched, "You picked up the wrong piece!"

"Somehow, I don't think I did…" Ruby mumbled quietly.

"What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Then that leaves…" Jaune sighed, all eyes turning to the final pair who walked reluctantly up to them. Yang looked like she wanted nothing less than to run away, not once meeting his eyes. Blake on the other hand settled for alternating not-so-subtle glares between Weiss and him.

 _Great… this is just great._

Reset by Deathstalker wasn't looking quite so inconvenient anymore.

* * *

The Schnee had managed to calm herself down by the time they made it back up to the Academy. What had started as an overflowing cauldron of bile had come down to a hot simmer, threatening to burst at any moment. Blake watched it all with veiled curiosity, hoping the brat would have an aneurism and go back to Atlas to recover. In fact, why wasn't she studying in Atlas in the first place?

No doubt an attempt to expand their influence, paying their way into a new school so that the SDC presence could be shared with Vale, Atlas' closest ally. Things would have been so much easier had the heiress picked somewhere like Mistral instead.

 _And even easier if she took him with her._ Jaune Arc, she'd almost forgotten the name. She'd heard one of his family members say something, but at the time that hadn't been what she was focused on. A mixture of emotional pain over severing her ties with Adam, mixed with mortification at being caught with a naked man.

He'd claimed he didn't remember her… how was that even possible? Who could forget nearly being killed by terrorists on a train? Or the fight they'd had with deadly robots? Or that he'd done it all in the buff for crying out loud?

How was any of that forgettable!?

She didn't trust him… not one bit. Blake considered herself a good judge of character, at least when it came to combat ability. When she'd first seen him in that carriage she had immediately dismissed him as a civilian. It wasn't just the fact that he hadn't had a weapon at the time… he had one now, and her mind was still telling her he was a civilian. It was the way he carried himself, half-slouched over, arms swinging a little too much. Or even the way he panted now, winded by the climb back up the staircase dug into the Cliffside, even though that had been a good ten minutes ago and they were now stood in the auditorium. That was the kind of stamina a normal, non-trained person had.

He was no threat, of that her mind was certain. So why was she still so worried?

Because he reminded her of Adam…

It was a stupid thought. Incredibly stupid… the two were nothing alike physically, and from what she'd seen of his personality? Well, let's just say if Adam had been anything like _him_ , then it might have been a good thing for normal people. He was a flirt, a philanderer and… and just an idiot!

And yet she couldn't shake that thought. He didn't have a stance, or at least he didn't carry himself with one. If he were to be attached then the best thing he could manage would be to fall on his rear and beg for mercy, because with hands on both knees and bent over, there was no way he could draw his weapon in time.

 _You're being paranoid,_ she shook her head lightly. _It makes sense; he could ruin me if he actually remembered. But I can't keep assuming everyone is out to get me._ She couldn't afford to spend the next four years jumping at every shadow, or seeing Adam in every person to cross her path.

"Ruby Rose, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie," the Headmaster's voice drew her attention back to the proceedings. She had to bite back the tiniest smile when she saw the four walk onto the stage, though in truth the source of her amusement was the jealous grumbling by the Schnee. _I wouldn't mind being on that team either._ "You found and located the white castle pieces, therefore you now form a new team. Henceforth you will be known as Team RRNN or Team Rubine, led by Ruby Rose."

"Scraping the barrel a bit there," Blake's partner whispered, clapping nonetheless. Blake followed her cue, guessing it was for the benefit of the blonde's little sister. Blake wasn't sure what she thought of her own partner either, to be honest. Loud, bright and attention-grabbing… the girl was the antithesis of everything Blake was. But then again, maybe that could work to her advantage? Who would notice quiet Blake Belladonna when they had this woman to focus their attention on?

"Shush!" Weiss Schnee hissed at the two of them, looking for all the world like she had the right to be mortified. Yang scowled, rolling her eyes – and immediately gained more than a few points in Blake's mind.

"Next we have the white knight pieces, which were selected by Weiss Schnee, Jaune Arc, Yang Xiao-Long and Blake Belladonna." To her annoyance there were a few whistles from the crowd as they climbed the stairs. She bore it all with the bitter knowledge that it would have been very different had she not been wearing her bow. The Schnee looked like she revelled in it, however. Nodding and smiling out towards the crowd. "For collecting these pieces, the four of you will be placed together. Henceforth you will be known as Team JBWY, or Team Jazzberry."

 _What kind of name is that?_ Blake thought with a grimace, noticing that the rest of her team also looked less than enamoured with it. The only male on the team looked downright horrified, staring up at the Headmaster with an accusatory gaze.

"Led by Jaune Arc."

 _Wait, what!?_

"What!?" The Schnee erupted, what little control she had on her temper gone in an instant.

"What!?" Their new leader echoed, sounding just as displeased.

The Headmaster coughed, "I said tha-"

"What!?" Everyone looked back towards Team Rubine. "Everybody else was doing it." The ginger girl shrugged.

"Thank you Miss Valkyrie." The man sighed, "I said that Mr Arc is the leader of Team Jazzberry. May we continue, or are there any more outbursts to come?"

"You be-" A hand appeared across their leader's mouth, cutting him off as a white head of hair popped up before his face.

"None at all, we apologise." Weiss said, practically dragged Jaune off the stage. Many in the crowd were actively laughing at them now, not that it bothered Blake any. It would have been nice to fade a little bit into the background, however. Not draw attention to their team like this. The Headmaster nodded, turning back to the crowd without missing a single beat.

"Then it is my pleasure to welcome you all officially to Beacon. If you check your scrolls you will find that you have each been assigned dormitories within the school, at which your scroll will act as a key." The speech went on a little longer, listing a few simple rules and how their lesson plans had also been sent to their devices. Blake listened to it all with only half her attention, the other half thinking back on all the things that had taken place today. On what was the first day of her new life.

 _So this is my team…_ the disguised faunus let out a long sigh. A loud and attention-seeking blonde who seemed to go quiet and awkward around their leader; the Heiress of the company which had oppressed her people for so long who also no doubt felt _she_ should be leader and the one person who could ruin her new life at Beacon – who might also be a pervert, mentally unhinged – or both.

This wasn't going to be awkward at all…

* * *

"You didn't bring up their behaviour in the Emerald Forest," Glynda Goodwitch pointed out as she sat across the staffroom table from her superior. She caught the tiny curl to his lips, just from the edge of her vision. He hid it a second later, laying the scroll he'd been looking at down on the table.

"Whatever do you mean, Glynda? I'm afraid there was a lot going on in the forest today. You'll need to be more specific."

So that was how he wanted to play things? "I am of course referring to Miss Schnee and her partner. That is, her _original_ partner. You would not normally have allowed someone to change their decision in such a way… I hope this isn't some level of favouritism on your part."

"Towards the Schnee Heiress?" Ozpin chuckled. "You know I'd not do anything like that… not where James might notice."

"The boy then." Glynda nodded. "Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc, two people you specifically sought out for entry into Beacon. I'm more surprised you didn't try to place them on a team together."

"That might have been interesting." He paused to take a long sip of coffee. "Ultimately, however, it seems that it was not to be. You know I do not involve myself in the selection process, as easy as it would be to alter the trajectory of the launch pads."

"I wasn't accusing you of that. More that you allowed Miss Schnee to break the rules in such a manner. If it were me, I would have had her drawn before the audience and forcibly placed with Miss Rose."

"And you would perhaps have been right to do so." It was infuriating at times, the way he would just shrug and say something like that. "In truth though, my motives are far less calculating than you believe. Miss Schnee and Miss Rose simply do not get on well enough to foster teamwork, it seems. While I am sure that could have been fixed in time, it seems that they each decided it was better to take a different approach. The bridge has been burned... if we were to force them together now, I fear they might rebel. On the other hand, so long as they don't make a habit of it, there's nothing wrong with allowing this to slide."

"The Schnee Heiress is letting her colours show," Glynda sighed. "It's one thing to think less of someone, but to judge so quickly… I wonder if that will lead to some early defeats in the rings. Such arrogance can lead to underestimating one's foe." If that was the case then she would soon force it out of the girl… no one would be allowed to be so foolish in her lessons. Ozpin didn't even comment on it. Simply looking at her in a way that said he trusted she would make sure that did not come to pass. "That team though," she sighed, "I'm concerned about choosing him as the leader… from what you tell me, and what I've seen… it looks like he has problems with authority."

"Authority," Ozpin's finger played with the edge of his scroll, "or motivation? It's too early to tell at this point. Whatever the result, I don't believe the team would work well together if Miss Schnee were to be elevated above her peers."

Glynda could only sigh, sitting a little lower in the uncomfortable chair as she squeezed the bridge of her nose. Initiation truly was the worst time to be a teacher… so much preparation and work, so much upheaval, so little sleep.

"Perhaps the responsibility will provide some motivation." She wasn't sure, but surrendered the point to him anyway. "At the very least Miss Schnee might be motivated to whip him into shape. I have to ask though Ozpin… Jazzberry?"

The Headmaster let out a rueful laugh, "It was not an easy team to name."

"Well I suppose it will do." Glynda rolled her eyes, fighting back a yawn before climbing to her feet. "If you will excuse me though, I believe I will be settling in for an early night. I will see you tomorrow, Ozpin."

"Pleasant dreams, Glynda," he nodded back, watching as she exhausted woman let herself out. A yawn might have forced its way past his hand too, had he not brought the mug to his lips. Caffeine, delicious and invigorating, soon brought an end to that.

Such intriguing teams this year… not at all how he had expected. It was true that they did not interfere with the selection process, trying to control things so directly had a nasty habit of backfiring. Besides, by far better for future Hunters to have someone they could trust and respect by their side… rather than someone who only complimented their skills on a technical level. Once more he reached down to push the play button on his scroll. The video whirred back into action, showing the moment a single young man had torn down such a fearsome creature.

Ozpin wondered, as he continued to watch that recording, if Mr Arc even realised how he had looked as he fought what should have been the second Grimm he had ever seen - and quite the dangerous one at that?

For as the camera zoomed in on his face. Ozpin could only hum at the apathy, the _disinterest_... the utter boredom Mr Arc expressed.

"What an interesting year this is shaping up to be."

* * *

 **Argh, I hate these events so much… there's very little you can do in making them original or new – yet they still need to happen. All I can say is that I'm looking forward to having more freedom come next chapter, much of which is already planned out and in my opinion looks better already.**

 **So there we have it, the teams as they stand. Deciding it was not a case of going "Oh, let's just switch one person around" but actually me sitting down months ago when I shared the idea with College Fool, and asking myself "Which combination of characters best serves the plot, while also creating problems for our poor little protagonist?"**

 **I considered breaking every single person up, with no preferences as to keeping any of the partnerships together. Ultimately, however, it just came about that Yang and Blake would be best. And you can probably see why. Nora and Ren are just too passive, too accepting. They would allow Jaune to fade into the distance if he wanted to, hell, Nora would _encourage_ him with acting out to get in trouble. Meanwhile Pyrrha as a partner would not be confident or aggressive enough to try and stop him. Ruby also has too much influence on him because reasons... this is the perfect balance in my eyes.  
**

 **Oh, and btw, Jazzberry and Rubine are technically colours, yes. The RWBY lore is a little inconsistent at times… we know last names can be used in the letters due to Sky Lark using L in Cardinal. Plus, as one reviewer pointed out to me, Team SSSN isn't a colour at all – but a celestial body. Either way, I stuck to colours for the sake of being careful ;)  
**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 24th June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	9. Chapter 9

**One or two people have asked, "is this serious or comedy? It seems to go back and forth…" Well, it is a serious fic with comedy, but I would often call it black comedy. The jokes of the previous chapter, the amusing instances in the future… they are there to be laughed at, but they also hint at deeper, darker things. Weiss' obstinacy in the previous chapter in having Jaune as her partner was played for laughs, but it's true that to Jaune – this could mean his death in the long run.**

 **So yes, this is a serious fic, but it also has comedy in it as well. It is meant to be a meshing of many genres, and honestly there has always been a little comedy – interspersed with darker moments, as will continue to be. It isn't meant to be slapstick or school-life comedy, though it may at times feel like it. I suppose the only thing I can say is to think of the reasons behind why Jaune is acting in such a manner. And that should drain it of some light-heartedness.**

* * *

 **Beta:** _College Fool_

 **Chapter 9 – Birth of a team**

* * *

"Stop hogging the shower!"

"A girl like me needs her time to shine, princess. Do you have any idea how long it takes to maintain hair like this?"

"We only have an hour before lessons, that's hardly enough time for all of us to prepare!"

"What world do you live in where an hour isn't enough to get dressed? Typical Schnee, I suppose…"

"What's that Belladonna? You have something to say?"

The lone male in the room went ignored, stumbling over to a desk and falling into the seat. The cool wood called to him, offered him wonderful slumber if only he would accept the crooked neck pain he would receive upon waking. A yawn slipped out, but he brought forth pen and paper regardless.

 _Dear Family,_

He considered those words. They were a good start, promising, powerful… but it didn't quite say enough.

 _Dear Family and Coral,_

Ahh… that was better.

 _It has been three months since I arrived at Beacon, and time here has been difficult… my team is disjointed, territorial and argumentative. I do not normally like to judge so quickly, but I believe after three months together I can say with some certainty that they are driving me to insanity._

 _Please send help, or failing that, enough industrial bleach for me to help myself…_

 _Your loving son, brother, crappy-sex-novel-protagonist,_

 _Jaune Arc_

Jaune finished with a sigh, scratching his name on the bottom and leaning back. Only to let out a half-hearted protest as it was snatched from the table, the white-haired girl in her fresh uniform scowling as she read through it.

"What is - Three months? Initiation was _yesterday_ , it hasn't even been twenty-four hours!"

"Ah, really?" Jaune scratched his cheek with one finger, cocking his head to the side. "Wow, it feels like a lot longer…"

"And what is _that_ supposed to mean? And what is this about us driving you to insanity? I've done nothing more than wake you up!"

"What time was that supposed to be anyway?" His head fell atop his crossed arms, blue eyes watching the girl blearily from beneath one armpit.

"Six."

"Is it nearly dinner?"

"Six am, you ditz… did you hit your head last night?"

"Six… _am_?" His eyes crossed as he tried to process what that even was. Weiss' entire frame seemed to shiver with rage, only the opening of the bathroom door being enough to distract her. The heiress reigned it in, muttering something about bad mornings and not letting her temper get the best of her.

"And Yang Xiao-Long emerges," the blonde girl declared, holding her arms wide as though expecting some applause. The smirk fell from her face when all she received was the blank looks from two females, and a muted `yay` from the guy slumped at the desk. "Tough crowd, who needs the bathroom next?"

"Go, go," Weiss huffed, pushing the reluctant man towards the door. Yang was forced to wince as he was practically thrown inside, the door slamming shut as she heard him stumble. At least the low cursing told her he hadn't been knocked unconscious. "I can't believe this is my team… this is ridiculous."

"Hey now," Yang sighed, stepping in before her own partner could respond. It didn't take a genius to see that the Blake didn't get on well with Weiss. "None of us expected to be on a team together, but we're going to have to try and make it work. So why don't we all put the pitchforks down and learn to get along?"

"I suppose there is some merit to that," Weiss said, "Our team will only look the worse if we are unable to co-operate. Very well, I will endeavour to lowe- to be less demanding when it comes to what I expect of you all." Yang nodded happily, ignoring the flare of anger that had sparked within her at that veiled insult. She paused, however, when a finger prodded between her breasts, the heiress suddenly within her guard. "But that means you must do the same in return! I don't know what your history is with our lead- our leade… with Jaune – but you look ridiculous dancing around and refusing to meet his eyes."

"Leader is the word you were looking for," Blake smirked. Yang let the two descend into their own argument, taking the time to let out a quiet sigh. Yeah, she could see the argument for that… it was a bit hypocritical to say the others had to open up if she wasn't willing to do the same. But that didn't make it easy, either.

 _"If by detention you mean prison, then you may be right."_ There was a burning in the palm of her hand. And it took her a second to realise it was her nails, piercing through aura and skin to draw tiny droplets of blood. _"Miss Xiao-long is a promising Huntress, trained by professionals. She has the capacity to do much good for the Kingdom of Vale, but also much evil."_

 _I'm not… I didn't mean…_ The tears were threatening to come forth once more, but she forced them down ruthlessly, disguising the act of wiping her eyes by yawning and turning away from her two teammates. Damn it, she hadn't cried in forever… not until she ended up running into him anyway. Then she'd cried at the police station and felt like doing it here too.

And the worst part was that it wasn't even his fault. She had been the one to attack him… she had been the one to escalate the fight – it had been her who could have killed him. He had just defended himself, and then come the morning, defended her too. The only reason she was here with her sister, and not rotting in a cell, was because he had sacrificed himself on her behalf.

And that was terrifying.

It frightened her, more than she dared admit. She was scared that he would ask for something in return, yet also scared that he would not – that she would be in his debt forever. It scared her that she might be responsible for him if anything were to happen… she knew he must have had some training, but it apparently wasn't to the level of her own, even if he had held out against her at the club. That had been a drunken brawl, not a fight to the death against Grimm. If he got hurt or worse died… that would be her fault, wouldn't it? And it would be just like that time she had nearly gotten Ruby killed. Except that this time there would be no Uncle Qrow to the rescue.

 _Come on girl, are you a Xiao-Long or not? You've faced Grimm, criminals and even Qrow with a hangover. You can handle talking to one guy, even if he has every right to hate your guts._

Damn it… why had she ended up on this team, of all places?

"What the hell is taking him so long?" Her attention was brought back to the other members of her team, who had apparently less come to an agreement, and more gotten bored of sniping at one another. "He's been in there almost thirty minutes. Don't tell me this is something common with all blondes?"

"I shouldn't think so," Yang's quiet partner sniped, "Why don't you go in and check if you're so worried. He is your partner, after all."

And there was another thing as well, if Yang wasn't mistaken. She'd known Blake for all of maybe sixteen hours, a good portion of which they'd been asleep for. But it didn't take a genius to notice how cold the girl was with them… or more specifically, with the J and W of the team. Not that the girl was a bundle of joy around herself either, but it felt like they had started to get along back in the forest. Again, any and all progress had been washed away the moment they'd been saddled on this team.

 _She keeps glaring at him- Jaune… But the way she glares at Weiss is different._ It was like she disliked Weiss, but was nervous and irritable around Jaune. _What a complicated mess I've managed to get myself into._

"Jaune!" The two of them sat back and watched as the loudest member of their team pressed an ear to the door, knocking on it lightly. "Jaune, are you nearly ready? We only have thirty minutes or so. We can't be late to our first lesson!"

Blake and Yang shared a glance and an eye-roll. For someone so small, their teammate sure could be demanding. She wasn't sure how long that would last… she'd never been the best student in Signal, and she sure as hell wasn't going to give up a life of fun now that she was at Beacon. If Weiss wanted them to be perfect little drones, then she had another thing coming. That said, even Yang wasn't going to purposefully skip the first lessons of Beacon… that was a little much.

"Jau-" the Heiress' eyes seemed to narrow. A second later Yang's own widened in shock - as the girl reared back and _kicked_ the bathroom door open. Yang was on her feet a second later, peering over Weiss' shoulder with Blake doing the same.

"Zzzzz…" Just in time to see the only male member of their team, who happened to be their esteemed leader, sprawled in the shower. Still in his pyjamas, no water on, but fast asleep. She had no idea how he could sleep like that, propped up against tiles still damp from her own shower.

"What are you _doing_!?" Weiss' screech was deafening, made more so by the acoustic properties of the small room. Blake even went so far as to wince at the volume, while Yang's eye twitched. The blond snorted once, blue eyes blinking as he looked up at them with the kind of dopey expression all recently woken people sported. "We have less than thirty minutes until class and you are _sleeping_ , what's wrong with you!?"

"I'm tired?" Yang had to admit, as she watched the little Weiss teapot start to boil, the guy had balls… if nothing else, she would remember him for that.

"You are the leader of Team Berry!" Weiss snarled, pointing down at him imperiously. Each word was like ice chipped from the wall of a glacier, dripping with malice and supressed rage. "Your actions reflect on us, your reputation reflects on us! You need to look your best at _all_ times! You can't afford to be sleeping in the bathroom when we have lessons so soon! What do you have to say for yourself?"

He blinked, "Isn't it Team Jazzberry?"

"I know what I said. If we're fortunate we can convince people not to refer to us by that asinine name. Even Berry is demeaning, but it's better than the alternative."

"But I like Jazz…" Yang wondered if he was actually this slow, or if the guy was just taking the mickey out of the high-strung girl. Either way, Yang grinned as she settled in to watch.

"I have no professional problem with Jazz music, but that doesn't mean I want our team to be associated with it. Next thing you know, people will be expecting us to dress up in ridiculous outfits with ties that don't even match." The girl blinked and shook her head, dispelling the image. "No, I won't be distracted. Get up, get dressed – we don't have the time for you to take a shower, or worse, another nap. I want you out of those pyjamas and into your uniform right now!"

* * *

"Hi Jaune," Ruby waved to the young man that stumbled into the classroom literally seconds before the bell rang. He didn't wave back, but she'd kind of figured out that was his way by now. The jury was still out on whether he even liked her, to be honest… but since he was teammates with her sister, Ruby was determined to get to know him. It was with that determination, that when he didn't return her greeting and chose a seat quite a distance from her, she instead stood up and went to sit beside him, her team in tow. As she approached, however, her eyes widened. "Whoah, what happened to you?"

"Mixed messages," the blond sighed, leaning forward and laying his head on the desk as she sat down beside him. Even then, the bright red handprint on his cheek still showed. "I did what I was told and then got punished for it… my team is insane."

"You!" Ruby's thankfully-not-partner hissed. Her face also glowed a curious shade of red. "You weren't supposed to do that in front of us all!"

"You said right away…"

Question marks popped into Ruby's mind as she looked towards Yang for an explanation. Her sister just chuckled though, rubbing her hair nervously as she refused to make eye contact. The girl beside her was no help either, just shaking her head with a disappointed expression.

"So… how are things with your team?" she tried instead, throwing the question out towards all of them. "Mine's great – I was worried at first, but then Pyrrha said she thought I would make a good leader. Nora's awesome, and even though Ren seems really quiet and anti-social, he's actually really supportive and kind. I think Team Rubine is going to be _epic_!"

"Lucky you," Weiss growled, slamming her notebook down on the desk hard enough to cause a few cracks.

"Ours, how should I say?" Yang shrugged, "We've got some teething problems to work out."

"Kill me…" The man beside her whimpered.

"Trust me," his partner whispered, "If I could get away with it – I would."

 _Okaaaayy…_ Yep, definitely sounded like she'd dodged not only a bullet, but an entire Bullhead there. Sure it was scary not being on a team with Yang, but she couldn't have asked for more awesome teammates. Nora was kinda like Yang too, or similar enough in exuberance that Ruby had no problem talking to her.

Beacon had, against all expectations, actually been more awesome than she'd ever expected it would be! In fact, her biggest worry had been her own partner, who was sat on her right. She'd have had to be an idiot to not know who Pyrrha Nikos was, which was why it had come as a bit of a shock to have herself declared leader of the team. Pyrrha had seemed to notice something was up immediately though, and with Nora helping, they'd wheedled the concern out of Ruby.

Before telling her that they had complete faith in her, and would even help her learn to be a better leader. Ren had just nodded from the side-lines, already unpacking Nora's bags along with his own. It was official.

Best Team Ever.

"So…" Ruby struggled for a safe topic, "looking forward to lessons?"

"Certainly," Weiss answered, apparently mistaking the question as being directed at her. For all the fact Jaune didn't pay the slightest bit of attention, it might as well have been. "Beacon has some of the most prestigious and well-known Hunters under its employ. Certainly their instruction must be far above what is available elsewhere."

"Uh-huh…" Ruby could already feel her excitement dimming.

"It's a chance for us to truly share in the knowledge and experience these people have to offer. I am truly thankful for the opportunity. Maybe it will even be a chance for someone like you to improve."

 _Someone like me, huh?_ Ruby didn't bother rising to it, knowing that to do so would just prompt another argument. Pyrrha's elbow nudged against her arm lightly, the redhead giving her a little smile for encouragement. It cheered the young leader up more than she thought it would. It didn't matter what Weiss thought about her… because her team had faith. That was more than enough.

"What about you, Jaune?" Ruby tried again. This time she made sure to address him directly, just to avoid Weiss chipping in. She caught a glimpse of one dark blue eye from the shadowy confines of his crossed arms. It looked at her without emotion, almost as though it were debating the merits of addressing her.

Ruby began to fidget in her seat.

"I'm sure it will be… interesting." It wasn't the long response she was looking for, but the simple words were enough to make her sigh in relief. He'd talked to her, actually spoken to her… that was good. No, that was great!

That meant he didn't hate her, which after what had happened on the night before initiation and with how she'd saddled him with Weiss, she couldn't help but think he had every right to. He was a leader like her though, and with him being the leader of Yang's team, she desperately wanted their teams to be close.

Though… that wasn't perhaps the only reason. It wasn't something she could put into words, nor something she knew how to explain even in her own mind. Normally she was so much more nervous about things like this; talking to people, introducing herself, that was. The fact that he kept being silent, kept trying to avoid her and otherwise never initiated any conversations… that should have been even more off-putting.

Except that it wasn't somehow. Ruby Rose was no stranger to people `putting up` with her. Yang's friends had been prime examples. Popular kids who wanted to keep their friendship with the most popular girl in school, but had to deal with her younger sister on occasion as a result. They'd all been polite and friendly to her when she was around… but there'd been that undeniable sense of being unwelcome among them.

She didn't get that with Jaune, as much as she'd only known him for a day or two. He still made her feel like she was a bit of a nuisance at times, or that she was being too nosey… but it almost felt like he was putting up with her in the same way Yang did. She shook her head, still unable to find the exact definition or explanation she wanted.

It felt like he was putting up with her, but in a more familiar – inclusive way. Like he wanted to avoid her, but didn't and wouldn't push her away if she was the one to approach him. It was weird and dysfunctional… but it wasn't dislike – so she could work with it. _To be honest, I'm pretty dysfunctional too, so maybe it works?_

It was… hard to explain. It just was. Thankfully, such confusing thoughts were quickly dismissed as a large, rotund man bounded into the room. He didn't _look_ like Hunter material, but he had grey hair, which was often a good sign. Her uncle had always said the best Hunters were the ones who had survived long enough to grow old.

"Hunters, monsters," the man shouted, throwing his arms wide. Despite her scepticism, Ruby found herself leaning forward in her seat. "Prowlers of the night… many people call these creatures Grimm, but I? I call them prey."

 _So cool!_ This lesson was going to be amazing!

It didn't take her ten minutes to reassess that statement, as her posture progressively went from excited, to politely paying attention, to slumped in her seat – to near comatose. Beside her, even Pyrrha let out a long sigh, rubbing one hand across her eyes. Nora was already doodling away, while Ren was wearing that kind of distant expression that said nobody was home, and that his mind had gone to a happier place.

Ruby wished she could join him. He just kept _talking_ though… on and on about his youth and how impressive he was and how he'd been a Hunter younger than they could ever hope to be. She was no stranger to tales about past adventures, when her dad and Qrow would sit down and talk about them; she always paid rapt attention. But they had made it sound exciting… not like this. It felt like he was sucking all the oxygen out of the room, which might have explained why she was feeling light-headed.

Jaune had already fallen asleep, slumbering away next to her. And she could hardly blame him. Ruby looked to Yang for help, only to see the blonde posed with her face in one hand, elbow on the table. The flat expression on her face said she'd also gone the way of Ren… claimed by cruel imagination and fantasy, locked away within her own mind. And wait, was Bethany, _Blake damn it… don't make that embarrassing mistake again._ Anyway, was she just blatantly reading a novel on the other side of Yang? That was so unfair.

"Wake up," Weiss hissed from nearby, catching Ruby's desperate attention. The heiress was the only one of them actually taking notes, though that seemed to have come to a halt now, as she struggled to wake up her team leader. "How can you be expected to improve if you don't take notes? You're our leader – you need to set an example for the others!"

Ruby had no idea why she was explaining that, since the recipient was clearly completely gone. His lips smacked together loudly as she tried to prod his sides, one lazy hand flapping down to knock her arm away. Yet somehow he managed to remain asleep. It was honestly kind of impressive.

His partner didn't seem to agree. Not if the way she was seething was any indication. _What's the problem?_ Ruby sighed, _it's not like a bunch of other students aren't asleep too. Plus, the teacher doesn't even seem to notice._ She was too energetic to fall asleep like that herself, but she totally would if she could.

"Wake," Weiss growled, rearing back, "up!" She kicked at his legs, no doubt intending to deliver a solid shock to his system. As much of a meanie as she was, even Ruby didn't think the girl meant to kick the chair out from under him. The entire classroom went silent as they heard his skull smash against the table behind him, before coming back to crack against his – then the floor.

About fifty pairs of eyes locked onto them. Well, mostly onto Weiss and Jaune – but with her next to them, it felt just as bad. Weiss looked towards her, mouth open as though asking what _Ruby_ had just done. The hooded girl shook her head wildly. Nope, no way – she wasn't getting involved in _that_.

"Zzz…"

Was he… how big was his aura that he didn't even _feel_ that!?

"Miss Schnee," the teacher sighed loudly. "I will have to ask you not to make a ruckus in the middle of class like that. I'm not sure if you noticed, but I was just in the middle of explaining how I tricked the Ursa into believing I was a Grimm."

"I-I'm sorry," the white-haired and now white-faced girl stammered. "I didn't, I mean… It won't happen again Professor." She bowed her head low, trying to look as apologetic as possible. Ruby could only sweat drop. _You mean you won't smash your partner's head into a table? That probably shouldn't have happened in the first place._

"See that it does not my dear," for all his boring attitude, the man seemed quick to forgive, waving away her apology. He had that going for him at least… which totally didn't make up for his deficiency. "I say, is your partner there _asleep_?"

"No, sir!" Weiss answered, giving him a quick kick in the stomach.

"Hazel quit it…" the downed teen grumbled, rolling onto his other side and starting to snore loudly once more. Weiss looked humiliated, especially now that she'd been caught lying as well. Ruby could only wonder who this Hazel was, for him to instinctively accept being kicked while he was asleep.

"My boy!" The Professor shouted. Against all odds, that seemed to be enough – cracking Jaune's eyes open as he looked around. Ruby quickly made sure to push her skirt down, since he was now effectively laid at their feet.

"Why am I on the floor?" He dragged himself up with one hand on the table, the other on his seat. He didn't even seem to see anything wrong with it, nor did he look worried to have been called out at all. "Oh hey, Port's class…"

"Indeed," the man in question huffed. "Mr Arc, if I believe? Might I ask why it is you found yourself napping in the middle of one of the most important lessons you will ever be taught?" Ruby shrank away from her maybe-friend, trying to stay out of the limelight as everyone watched what was going on. A few people were laughing, some even had their scrolls out and were no doubt recording it all. Weiss looked to be struggling with her emotions, while Yang and Blake both looked awkward.

She couldn't even _imagine_ how humiliated Jaune must have felt, being called out like this on his first day! If it was her, she would have just melted into a puddle on the ground. At least he could just apologise an-

"I was tired?"

"Tired, my boy!?" the man guffawed. Ruby tried to make some motions with her hands, uncertain how to mime the gesture of saying sorry but giving it a go anyway. She owed it to him to try… if only because he'd taken a Weiss-shaped bullet for her. "What were you doing last night that led to such exhaustion? If I recall, the day finished early after initiation."

"I went for a walk." Ruby's eyes opened wide. No way, he was going to try and talk his way out of this – that wasn't going to work! Weiss definitely agreed, trying to subtly kick his leg. Well, she absolutely _was_ kicking his leg, but he didn't seem to notice. "I walked out into this beautiful forest… before realising it was the Emerald Forest." Ruby let her head fall into her hands... there was literally _only_ one forest around here - because Beacon was sat next to it! "There I came across a huge battle, as Beowolves and Ursa poured down on a single man."

"I see," the teacher held one hand up to his chin, stroking his moustache. "Continue."

"Some attacked me on the edges, and I barely managed to hold them off – but before I knew it I was surrounded, Grimm on every side. I had to fight for my life and barely managed to crawl back to my room in one piece. But by then it was too late…" the blond looked aside in pain, "as in, actually too late… it was four in the morning. I didn't get enough sleep."

The white-haired girl beside him was doing her best impression of a fish, mouth opening and closing. Ruby wasn't much better, already having sidled over so close to Pyrrha that they might as well have occupied one space, she still wished she could put some distance between Jaune and the epic telling off he was about to receive.

Going out alone into the forest, seeing a war between Grimm, fighting off hundreds of them alone? Who the hell would believe such nonsense!?

"Capital!" The Professor slammed his hands down on the table before Jaune. "I'm surprised I didn't see you there. _What_ a night it was, eh!?"

"I didn't want to distract you," the blond lied through his teeth, "You looked like you had it all under control. Having to look after me as well as fight them off would have been a distraction."

"Indeed it would have been," the fat man nodded. "But in future please do not place yourself in such risk. I would have been more than capable of handling them one-handed, while also protecting you. So while I applaud your bravery, do not let it happen again."

 _No way…_ This just couldn't be happening. Surely, he wasn't going to actually _believe_ that wild and fanciful tale?

"Yes sir!"

"Jolly good then, on with the lesson." Had the teacher not turned and strode away at that comment, he might have seen Weiss tilt to the side, like she was about to be blown over in the wind. Instead, as other students got their laughter back under control, the girl sat back in her seat, arms crossed.

"Well he's certainly resourceful," Pyrrha whispered to Ruby, "at least in pursuit of being lazy. I'm not sure if that makes him a hard worker or not."

"I don't really understand him," Ruby admitted. She was fairly sure the man in question couldn't hear her, since he was busy being told off by Weiss, the strict girl hissing some reprimand into his ear. "But he's alright."

"If you say so," there was something in Pyrrha's voice that made Ruby look at her. Some level of doubt or disbelief.

"You don't like Jaune?"

"I didn't say that," Pyrrha flushed, green eyes scanning over the top of Ruby's head to make sure he hadn't heard that comment. The taller girl didn't seem comfortable discussing someone within their hearing, or maybe she just didn't like talking behind someone's back at all. Ruby had to know, however, since it could be a big hurdle in her secret plan to get the two teams to be best friends. "I met him once before, albeit briefly. He seemed to recognise me and wasn't pleased with it." The redhead shrugged, frowning slightly. "I don't know… maybe I just assumed, but as much as there have been many people who like me because of my position, there's been just as many who actively dislike me."

"Hmmm…" Ruby wasn't so sure about that. As much as it sounded like an insult, Jaune gave off the impression that he wouldn't _care_ enough to actively dislike someone. Then again, Pyrrha had told her all about her fame and what that meant the previous night, during Ruby's attempts to get to know her partner better. She didn't care so much for the tournaments herself, sure they were cool and all – but not as cool as the weapons that were used. Pyrrha's weapons were awesome, but that wasn't because they had won… they would have been just as much a marvel of engineering if she'd come last.

"I'm not above getting to know them all though," the older girl rushed to assure her, "so don't let my concerns get in the way of your trying to bring our teams together."

Ah, she'd seen through that had she? The thought brought a small blush to her cheeks. Pyrrha was probably just super perceptive though, because there was no way anyone else could see through her awesome friendship plan.

"Would anyone care to test themselves and show us all what makes a real Hunter?" The teacher called out, gesturing towards a dark cage sat at one end of his classroom. It rattled and bounced slightly, metal clanging as something inside struggled to get out. Showing off in front of a crowd wasn't exactly her idea of fun, nor Pyrrha's if the girl's silence was any indication. She would have thought it right up Weiss' alley, but her friend's partner looked too embarrassed already to draw attention to herself. "How about you miss Valkyrie?"

"Oh, _can_ I!?" Ruby's teammate cheered, hands held before her mouth. The ginger girl was acting more like she'd just been told she had won the Vale lottery than been selected to battle a Grimm. Professor Port nodded gently, wide smile in place as he too acted like he had imparted one of the few joys of life unto her. If Hunters were categorised by how weird they were then her team was already off to a good start.

Nora was out the door, changed into her combat clothes and back in the classroom within five short minutes. Her weapon, a combination war hammer and grenade-launcher with specialised dust canisters capable of launching a wide array of attacks (Ruby had swooned upon seeing it initially) span in her hands. All her team had amazing weapons like that, and although Ren's were a little simpler in design, they were still pretty cool – especially the way he could hide and slide them out of his sleeves. Ruby hadn't wanted to know what kind of practice that took, or how many times he'd nearly slit his own wrists trying.

"Go Nora!" Ruby cheered as the girl skipped to the centre of the room.

"Give it your best," Pyrrha called.

"Fight well," Ren simply said, nodding his encouragement. Wishing her luck was a pointless endeavour, since the Grimm would need more than luck to stand a chance against the ordinance Nora could bring.

"Thanks guys!" the girl waved back, "Team Rubine, _represent_!"

Heh… what could she say? Her team was the best.

* * *

To Weiss, it was difficult to understand how so much power and skill could be contained within so childish a frame. Her family had always explained that a strong foundation made for a strong structure, and that such applied to people just as much as construction. Her sister was a prime example. Disciplined, determined, strong… Winter achieved whatever she wished, not through power or influence – but through old-fashioned hard work.

Nora Valkyrie wasn't Winter Schnee. And if she was, then Weiss might have torn her own hair out by now. But the girl _was_ strong… strong enough to make dealing with a Boarbatusk look like nothing more than child's play.

"Whoo, Nora, yeah!" The silly girl on the other side of her partner shouted, waving her hands above her head like she was cheerleading some barbaric sports team. She was louder than the rest of the class combined, with no respect for what was obviously a very serious situation. This Grimm could very well kill their teammate if it wasn't taken seriously… of course the teacher wouldn't allow that, but it was still no excuse for shouting and distracting her like that.

 _But what right do I have to criticise their team when my own is like this?_ Unbidden, her light blue eyes slipped over to her partner, whose head was resting on his arms once more. At the very least he was awake now, watching the fight with vague interest.

If only he'd been awake earlier! Damn it all, people had laughed at them – at _her_ – for looking like a fool trying to wake him up. And what had that asinine excuse been about? He hadn't been out training, she would have woken up if he had. Such a blatant lie, to a Professor no less? He was lucky he wasn't drawn for detention, suspended or worse!

She would have to sort this out as soon as possible. Clearly he wasn't prepared for the responsibilities of his role as leader, and he seemed to realise it. That was good. Now if she could just convince the teachers to realise as well, then she could take her rightful place at the head of the team. In the meantime, however, it was her responsibility as someone more knowledgeable than he, to educate him in what he should and shout not do. It was hardly his fault he wasn't ready for such a position after all.

But _she_ was. Weiss had spent most of her life being prepared and groomed into someone ready to take responsibility on her own two shoulders. She could make those difficult decisions, she could balance the demands of the position with her own work.

Jaune Arc just wasn't. _And that's no fault of his,_ she was quick to repeat. She didn't dislike him, as much as she might have snapped at him that morning. He still had potential and he was still a better prospect than that child, Ruby. Gods, if she'd been stuck with Ruby Rose as her leader? That would have been a travesty. Besides, it was his first day as a student… a few hiccups were acceptable here and there.

The fight, if one could even call it that, came to an abrupt end. Like a cat suddenly becoming bored with its prey, the ginger girl's hammer swung down. A boarbatusk's flanks and back were heavily armoured, but since when had that prevented traumatic damage from blunt weapons? Bones are muscle were broken, the beast flopping down dead as she withdrew the brutishly simple weapon.

"Jolly good," Professor Port acknowledged, clapping his hands. "I see we are in the presence of a true Huntress here. Make sure you all take this lesson into account for your future careers. But if I'm not mistaken," the bell rang just as he paused, "it's time for your recess. I shall see you all again tomorrow."

Seats scraped back, bags were drawn onto desks and materials packed away. Weiss hummed a quick answer to whatever Yang had asked her, leaving the blonde girl to talk with her miserable partner. Weiss wasn't above making sure this team worked, but that black-haired girl could do to lessen her glares a little. They didn't even know each other, so she had no idea why the girl was on her case so much.

 _I should have been the one to fight the Grimm,_ she sighed as she pushed her way through the students towards where the teacher had disappeared. She would have done just as well as that girl did… plus it would have been a chance to bolster the reputation of their team, which must have already started to fall after Jaune and her had been told off.

"Ah, Miss Schnee," the portly man greeted as she let herself into his office. Disorganised was the only word she could use to describe it. Paperwork lay strewn across the desk, along with spent shell casings and half-empty mugs of coffee. One was spilled across the wood, staining it dark brown. Weiss struggled to keep her face neutral. "How can I help you?"

"I wished to apologise about causing a scene earlier."

"Consider your apology accepted," the man chuckled. "But I'm sure there's more to this meeting than that. Why don't you speak your mind? Fear not, I shan't bite. Not unless you ask me to!" He burst out into laughter, with her half-heartedly echoing it. Good god, for all his position and the respect he deserved, their teacher certainly was a little inappropriate. She'd seen the wink he'd sent Yang's way earlier too, which had creeped her out more than she dared admit. Yang had taken it in stride, as though flirtatious looks from men three times her age was common.

Weiss wasn't sure what to make of that.

"Well…" she hesitated for a second, pushing on when he looked at her, "I wanted to ask about how our teams are formed…"

"The pieces you select are paired together lass, as are you with the first person you make eye contact with. But I suppose that is not what you meant."

"It's not. I wanted to ask how our leaders are selected."

"You want to know why you were not selected." Weiss winced. Saying it like that made it sound so self-serving. Was it really so wrong for her to show some curiosity on this? This determined who she had to let her life rest on for the next four years, surely she was allowed some say? Even the SDC held meetings to discuss who they promoted, to make sure the Board of Directors or other managers could get along with them. You didn't just force people to accept an unpopular or untrusted leader… that fostered resentment among the other employees. It made it seem like you didn't care.

This wasn't all just about her.

He sighed, the wooden seat creaking slightly as he lowered his weight into it. "My girl, I cannot admit to knowing every little decision that passes through our Headmaster's mind, but you can rest assured that good old Ozpin had a keen eye for things like this. If he says that Mr Arc is the best person to lead your team, then I trust there is a good reason for it."

"But he isn't ready," Weiss argued. "He's not had training in the past; he hasn't even been to a prep school as far as I can see. I met him before Beacon and he had no interest in becoming a Hunter at all. He doesn't know the first thing about leading a team and it's going to backfire if he's left to do it."

"And you think that you are ready, that you would be the best person for this position?"

"I'm not perfect," she said slowly, "and I'm not saying I would be the best leader. But I'm more prepared than he is. Unlike Jaune, I _have_ trained for this kind of responsibility." That had to give her an advantage over her partner, at least.

"And I believe that is why you have not been selected for the position."

"Pardon!?"

"Do sit down, Miss Schnee." He gestured to a seat across the desk from him, one that she took gingerly. She already had the feeling this conversation wasn't going as she wished it to. Sitting here and listening to him list out her faults would only make her feel worse. "From what I can imagine of your upbringing, you likely were expected to excel in everything you did. But I also see a person who is used to getting what she wants, when she wants it."

"That's not true!" Weiss snapped, catching herself before she could shout at him, "I mean… not entirely true." She was fortunate, sure… and her family was definitely rich beyond belief. But that didn't mean she just got what she wanted. That was stupid. She could have clothes, books and whatever money could buy, sure. But when you already had all of that, you started to want the things that were most unattainable. _Like a proper family…_

"You would no doubt slip into the role of leader without any difficulty," he didn't seem to notice her distress, "but then – the question becomes – what would be the point?"

"I don't understand…"

"That is why I am explaining this to you. Mr Arc has no such skills that enable him an easy ride into becoming a good leader, he doesn't have the training you have, doesn't have the family background or advantage. If he wishes to become a leader worthy of your team then he will have to work hard and grow into it. He will improve as a person, grow and learn as a person." The large man sat back, twirling his moustache around one finger. She could see the hint of a proud smile through it. "And that, dear girl, is why I believe Ozpin selected him to be the leader of your team. That or he just felt like it."

That must have been a joke, so she didn't comment on it. Her partner growing into a leader? It sounded so far-fetched, so silly. But then again… she _had_ only known him for a single day. Not enough for him to prove his ability one way or another.

"You would not gain anything from being made leader, nor from taking the responsibility away from him."

 _I would gain reputation,_ she wanted to argue. Except that… did she need it? Her father had always said that a Schnee led, they didn't follow. But then again her father had also said she had to go to Atlas, her father had said she should put aside her silly music career, and a host of other things that she had refused to give in to.

"I don't even think he _wants_ to be leader, though!" Weiss said, as one final piece of evidence. It was a guess at best… she barely even knew him.

"I don't." Weiss' skin turned to snow in an instant. She reared out of the seat, spinning around to see the subject of their conversation stood by the doorway, leaning against the frame. Had he been listening the entire time? _Why_ was he even here still!? "She isn't wrong. I don't want the position. How can I resign it?"

"You cannot," Port answered easily, waving for her partner to sit down beside her. He moved to stand by her but didn't take the offered seat. She didn't dare meet his eyes. This day couldn't get any worse… first she'd been humiliated in class and now her own partner heard her talking to a teacher about how she could take his position of leader. And worse, how she didn't have any faith in him at all.

 _If Winter could see this, she would probably be more disappointed than at me not being leader in the first place._

"I don't want to _grow_ or _develop_ into a leader. Weiss would be a better candidate anyway. I would just drag the team down, while she at least knows what she's doing." Wait, he was _supporting_ what she was saying? That was… downright insane. He was insulting himself in front of her, agreeing with the disparaging comments she had said about him.

That should have made her feel pleased - or at least less ashamed to have been caught.

Funnily enough, it didn't.

"Mr Arc, I did not wish to grow old – nor did I wish to develop into a forty-six inch waistline. We do not always have control or choice over what we must do."

"Couldn't you have just… eaten less?"

"My fine girth is not what we are discussing here," the man coughed, sparing a glare for the blond. "Ozpin has selected you to lead the proud Team Jazzberry," he apparently missed how they both twitched at that, "and so you shall continue to lead them. This matter is no longer up for discussion."

The blond sighed, rolling his eyes and walking towards the door. Weiss watched it all, right up to the point where he paused, "Aren't you coming?"

"Y-Yes," Weiss quickly snapped, nodding to the teacher before hurrying after him. He walked beside her, the two of them taking the route she'd memorised the previous day, a route that would lead to their combat classes. From what she could see of their timetables, combat classes were always held before the lunch hour, to give them a chance to recharge and have a shower.

That was good. She didn't want to have to imagine walking around in sweaty clothing. Not when her preferred colour was white, moisture did embarrassing things to whites after all. And here she was, still trying to distract herself from the turmoil she was feeling. Was she sorry? She didn't think she was… nothing she had said was wrong, he'd as much as agreed with that himself. Did that make it wrong of her to say it out loud, again she wasn't sure. She hadn't said it _to_ him, nor had she insulted him to his face, she'd only been expressing her concerns to an authority figure. Was there anything intrinsically wrong with that?

In the end, the only thing she was sorry about was that he'd been around to overhear it, and that it might have hurt his feelings as a result.

"Why did you wait for me?" she asked at last, settling for a different approach. She couldn't help but wince at how accusing that had come out, however.

"Yang said I should wait for my partner," he sighed. There was no mention of him doing it because he wanted to, or because _he_ felt it would be a nice gesture. He sounded more exasperated than anything. "I figured it wasn't worth the effort of ignoring her. It was less of a suggestion and more an order."

"You are our team leader," she cringed as she realised she'd brought the topic back to the matter. "You don't have to follow her orders."

"And you don't have to follow mine," he shrugged. "Whether I walk to the next class alone or with you makes no difference. Except one way leads to Yang being happy, the other leads to her nagging me. Seemed like an easy choice."

Just how lazy was this guy? Couldn't he at least have lied and said something about wanting to make sure she was okay, or not wanting to leave her behind? Weiss was used to guys trying to get into her good graces, and also used to people disliking her for the family name. But this was perhaps the first time she'd been faced with such… blatant apathy.

"You weren't wrong by the way," his words cut into her thoughts once more. "I'm not going to be a good leader. The teachers said they won't change anything, but there's no reason we can't just do it ourselves. You can be the leader of the team." She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, trying to understand his motives.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," he nodded. "You can organise things, I'll pass any leader-related things onto you. Officially it would be me, but the rest of the team, not to mention everyone but the teachers, would know the truth. If they ask then I'll just say I'm delegating the work to you. Eventually they'll probably give in and just officially make you leader."

Weiss hummed. It sounded like a good plan. Sure it wouldn't be official, but he was right in saying it would be obvious enough to most. Her sister would approve of it too, the power behind the throne as it were. Even though she wasn't technically the leader, it would be enough to prove that she wasn't a follower.

"No." she said at last, stopping in the middle of the corridor. It felt like a weight lifting off her shoulders as she let out a great gust of air.

"What? Bu-"

"I wasn't chosen to be the leader and so I will not be it," Weiss pushed on. "Though it may have seemed strange at first, perhaps the Headmaster has his reason – and maybe Port was correct. It's not my place to decide who does and does not lead."

"But I don't have the skills, you said as much yourself." He sounded so desperate to persuade her, but she shook her head. It was her fault he was thinking this way, no doubt she'd put the thoughts into his head and now he doubted himself all the harder. She had to remember; it was her who had influenced him to take this path – she couldn't abandon him now.

"You don't have the skills," she agreed, "but _I_ do. As your partner, I will take on the task of educating you in what it takes to be a true leader."

"No, that's fine – you can have the position. I _want_ you to have the position!"

"I will turn you into the best leader you can be." It would be hard work, but she could do it – or was she not a Schnee? The Headmaster had seen something in her partner, something even she could not see, but she would have faith in the famous Hunter's experienced eye. And when he stood at the top of them all, they would all know that Weiss Schnee created that. "As your partner, I will be behind you at every stage, pushing you on."

"That really isn't necessary!"

"I will make you the best man for the job, even if it kills you," she finished, staring off into the distance. The journey would be an arduous one… but they would get there. Jazzberry _would_ become the best team in Beacon. "You can thank me later. Now come on, we have a lesson to get to."

She didn't even notice him as she walked away. If she had looked back, then it would have been just in time to see him silently scream at the ceiling.

The two of them met up with the rest of the team not five minutes later, slipping into the combat arenas with some time to spare. That was quickly eaten up in the locker rooms getting into their combat clothing, but they managed to be back and sat down with Yang and Blake before the teacher arrived. Again though, Ruby's team seemed to be following them. She wasn't sure what she thought about that… on the one hand she was an irritating child that seemed determined to distract and drag down her partner. On the other hand she was going to be a constant presence since they had the older sister on their team, and on the bright side, Pyrrha.

"Is that still your combat gear?" Yang threw the question out towards their leader, drawing eyes to his white dress shirt and black pants. At least he had gone without the guitar this time, leaving it in their room.

"What do you mean still?" he sighed, "It's not like I've had any time to go shopping in between yesterday and now. I don't have armour, since I wasn't exactly prepared to enter Beacon." That had the girl looking away, her shoulders slumping. She raised a good point though. His dress – while stylish and smart – wasn't exactly suitable for combat. She would need to take him shopping when they had the chance and make sure he wore something suitable. Perhaps white, to go with a partner theme?

"Do you at least know how to use that?" They were perhaps the first words Blake had aimed in his direction, her head nodding down to his sword. A one-handed blade like her own, except his was made for cutting more than piercing… normally something like that would have been paired with a shield, but he didn't seem to have anything on him.

"Would you like a first-hand demonstration? Most women seem quite pleased with how I wield my sword." The girl rolled her eyes, lips twisting into an embarrassed grimace as she looked away. "Don't worry Amanda, I know enough."

"It's not Amanda, it's Blake..."

 _Make a note. He'll need combat lessons too…_ Weiss could arrange for him to receive some books easily enough, and team sparring sessions would provide him with opportunity to put his hard work to the test.

"Oooh," the child beside them practically bounced in her seat, hands held before her cheeks, "I can't wait – we finally get to show off our weapons and what we can do!" Weiss rolled her eyes, tutting loudly but not bothering to say anything. Yang gave her a dirty look for that but she ignored it. The girl could learn to show some class… people were going to be judging her team by how she acted. Which meant her teammates, from Pyrrha Nikos down to Nora Valkyrie, would be judged on Ruby Rose.

She pitied them that.

"Students." It was a single word, uttered by the blonde woman who seemed to dominate the hall. Weiss went silent immediately and wasn't at all surprised when everyone else did too. It was almost like Winter in a way, the woman's uncanny ability to _command_ the presence within a room. She would be like that one day as well… people pausing to listen whenever she spoke. "Today we will be holding introductory spars as both an introduction to the rules and structure of Beacon, but also a chance for some demonstrations. As such, only the leaders of each Team shall be competing. I will also have you know that I will be watching the bouts _most_ carefully. This is not a game and to treat my lessons as such will result in swift punishment. Am I understood?"

"Yes Miss Goodwitch," every single student echoed.

"Good. Will the leaders of Team Rubine and Team Terracotta come onto the platform?" Weiss didn't recognise the boy who strode up to face off against Ruby, though he looked to have almost a metre height on her. He would obviously be two years older than her as well, and no doubt much more experienced. The way he wielded his pole arm suggested as much, the wicked blade on the top shimmering. "All bouts will be until a participant's aura enters the red, at which point I shall call the match. Failure to heed my instruction will not be tolerated, nor will attacks that are deliberately intended to cause grievous harm. Rest assured," her glasses seemed to flash ominously, "I will be watching and I _can_ intervene on a moment's notice."

"Yes ma'am," both the fighters on stage gulped. Weiss didn't imagine the girl capable of anything like that. As low an opinion as she had of the fifteen-year-old, there didn't seem to be a malicious bone in her body. It was probably just a warning for hot-headed idiots. As the bout began, she found her eyes slipping over to her partner once more.

He was their leader… ergo he would have to fight. That could be bad… very bad. There was no way he would be up to the standard of some of the people here, not when they'd had years training for this sort of thing. He was going to get demolished.

"Arghh!"

"The fight is over!" Weiss' head snapped around so quickly she feared she might have dislocated it. The tall man was already on the floor massaging his wrist. Worse, the fifteen-year-old girl above him looked _worried_ that she might have hurt him.

What the hell?

"As you can see, Mr Brown is unable to continue the fight. That makes Miss Rose the winner of this round. Mr Brown, I advise you to work on your defence, especially against opponents with a significant speed advantage. Miss Rose, for you I would suggest seeking less obvious methods of attack. Had he been able to react in time your frontal assault might have ended in disaster."

Ruby nodded, as did the other man as he limped off the stage, head low. She could understand why… losing to someone two years younger than you, and in such a commanding way? That had to be crushing… his team would be an absolute laughing stock.

"Will the leaders of Team Jazzberry," three girls and a man twitched, "and Team Cardinal come to the platform."

"Good luck, Jaune!" Ruby came down from the stage, giving him a quick hug which he pointedly didn't return. Yang slapped him on the back of his leg, while Blake nodded. Even the rest of Team Rubine offered their own words of encouragement, as he plodded off towards his doom.

Against the large and armoured young man climbing up onto the stage, she was fairly sure Jaune didn't stand a chance. But would that necessarily be a bad thing? Sure, his loss would absolutely make it look like their team was inferior to that one – a little embarrassing since it seemed to consist of weirdly-dressed jocks. They could recover from that, however. The next time they sparred she could show her own strength, counter-acting his weakness.

Besides, it couldn't be any more gruesome than losing to someone younger than you in ten seconds flat! There would be a winner and loser to each of these fights. That he would lose wouldn't damage their reputation… it just wouldn't bolster it either.

"Fight well," Weiss called, echoing the words Lie Ren had spoken earlier. They seemed fitting… an acknowledgement that while she didn't demand he be victorious, she would be satisfied if he but fought to the best of his ability. He wasn't perfect… and neither was she. She wouldn't demand that of him, either. Just that he gave it his all.

That would be enough to protect their reputation.

"Begin!" Miss Goodwitch called, hand falling.

"I forfeit," Jaune instantly followed, crossing his legs and sitting down.

Weiss had to instantly suppress the urge to throw the bench she was sat on at him... along with Yang and Blake still on it. What on Remnant was he doing!? Not even the Deputy Headmistress knew how to react, still stood with one hand held down – her face blank as she stared at him.

"What's the matter," his opponent called, "scared?"

"Probably…" Jaune answered, one finger coming up to scratch his cheek. "Anyway, I give up. Can I go down now?"

"Pah," Cardin Winchester grinned and held his arms wide, as though asking the audience what he was supposed to do. "I'd call you a pansy, but maybe you're just smarter than you look. Even so, better a defeated idiot than a coward."

"Uh-huh," her partner picked at his ear, inspecting is finger with critical attention. "Maybe so… maybe so…" Weiss' head fell into her hands, a growl slipping from her lips as she heard laughter popping up around the stage. She could practically _feel_ people looking at them, laughing at them – their team.

"What the f- Weiss, what is he doing?" Yang whispered. Weiss would have liked to answer, would have liked to _have_ an answer. But she was currently fighting past a wonderfully agonising static sound in her head.

"Maybe he doesn't think he can win," Blake offered. "I mean, does he even have any training?"

"Bullshit. I _know_ he can figh-" Yang paused, biting off her words with a curse before crossing her arms and refusing to say any more. "This sucks."

 _An accurate summation,_ Weiss finally managed to lift her face from her hands, locking herself into a neutral frown, one impenetrable to the whispered mutterings of those around them.

"W-Well," the teacher coughed, recovering more than a little late, "in that case… well, I suppose it is a forfeit. The victor is Cardin Winch-"

"I want to fight," the armoured teen banged one fist against his breastplate. "If this coward won't spar with me then let me at least face someone from his team. That is, if he's willing to hide behind a bunch of girls."

Weiss' teeth began to grind together.

"Willing _and_ able!" Jaune called, one hand raised in the air. "I pick Yang."

"I suppose that is acceptable," Miss Goodwitch massaged her forehead with one hand. "But keep in mind that the next time I will not allow this Mr Arc. You will face Mr Winchester in our next lesson, so I do hope you prepare for it." Considering they had combat class just about every weekday that didn't leave much time for him to learn some moves… she would have to beat them into him. Probably through the tip of Myrtenaster.

"Yang," Weiss growled. "Crush him."

"That's an idea I can get behind," the blonde grinned, standing up and strolling towards the stage. A few people laughed and jostled their leader as he came down the steps, but he barely seemed to pay attention. Instead he just yawned, the criticism washing over him.

"Fight well," he shrugged as he passed Yang, making Weiss' brow twitch as he used her own words to cheer his replacement on. The blonde girl seemed to hesitate too, shoulders stiffening for a moment before she shook her wild mane and continued on. Weiss didn't deem him worth a single word as he slumped down beside her. She wasn't sure she even trusted herself with a single word… she might pluck it out the air and use it to garrotte him.

Even Ruby didn't seem to know what she was supposed to say… the girl looking between Jaune and Weiss, before giving up and instead watching her sister fight.

"Are you actually going to face me?" the taller man grinned. "If you're going to surrender then you could save us both the time and do it now. Maybe I can work my way through your entire team before I even get a chance to fight."

"Only in your wildest dreams would you ever get a chance to touch me," the blonde snorted, purposefully misconstruing the words. Miss Goodwitch didn't seem particularly impressed with their pre-match banter, instead dropping her hand and shouting for them to begin. Weiss' grin grew wider as she watched the hall descent into complete silence. She especially enjoyed it when the loud and brash moron struggled for breath, pushing himself up with one hand clutched over his armour.

There was a small dent where Yang's fist had struck. _I have a new favourite blonde._ Weiss thought to herself. To be fair, it wasn't a very extensive list... and the competition was so very low.

"What's the matter," Yang cooed, "did I take your breath away? I'm told I have that effect on men."

"Lucky shot," Cardin growled, stepping up and drawing his mace back above his head. With a telegraphed roar he charged in, bringing it down on the eagerly waiting girl. Weiss would have been concerned, if it wasn't for the utterly confident smirk on Yang's face.

One blow to his wrist, the other to his arm, a third into his stomach to bend him over – and the fourth a devastating uppercut that lifted him three feet off the floor. Yang hadn't even moved her feet, still stood in the same spot with one fist held high.

"Man I must be getting all kinds of lucky today," she threw his words back at him. "Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket or something." Those who had dared to laugh at them were now silent, especially Winchester's team – who were acutely aware of where this match was going. It seemed that the taunts had gotten to Yang as well, as carefully as she hid them. This wasn't about petty vengeance or insults… it was about making a statement to everyone watching. A statement that Team Jazzberry was _not_ to be messed with… that they weren't easy pickings or weaklings. In a school that thrived on violent confrontation, such a reputation was an important one.

Winchester clearly knew that too. He had the height and posture of someone used to commanding respect. Likely he was the best in his previous school, full of confidence and bravado. There were many prep schools across the Kingdoms, of various different sizes. But there were far fewer schools like Beacon… just one in each Kingdom.

They had all been the biggest fish in their respective ponds. But now they had been moved to a much bigger one.

And there were some very dangerous creatures in these waters.

"Hah, Rargh!" Yang punctuated each blow with a grunt or shout, pushing him back as she fully went on the offensive. His attempts to hit her back met with nothing but air, the blonde ducking and weaving beneath the weapon – using her shorter range to get inside his guard. Even if he did connect it would be with the haft of his mace, and not the head. But she didn't even allow him that.

"See?" Weiss asked, turning to her partner, "this is how you fi- Are you even _watching_!?" She couldn't believe this. Here Yang was, fighting his battles for him, and he was busy typing some kind of message into his scroll!? She snatched it off him, storing it away alongside her own as she fixed a baleful glare onto him. "You need to be watching this, you need to learn how to fight like this!"

"I'm more of a lover than a fighter." He tried to smile, but it died an ugly death when her glare didn't lessen an inch.

"Then you chose the wrong career."

"Chose is a strong word," he muttered, but she ignored it. With a heavy sigh he turned back to watch the bout, resting his chin on one hand in complete boredom as Yang smacked the arrogant leader around the ring. One thing she had to give him credit for, he definitely had a lot of endurance to last this long. She would have been unconscious long ago.

"It doesn't matter. You're the leader of our team and that means you'll have to become stronger. We will all chip in to make sure you are up to snuff. Don't worry."

"That's _exactly_ what I'm worried about..."

* * *

The combat classes had been an eye-opening experience. At least for Blake Belladonna. It raised more questions than it answered when it came to her new teammate, who also just happened to be the biggest threat to her continued existence at Beacon. He hadn't been willing to fight... hadn't felt he could win against the other teen.

Did that mean her initial assessment of him all the way back on the train _had_ been correct? That he was just a civilian caught up in something over his head? But if that was the case, why or how would he have gotten into Beacon in the first place?

More questions than answers... it was the story of her life at the moment. The bigger one was of course, did he remember her and if so, what did he intend with that knowledge? Their last encounter hadn't really convinced her either way. He'd come across as an idiot, a flirt and a pervert. That combined with how he'd acted out before initiation had convinced her to avoid being paired with him at all costs. Things would have been so much easier if they had just gone their separate ways... if he'd managed to be placed onto some other team she didn't have to interact with.

Instead she was now trapped in a situation of trying to stay beneath the radar of a person she was going to be sharing a room with for the next four years.

Such was impossible. It simply couldn't be done. If he didn't recognise her by face, clothing and name... and really, who couldn't remember someone from all of that? But if he didn't... then he might very well when they had to fight together and he saw her weapon and fighting style. It was just too much risk to leave to chance.

She was used to running away. But maybe it was time she approached the problem head on.

"Jaune," she walked up to stand behind him, as he sat on the edge of his bed writing something into his scroll. She'd chosen her time well, with Yang in the shower and Weiss having gone to clean out her weapon's dust chambers. Blake could imagine the latter spending time over that, meticulously making sure ever aspect was perfect. On the other hand, the experience from the morning had already shown that nothing short of an invasion was going to get Yang out the shower within the next thirty minutes. "We need to talk."

"Hey," he nervously greeted, hiding his scroll and turning to face her, "you..."

The question was, how did she approach this? "Do you remember what I said to you, when we first arrived at Beacon?" His face scrunched up, blue eyes crossing as his very forehead seemed to writhe in agony. Blake felt her own eyebrows rising, as he seemed to actively struggle.

"Yeeeessss?" he said at last. Nodding his head and dragging out the word for a good three seconds.

"You don't remember," Blake sighed, "do you?"

"I could never forget you." He winked. "For that you'd need to be out of my mind for even a second."

 _You technically need four members for a team,_ she sighed, _so no, you can't kill him._

"Does the word..." Blake sighed, massaging her forehead, " _train_ mean anything to you?" She watched his expression carefully, waiting for that flash of recognition, the widening of his eyes.

"Yes," he shivered, making her muscles tense. "It's this scary thing Weiss is trying to impose on me. Well, that or a vehicle that rides on tracks. Is this a quiz?" Was he playing dumb, or was he just this dumb? Either way she'd need to up the ante. It was time to be a little more blunt.

"We met before Beacon." He looked at her questioningly, waiting for more.

"I've met a lot of people before Beacon," he said carefully, "considering that `Beacon` only constitutes two days out of seventeen years right now."

"We met a little over a week ago."

"You'll have to narrow that down."

"When you were with a woman?"

"You'll really have to narrow that down."

Blake's cheeks darkened as she growled, "I saw you _naked_."

Jaune coughed, "You'll... er... still have to narrow that down."

"I caught you having sex with a random woman on a train!" She finally snapped, hissing the words as loud as she could without Yang overhearing. "And if you tell me you need me to narrow that down, I will _throw_ you out that window!"

"No, it's fine..." he coughed into one hand, face suddenly becoming serious. "I remember now." Blake's breath hitched, fingers curling into fists as she prepared herself for the worst. Whatever he said, whatever he did, she could handle it. If needs be they could make a deal, she could force him to silence - _something_. "It must have been awkward for you. I'm sorry."

"Ah," trust him to focus on something like that. "It's fine, I guess?"

"It was inexcusable," he shook his head, before looking up towards her. "I should have offered you the chance to join in. I'm sorry."

"That wasn't what I meant!" she nearly howled. Damn him for making a fool of her, her cheeks were cherry red and she wanted nothing more than to push him down onto the bed and smother him. With a pillow, she meant. Argh, now he was infecting her brain with his stupidity! Forget it. He wasn't playing dumb - he just was dumb. Stupidly, ridiculously, absolutely moronic. "Just..." she sighed, "know that I _will_ be watching you."

"You sound like you've had more than enough fun watching me." He wiggled his eyebrows in a manner that made her want to cut them off. "But I do have one question."

"Go on."

"Who are you, anyway?"

* * *

His frame slouched down against one wall of the corridor, cradling his scroll in one hand. Blake had been only too happy to accept his excuse of needing some fresh air, the girl still spitting about him having forgotten her name once more. Such an amusing sight did nothing for the difficulty he was feeling, however.

It was hard... seeing his team once more. Even more so that they weren't his team anymore, or that they looked just as happy with Ruby as their leader.

They weren't his friends, at least not yet... and it would perhaps be for the best if they never became his friends. That way they wouldn't feel betrayed when he left them behind.

Even saying it had become more difficult... and he was only two days in. He'd always known such would be the case. It was the reason why he'd avoided approaching Ruby or Yang when they'd seen them in Ansel, even though it wouldn't have led to Beacon.

It was because even seeing them, interacting with them for but a few seconds... it was enough to start making him love them again. And if that happened, bye bye went his plan to solve everything. _That can't be allowed to happen,_ teeth bit down on his lower lip. _This isn't about just having a holiday, this is a plan that will actually help them later on. This is to save everyone._

Even if he were to knuckle down and put in all his effort now, it wouldn't be enough. He knew that because he'd _done_ it. Tens, hundreds of times before. He knew _exactly_ how much time was too little, _exactly_ what he could accomplish with the harshest training.

He knew his limits more than anyone else on Remnant.

"I'm already locked onto this path," he sighed. If he faltered... if he allowed their sacrifice to be for nothing, then it would mean in the next life, they would all die again. And again, and over and over. Like they had been for hundreds upon hundreds of years.

His fingers danced desperately across the scroll, shaking slightly as he watched it dial. The screen flickered once, an audible breath of relief echoing from him as Sapphire's beautiful face appeared. She looked tired. Her rough, short-cropped blonde hair disheveled. He missed the braid she had so painstakingly cared for... but he could admire her perseverance.

"Jaune?" she mumbled, wiping one arm across her eyes as she battled a yawn. "Sorry, I was just getting an early night..."

"Hey Saph," his muscles had already begun to relax. His countenance becoming more slouched, less rigid against the wall. He felt safe, protected, loved. "Sorry to wake you up. I just wanted a friendly face to talk to."

"It's okay." Another yawn. "I'm glad to hear from you. Have are things in Beacon? Have you been given a team yet?"

"I have a team... it's me and three girls."

"Oh dear..."

"They're all quite... unusual, I guess. I can't say we're getting on all that well. I'm looking forward to coming home honestly."

"Oh Jaune," she laughed, "it's been what, a day? Give them some time, I'm sure they're lovely girls." _They are. They're the best in the world. "_ You might find that you can become the best of friends with them." _That's what I'm afraid of._ "How goes your plan to get expelled? I hope you haven't done anything _too_ ridiculous."

He appreciated the switch to a safer topic. Even with how different he was it seemed his big sister could read him like a book. "It's in the early stages still. It would go faster if I just walked into the Headmaster's office and took a dump on his desk or something, but then they might see fit to end the contract keeping me out of a cell." The metallic anklet still itched against his skin, thankfully hidden by his trousers. "I have to make them _want_ to expel me, or feel that it's the right choice. If I push too hard..."

"Then it becomes obvious you're trying to get expelled," Sapphire finished for him. The contract he'd signed had said as much, stipulating that he was willing to put effort into reforming himself as a Hunter. It wouldn't be his fault if he couldn't achieve that lofty goal... or if for his own safety they decided to remove him from the program. But he _was_ essentially here as part of his sentence. Trying to bail on that was only going to get him in worse trouble. Beacon was still preferable to prison, because as long as he was here he could continue to work on having them expel him.

Which he supposed was okay, really. As much as it might have been amusing to see the man's face, not even Jaune felt comfortable with the idea of literally walking into a person's room to crap on their furniture.

"No one will admit it, but everyone here really misses you." Jaune's eyes softened as Sapphire shared a secretive smile. "Don't tell them I told you, but Hazel and Jade have been making up plans for how you can get out of trouble. Amber has been sleeping in your bed for the last two nights. And I even caught Coral writing something about you in her journal."

"Er... one of those was less comforting than the others..."

Saph shrugged, "Yeah, sorry. It's a sign of how much she cares though. Maybe... I mean I _could_ have read it, but why would I want to put myself through the trauma?"

"Are mum and dad okay?"

"Mum is..." Sapphire hesitated, her cheeks darkening a little. "Let's just say that some of the local women have been _missing_ you. And that mum has been less than pleased with their questions as to your health."

"Ah..." well that was mildly humiliating. It wasn't something he'd actually thought about, and now his mother was not only going to find out how many women he'd been with in Ansel, but exactly who.

"One or two have also asked dad if the `apple fell far from the tree` and whether it `runs in the family` - which hasn't improved mum's mood any."

"They _propositioned_ my dad!?"

"Oh yeah... and the worst part was when a few of them started to talk about the things you did to them. Jaune, I... you know I won't judge, but some of those things..." Jaune's head fell into his hands, a keening whine sounding. "Let's just say Coral took notes. _That's_ how messed up some of those things were."

 _Kill me now..._ So his mother wasn't just getting the who and the how many - but also the exact details of _what_ they'd been doing. Sue him, he'd been through hundreds of lifetimes. Even sex could become boring after a while... the kinky ones were more exciting.

"I'm swearing off women forever."

"Like I believe that," Sapphire snorted. "I wouldn't be surprised if you'd already slept with a few girls in Beacon. I hear Huntresses are always the most beautiful women." That might as well have been true, though few realised just why that was. Two simple words, aura and lifestyle. Hunters were fit, well-trained and lithe - but also had aura to protect them from injuries and heal wounds.

It was a lesser known fact that aura also boosted all natural regeneration too, which meant any small wounds but _also_ included things like your skin naturally replacing itself. Which was why Hunters and Huntresses never quite looked as old as they might be, or ended up looking unusually ageless like Ozpin and Miss Goodwitch. Simply put, their skin remained healthy and strong, even as they reached old age.

"Believe it or not, I haven't actually chatted up any women yet."

"I'll choose not to believe it." She rolled her eyes. _That said... from all my repeats I do know exactly who in Beacon is up for some casual fun. Not to mention the best ways to approach them._ It was a school for hormonal teenagers risking their lives, after all. And what was even better... after hundreds of years making Beacon his home, he had a very intimate knowledge of the people who studied there. _Maybe it's time I de-stressed a little. Thanks for the advice Saph._ "Anyway Jaune, I've got to go... I'm training with dad tomorrow and he wants me up at six."

"Love you." He winced at how desperate he sounded, how lonely and hungry. She didn't judge, however. Nor did she comment on it, even if the soft look in her eyes told him she'd noticed.

"I love you too Jaune," she said instead. "All of us do, so don't you ever forget it."

"I won't." He whispered to the black screen. With a heavy sigh he put the scroll away, feeling the warmth of the conversation drift quickly away. Without it, the halls of Beacon felt cold and damp, stretching on before him into darkness. He could navigate them all with his eyes closed, that was just how much time he had spent there. Yet those walls had never made him feel so alone.

 _I don't want to die here again._

* * *

 **Birth of a team, eh? Well, not all births are without their complications, lol.**

 **Well there we go, another chapter of NTF. It's a longer one once more. Just to let you all know, I do try to make sure all chapters are a decent length, but that doesn't mean I will drag them out if it serves no purpose. Last chapter was 10k words simply because that was where it came to an end. I could have added 5k easily, but it would have diluted the story and served no purpose. Similarly, I could have taken the first 5 from this and slapped it on the end, but then it would have ended at a weird spot. Like after one lesson, then just ending.**

 **It made sense to end it after initiation, as that was a big event coming to an end.  
**

 **On another note, yes I am changing lesson plans around a little. In the show we naturally see barely any lessons, but since a lot of this will revolve around Jaune settling in, we will see more of them. That means things may be in different orders, though it's nothing big. I literally mean tiny things like Oobleck's lesson being on a different day to Port's when in the show, I can't remember if they were meant to be on the same day. And in this chapter, Weiss meeting Port in his office instead of on a balcony.  
**

 **Minute little details.  
**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8th July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) coeur**


	10. Chapter 10

**So I thought I might answer a query or two some have raised. Last chapter I pointed out that the story is still serious despite the comedy, so long as you look at the reasons** ** _why_** **Jaune is acting in such a way. This time I thought I might mention why the PoV has switched to feature Jaune so sparsely – compared to say the first five chapters which were all about him.**

 **Essentially it's a design choice by me, in which this allows us to see the actions of Jaune from the outside. His PoV would actually be fairly angst-ridden, with every little thing he says or does analysed within his own mind. It would rob a lot of the mystery from "why" he does things, while also making it a chore to read. This is the reason why I mostly have been writing from the PoV of people from outside looking in.**

 **As the series progresses, it will start to inverse a little, slowly becoming more Jaune PoV centric. But yes, it was a decision choice by me.  
**

* * *

 **Beta** : College Fool

 **Chapter 10** – Swing it like you mean it

* * *

"Your handwriting is terrible." Yang leaned back on her mattress, arms crossed behind her head. On the bed beside her lay her partner, nose buried in yet another book. At the end of the cramped room, on one of the two large desks, sat their leader Jaune and his partner… though at this point the distinction on whether she was his partner or his slave driver was in the air. "No one could hope to read this. Write it again."

"Nooo," Jaune Arc whined, one hand reached out as pieces of torn paper sprinkled down before him. "Couldn't you have at least let me copy it before ripping it up?"

"W-Well," Weiss looked away, clearly having not thought of that, "this should help you memorise the material. It's not enough to go through the motions of homework. You must learn and absorb it." That sounded like a weak excuse, even to her, but she watched the unfolding drama with barely concealed glee. There really was nothing better than a real life soap opera. It was still a shame no one had taken her idea of bunk beds seriously, with Weiss shooting it down and Jaune commenting that it sounded like too much hard work. Even her own partner had just shrugged, giving in to the majority.

That was probably why she felt he deserved to put up with Weiss' badgering. It definitely wasn't because she found it entertaining as hell. No way! It had been particularly funny in the first day, when Weiss had still held onto some misplaced belief that he would try his best and put in every effort to learn from her. It hadn't taken twenty-four hours for the girl's optimism to shrivel up and die. And then the frustrated anger had come out... and _that_ was when it had become good viewing.

"We only got this homework today," Jaune sighed, "this is like the first week… it's not required until next Monday. I was going to do it this weekend." Weiss planted both hands down on the table, the girl hovering over him as she fixed a baleful expression onto the unfortunate man.

"Fool me once, shame on me," she snarled. "You already missed out on Professor Port's homework yesterday. I won't let you trick me again!"

"He doesn't even take in the homework he sets! He literally forgot he had ever set it… _nobody_ did his homework."

" _I_ did it," Weiss crossed her arms, "and so did Yang and Blake." The two girls in question shared a brief look over the top of Blake's novel. The raised brow her partner gave suggested she might have done the same thing Yang had and just sketched some random words down. He was right though, the teacher hadn't asked for it in, so neither of them had gotten in any trouble.

It was only four days into Beacon and already Yang was starting to figure out some of the classes and teachers. Like the fact that Port liked to talk about his own adventures in every lesson and that, much like Jaune had said, he didn't actually collect or mark the homework he set. Professor Oobleck on the other hand, very much the opposite. That was what Jaune was working on now.

"Doesn't the saying go _fool me twice, shame on you_?"

"There will be no second time. Less talking, more writing!"

"Those two are a real laugh, eh?" Yang rolled over, turning in such a way that she lay on her side looking directly towards Blake. The girl twitched, ever-present bow in place as she answered without ever looking away from her novel.

"It was a laugh the first three times. This is becoming old."

"Oh don't be such a sourpuss," Yang laughed, catching the narrowed eyes but thinking nothing of it. "It's like an old married couple. Weiss is the mother nagging the father to get a better paid job – and the two of us are their children."

"If he was my husband then I'd poison his drink," Weiss snarled, apparently having heard her comment.

"If she were my wife, I'd drink it."

"See?" Yang turned back to Blake with a grin, watching but listening as Weiss spluttered and ranted at him – as though it were somehow unfair or disgusting of him to say that even when she had mentioned poisoning him. "Those two are a real riot."

"I am in stitches," Blake turned a page, voice deadpan. Lilac eyes turned to slits. Sheesh, her team could be a real nightmare at times. _Wish I could have been on Ruby's team, they look like a lot more fun._ Or rather, Nora did. Still, even if Pyrrha was a bit overly polite and Ren was a bit… well, overly polite… Nora and Ruby were enough to bring a little life to the squad. _Instead I get a bookworm, an over-achiever and the laziest idiot on Remnant. Is this Karma for all the puns? I knew I shouldn't have trusted Uncle Qrow on that._

"What'cha reading?" Yang asked instead, going with her usual approach to sparking friendships. It was an odd plan, where she liked to get in their faces and be bothersome enough that they had to accept her, but it hadn't really failed yet.

Blake sighed but answered, "It's the man with two souls, two."

"Two souls two? Like twenty-two souls? That sounds pretty complicated."

"No. Like two souls, the second book in the series. A sequel." Digging words out of Blake was like squeezing water from a rock.

"The man with four souls?" the voice of their leader came from the writing desk, where he was lazily scribbling something down onto a piece of paper. Weiss sat on the desk beside him, legs and arms crossed with a ruler in her hand.

"Yes…" Blake answered uncertainly. She still seemed off around the guy, like she wasn't quite sure what he would say or do. Just another reason for Yang to feel awkward in the room that should have been her solace.

"That's not a bad book. It's the one where the protagonist is torn by the indecision of the four souls, ultimately succumbing to madness and killing his love interest, before realising what he has done and sacrificing his life to seal the souls away. I liked that ending."

Blake twitched.

 _Violently._

"I hadn't finished this book," she whispered, voice barely audible. Even so, Yang felt the desire to scoot a little further back in her bed.

"Oh right," Jaune didn't look back, "Spoiler warning I guess."

 _It's a little late for that,_ Yang's thoughts were a little hysterical, as she watched her partner's fingers turn white as she gripped the cover of the book. With an almost reluctant finality she pushed it down atop the dresser, retracting her hand and crossing them over her chest. Blake Belladonna could have redefined the word `pout` with her current expression.

"You could keep reading," Yang tried to offer, laughing nervously when furious golden eyes turned on her.

Blake huffed, "Now that I think about it. I finished this homework in class, but has Yang even started?"

"Xiao-Long!" Weiss locked on like a laser-guided missile, even as Yang fixed a filthy look on her partner. "What are you waiting for? Get up here and start writing your own as well – we're running out of time!"

"Traitor," she whispered towards her partner, pulling herself up with the reluctance of a person walking to their execution. Sure, she could have argued – but what was the point? The work had to be done at some point and an argument was only going to make things worse.

"Misery loves company," Jaune whispered as she sat down, flashing him an irritated look.

"Daddy," she cooed, holding both hands before her chest, "mummy's being mean – can't I skip the homework this time?" Weiss spluttered angrily, but Jaune simply turned to face her, expression serious.

"Sure." A second later, his face was pushed down, impacting the desk as Weiss' hand settled on the back of his skull. Her normally pale face was red, eyes narrowed.

"No you can't! And don't call me your mother! And you… don't encourage her madness!"

"Mrfl…" he replied into the pages.

"If you get spit on that, you're writing a new one!" She threw her hands in the air, "I don't see how the two of you can be so blasé about this, these are the grades that will determine your success in life. You fell asleep in Professor Port's class yesterday, _again_!"

"In my defence, and I think it's a pretty good defence, you were pretty much the only person who didn't." Yang had to admit, he had a point there. She'd been out like a light, and though she was fairly sure Blake had stayed awake, it was only to finish her homework and read a book.

"Well how about history class? Professor Oobleck asked you a question and you got it completely wrong - in front of the entire class!"

"Hey, he asked me what caused General Lagune's loss at Fort Castle."

"He wasn't technically wrong," Blake chipped in, leaning over for a new book and turning the page.

" _Stupidity_ was not the correct answer. Every mistake made by mankind could be chalked up to stupidity."

"That's what makes it such a good answer."

Weiss sighed, "The General underestimated his foes due to a lack of understanding on the capabilities of those he faced. He lacked information."

"A lack of intelligence," Jaune said. "In other words - stupidity."

"If you'd phrased it like that then you probably wouldn't be a laughing stock among the students right now." The Heiress gripped her hair in both hands, but wisely chose not to tug. "After your forfeit in combat class and now this? It's a wonder more people aren't bullying you in the halls. In fact, it's only the performance of the rest of us that has prevented you being a bigger target."

"Whoa wait," Jaune leaned back in his chair, genuinely confused. "I'm being bullied?"

"You didn't even _notice_?" Weiss growled. She did that a lot lately. "How could you not notice that people keep laughing and talking about you?"

"Eh, probably because I don't care enough to listen to them." He scratched his nose at that, the sheer apathy in his voice drawing a little giggle from Yang. "Should I?"

"Well no… but what about Cardin?"

"Who?"

"The guy you surrendered to in that fight," Weiss had one hand against her face.

"Oh him… wait, is he bullying me?"

Yang coughed, drawing attention to her as she put her pencil back down. Her eyes rolled towards the ceiling a little, as she recalled the events of just the previous day. "Remember after history class, when he held his leg out to trip you up?"

Jaune's eyes widened, "Oh yeah! I walked straight into his leg and ended up knocking him into the door frame. Do you think I should apologise?"

"How about the time he fired a spit ball at you in Peach's class?" Yang tried another occasion.

"Didn't that hit Weiss?" The white-haired girl growled in fury at the memory. No doubt Cardin still shivered whenever he thought about it. In an attempt to keep the room descending into chaos, Yang chose to _not_ mention how he'd only hit Weiss because Jaune had gone from being fast asleep to suddenly sitting straight up – effectively dodging the shot at the last second and leaving his partner open.

"Well how about when he stood up in the middle of the cafeteria and proclaimed that you're a man who likes to hide behind women and make them do your fighting for you?"

"Well he isn't technically wrong... Would you be offended if someone called you blonde?" Yang sighed. He wasn't supposed to be _proud_ of that fact, nor accept it as nothing more than an accurate description. "I think you're all overreacting. I mean if he really wanted to bully me then surely he could just hit me or something?"

The three of them could only stare at him. No doubt each of them was remembering the events of just yesterday, when Cardin had finally lost his cool and made to attack Jaune. The blond had simply blinked and walked away, not even noticing as the other teen's fist missed his face by an inch and impacted the wall. Cardin certainly noticed, if the way he'd cradled his hand was any indication.

"Winchester's lack of skill at bullying is no excuse for you being bullied!" Weiss announced, putting the argument to rest. "Whether or not you realise it… whether or not the idiot even knows how to do it, people are _trying_ to bully you. That is bad."

"Is it tho-?"

" _It_ is bad," Weiss repeated, placing emphasis on the word as she glared at him. Jaune wisely kept his mouth shut. "As such we need to help boost your image within Beacon, and the best way to do that is book smarts and achievements. If you are the best in class then there's no way you will get bullied."

"You were private schooled, weren't you?" Jaune asked.

"By the best in Atlas," Weiss nodded proudly.

"It shows."

"Thank you," Weiss curtsied at what she no doubt perceived a compliment. Yang grinned and got back to her homework, wondering what other fireworks would come. The heiress had the right idea, but perhaps not the experience… his reputation was already scuppered – and becoming the teacher's pet would just make it worse. Ruby had gone through similar, but she'd had the benefit of a kickass older sister to put the fear into any bullies. And in time, Ruby had shown exactly what she was made of.

He could do the same, she considered as they both scrawled away. There was no real conversation now, just the scratching of pen on paper interposed with the occasional hum from Weiss as she looked over what they had written.

She, Yang Xiao-Long, had trashed Cardin Winchester. It hadn't even been a fair fight as much as a massacre, especially since she'd been angry at the words he had thrown around. That was to be expected. She was a badass melee combatant, all the instructors at Signal had said so – though many using different words than badass… that had been all her uncle. Either way, she'd been the top at Signal and while it was too early to say where she was in Beacon, she was confident it would be in the top ten per cent or so.

And Jaune Arc had fought her unarmed.

Okay, she'd been unarmed too, but the point still remained. Between a person who used a sword and one who used fist-based weapons, if they were both unarmed – she had the biggest advantage. He lost his entire style of combat while she only lost a bit of striking power and the use of her shotgun blasts. It hadn't been a fair fight, all the more reason for her to have felt guilty over it. All the more reason why she should have won.

He'd fought her – and he hadn't been creamed. _It was more of a brawl than a real fight,_ she had to admit. From what she could tell he'd been hammered for one, and she hadn't exactly been prepared for it either. But he'd fought more than well enough… well enough to make her concerned. Well enough to make her draw her weapon in the heat of the moment.

Was he a pacifist? Like one of those martial arts masters in the movies, where he'd suffered some great loss as a child prodigy but sealed his strength away behind a wall of iron-clad discipline? Except that under the influence of alcohol, his emotions came forth, unleashing his power upon her?

Jaune Arc yawned, eyes closing for a second before Weiss slapped her ruler against the back of his head. The sudden impact made him jerk; waking up in an instant and causing him to lurch back so violently he fell off his chair. Okay, maybe not a hermit martial arts master. She really needed to cut down on watching movies on her scroll before bed.

Four days… or only three really, if you considered initiation as the first day, then three days since. But still, they had been on a team for three and a half days and she still felt no closer to understanding him.

Blake and Weiss were easy, at least in a sense. Yang wouldn't dare believe she knew everything there was to know about either of them, but the basics were there. Blake liked peace and quiet and enjoyed reading, she was a smart girl but also had a vicious streak hidden behind her words at times. Yang liked that. It made verbally sparring with her all the more exciting.

Weiss on the other hand was an over-achiever, someone determined to be the best and as such make sure her team was also the best. She was also spoiled, proud and arrogant – but not cruel about any of it. It was more like she was a naïve bitch than an actual bitch… which made it easier to bear. Naivety would wear off given time.

The thing with Weiss was that she genuinely thought she was helping with this whole forced homework thing.

Their leader though? Ugh… it wasn't that he was hard to get a grip on. Lazy, sarcastic, a bit dopey – Yang had a faint suspicion he might suffer from narcolepsy, because some of the places and times he could fall asleep went well beyond laziness. It was _hard_ to fall asleep in the middle of a conversation with Weiss… even harder when her volume quickly spiked from eight to one thousand.

Either way, it was easy to get a read on him, or a first impression – and that should have been enough for her. And it would have been… were it not for the inconsistencies.

He was rude and anti-social, ignoring them at random moments and generally refusing to even give the time of day to most other students. But he put up with Ruby. That had been the first sign to her, especially since she'd been ready to step in at any moment to protect her little sister. Why oh why the shy and nervous girl had chosen _him_ of all people to befriend, she had no idea. Why not someone a thousand times easier, who actually responded to people or looked like he was paying the slightest attention? It should have been impossible… and yet it had happened… Ruby chatted with him incessantly, just about every time she could. Yang didn't think she'd ever heard him give a proper response, at least not more than a yes, no or grunt that might have counted for words if she were a _caveman_. But he'd also never flat-out ignored or shooed her away, either.

Her little sister, as adorable as she was, could be over-enthusiastic at times – and the way she monopolised the conversation with him was a prime example. Yet he let her get away with it, when he absolutely didn't have to.

His combat ability was another thing, but that could be explained away. He hadn't actually fought yet… so while he had been able to drunkenly brawl with her, it might make sense that he wasn't confident in his skills against someone like Winchester. It was silly… but maybe he just thought the bigger man was too strong. Or maybe he was just an aggressive drunk... it wasn't like their fight had been filled with extreme technique. She could still remember him headbutting her in the face.

It was his personality which confused her the most, however… and she had to wonder if she was the only person who saw it. Jaune Arc was lazy, uncaring and slow… the kind of guy who talked like he was fighting back a yawn and who you could trust to be the last to finish just about anything. He might put up with Ruby, but he definitely didn't seem to _care_ about anyone. That clashed immediately with what she had seen and heard in the police station. She had only been present for the conversation between the Headmaster and he, but it had been time enough to see a different side of him – one that was sharp, angry and emotional. He'd accused, he'd pushed and fought – he had argued with the Headmaster of Beacon Academy, she could even remember him sticking up for her, saying how she wasn't at fault.

That person just didn't mesh with this person, and that contradiction was almost agonising in how much confusion it caused her. It was… it would be like if Ruby suddenly turned around and explained that she was a sex-craved psycho who wanted to rule over Beacon with an iron fist and an eclectic harem. Not impossible… but so unlikely that Yang wasn't going to start worrying about her virtue anytime soon.

"Mother, I fear our daughter is developing an Electra Complex."

"Don't call me mother," Weiss slammed the ruler down on his head once more, producing a mighty crack. "Yang, stop staring at him… you're beginning to creep me out as well."

"Lost in thought," Yang shrugged. She wasn't one to feel embarrassed at being caught.

"What, did you try to count to five?" She spared a smirk to the man beside her as Weiss hit him again. Smart ass he may be, but he wasn't particularly smart if he hadn't realised what the girl's response to that would be. "There, done. Ow, why!?"

"Automatic reflex," Weiss had the decency to cough as she placed down the ruler and accepted his homework, scanning over it with an experienced eye. She hummed, tilted her head to the side and frowned. After a few seconds, however, she let it drop with a sigh. "Passable. I'll let it go this once but I will expect better in the future."

"Here," Yang sighed and handed her own over, getting a raised brow above the pages.

"It's… pretty much perfect." Yang rolled her eyes. Did Weiss have to sound so surprised?

"When your father and uncle are teachers, you don't get an excuse for a poor report card." Say what you would about the two of them, and there was a _lot_ to say about Qrow being drunk in lessons, but Taiyang and Qrow were not the kind of people to accept anything but the best from their students. Being a family member didn't make it any easier. And to think, some of her old friends had complained that she must have had it easy.

What a joke.

"Well you've finished just in time for lunch too," Weiss pointed out, checking her scroll and seeing it would be five minutes until the bell rang. Beacon had a number of free periods through the day, since being a Hunter wasn't something that required an abundance of varied lessons. Things like politics and herbs came in the upper years, but for first years it was more important that they had the free time to hone their skills and fitness.

 _And to think, just the other day I had laughed and proclaimed how awesome it would be to goof off during said free periods… damn Weiss, damn treacherous Blake._

The halls of Beacon teemed with students, some in uniform and others in combat dress. It all depended on the year and timetable, but they all moved as one towards the cafeteria, hungry beyond belief. Being a first year again… it was a strange feeling, especially after she'd once been the undeniable top dog of Signal. It was honestly a shock to see people look at their team and laugh, and for some to even go so far as to walk into their leader, shoulders clashing against his.

He didn't budge, however, which brought a satisfied grin to her lips. If they expected him to fall over then they were surely disappointed, for he just walked through them with the same kind of blank expression he always wore, not once noticing the teasing, not once realising that some people staggered after knocking into him. Not one dared to harass the remaining three… not since she'd made such short work of Cardin Winchester.

"Do you think he does it on purpose?" Yang whispered, trusting her partner to hear. Blake's yellow eyes narrowed, a short sigh slipped from her lips.

"No. I don't even think he is intentionally defending himself. It's not that he squares his muscles or takes a better stance, he simply walks through." Yang hummed, even as she agreed with the comment. As a fighter she was used to reading minute movements, or at least she knew the theory behind it… that wasn't the kind of skill anyone truly mastered. But she was experienced enough to know that he wasn't preparing himself for each person.

"Yang!" Ruby called as they entered the cafeteria, "Over here!" Jaune groaned and made to move to a different table, but Yang's hand snapped out to grab his shoulder with ease, dragging him along with the team as they went to sit down with Team Rubine.

"Hey sis," she greeted as she forced her leader down into an empty seat. The rest of the team each took a seat on the long table, opposite their counterparts from what was fast becoming their sister team. Well, that was literal in her case. "Thanks for saving us seats. Yo Nora, you looking after my baby sister?"

"Of course," the orange-haired girl scoffed, reaching across the table to bump fists with her. "Just this morning I made sure she had a healthy breakfast of pancakes, syrup and cookies." That was… not exactly what she'd have called a healthy breakfast, but then again it probably had more nutrients than the _just_ cookies, Ruby would have chosen on her own.

"Eh, good enough," Yang grinned down at her own tray packed high with meat and vegetables. A lifestyle like hers burned calories off at a crazy rate, that being almost literal if she activated her semblance. That said, she still needed to make sure she got plenty of protein to keep her toned muscles. _Heh, and who said eating healthy is hard?_

"So you come up with any new ideas for the team name?" It was Pyrrha who spoke, a small smile on her face as she brought up what seemed to be a daily discussion for the team. Weiss and Yang groaned, shaking their heads. "Have you considered an abbreviation?"

"An abbreviation," Blake didn't look up from her book, "like JBWY?"

"I was thinking a little more abbreviated," Pyrrha didn't take any offence, or rather if she did, she kept it well hidden. "Perhaps just two letters?"

"Team JB?" Yang winced.

"Weiss fits the image," Jaune replied, only to go silent as a butter knife planted itself between his thumb and forefinger. It vibrated gently, buried a full inch into the wood.

"I don't think those letters work well in either order," Weiss delicately dabbed her lips with a napkin. "Nor do the others combine to make anything that sounds less foolish than what we already have. I believe the problem here is Blake, since her initials are the same."

"My profound apologies," Blake turned a page in her book.

"We could always marry her off," Yang grinned as she felt Blake's eyes leave the pages and lock onto the back of her neck. She could just imagine how frigid those eyes were. Truly, her partner had the best reactions to teasing. "Do you think it would be easier if she married Jaune or Ren?"

"Neither works particularly well… we could use a consonant in all honesty. Perhaps an N?"

"Great, Pyrrha, you want to marry Blake."

"I do?"

"Great!" Nora and Ruby were stifling their giggles as Pyrrha's green eyes widened in alarm.

"N-No wait, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Ow!" A loud voice cried out in pain, disrupting their conversation. The light mood died in an instant, as a scene that had played out just the previous day occurred once more. "Please don't, that hurts!"

"See? I told you they were real," Cardin Winchester laughed to one of his teammates, "It's damn weird, you can feel how warm they are. What a freak." His cronies laughed, as did a few others nearby. Yang sighed, good mood forgotten as she balanced one elbow on the table, chin slumping into her hand.

"He's at it again," Weiss rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Looks like it's not just Jaune he's trying to pick on… perhaps he's gone for a target who shows more of a response."

"He rubs me the wrong way," Pyrrha agreed, munching on a stick of celery with more force than was strictly necessary. "What's worse is how everyone else laughs along… like it's normal."

"It is," Blake turned another page, but Yang could see the frustration in that simple act. The speed at which she did it, the lack of delicate care and attention she paid to her beloved tomes. "Faunus are used to putting up with things like this."

Yang sighed, "It's di-"

"It's disgusting..." A voice practically _seethed_ from her left. Such was the animosity in those words that the blonde felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle. She wasn't the only one, it seemed, as eyes widened and utensils slowly lowered to the table. As one they all turned to look at the blond man who had been so quiet.

He was frowning down at a half-eaten chicken wing in his hand. With a worn out sigh he placed it down and pushed the plate away. "So disgusting… I've had better meals straight out the microwave."

"Of course you're talking about the food," Weiss sighed and raised a hand to cover her face. "How foolish of me to think you were actually interacting with the world around you." Her eyes narrowed behind her fingers, "You _are_ going to eat more, right? We have another sparring class this afternoon and I want to do some training before then."

"I'll be fine on what I've had."

"You've had half a chicken-wing and the smallest portion of salad I've ever seen. Where is the protein, the vitamins and minerals?" Weiss sighed the sigh of someone who had given up on any hope of the person she was speaking to actually giving an intelligent response. Instead, she leaned over and started to push some vegetables off her plate, spilling them onto his.

"I'm sorry, are you my wife or my mother?"

"I'm neither!" A carrot ricocheted off his forehead, "Stop saying that!" Ruby caught Yang's eye across the table, but she mouthed a quick `don't ask` in response.

"I wish someone should do something about Cardin, though," Pyrrha drew the conversation back to the matter at hand, leaving Weiss to try and force more food down Jaune's throat. "It's bad enough that he tries to lord it over the other first years, but now something like this?"

"It's not our business." Yang frowned at Blake for that, even if it wasn't strictly untrue.

"Then whose business is it?" Ruby asked, silver eyes hard, "The girl being bullied, Cardin's, or is it just the responsibility of the air itself to do something?" No doubt Ruby recalled her own early years in Signal, where she'd been a source of bullying for not being the same as her big sister. Even now, the thought of it had Yang's fist clenching. Another cry from the distressed faunus didn't do anything to calm her emotions.

"If we intervene then things will become worse for her. We can't look out for her every second of every day and the interference will only make him treat her all the worse when we're not there." Blake sighed and put the book down on the table. "Sometimes it's best to just accept what is. He will get bored once he realises there's no real response." Was it her imagination, or had their leader's eyes strayed to Blake at that statement, narrowing just the tiniest bit?

"It's her lot in life to accept abuse like that." All eyes on the table snapped to the apathetic teen who had spoken. He pushed his plate away with a short sigh. "After all, she's just a faunus. If she doesn't want to deal with it, she can always go work in the Schnee mines." Yang swallowed as she felt the temperature around the table drop. It wasn't just Blake who glared at him, but Weiss and the rest of Ruby's team too.

"How dare-" Blake began, only to go silent as a pair of blue eyes fixed on her.

"Isn't that what you just said? Sometimes it's better to just accept what is?"

"Hey now," Yang leaned between them, trying to break line of sight, "let's not argue over dinner." Blake leaned forward, however, pushing Yang back.

"I didn't mean it like that. The abuse humans heap upon the faunus is obscene. You wouldn't even _mention_ those mines if you knew what went on in there." Weiss shuffled uncertainly. She looked like she wanted to speak, to defend her family name, but at the same time was afraid to. It was the first time Yang had seen her look so stricken.

"And yet here we are, sitting back as one is tormented." He didn't sound angry. If anything he sounded bored, one finger poking distractedly at his scroll. "An interesting way to show how much you care."

Blake's fingers clenched around her utensils, knuckles white as bone. "And what about you? I don't see you doing anything."

"That's because I don't care." Yang winced at the way he said it, lilac eyes strayed to their sister team in time to see the dark look Pyrrha sent him, along with a disappointed expression from Nora and Ren. Her little sister looked frightened... like a young girl watching her parents argue, who had no idea whether things would ever be the same afterwards. "Should I care about someone I don't know?"

"Yes." Blake almost snarled.

"We're training to be Hunters Jaune..." Ruby's voice was quieter, as the girl reached across the table to lay two fingers on his arm. Her sister seemed hesitant, as though worried what his response might be. "It isn't right for us to sit back and watch injustice happen."

"Isn't that what we were just doing?" He rolled his eyes, " _Fine_. Yang, go punch Cardin in the face."

" _Me_!?" Yang spluttered, a few droplets of grape juice spraying from her lips. "When did I become a part of this?"

"Initiation, I think..." he rubbed his chin as she fought back a groan. _I didn't mean the team..._

"Why do I have to be the one to go and sock him?"

"Because I can't be bothered? Because I said so? Dealer's choice, I suppose."

"Fine," she sighed and pushed the chair back, already cracking her fists. It wasn't like she didn't _want_ to go up there and stop this... plus, now she had the perfect excuse. If anyone asked her why or tried to get her in trouble then she could just say her leader ordered her to. It wouldn't get her out of trouble, but it would mitigate it a little. _Feh, worth it to stomp someone like him. You made a mistake in reminding me of Ruby getting bullied, bucko._

The rest of the table watched as Yang stomped off, not one of them missed the dangerous gleam in her eye - nor the tiny grin on her face. "Problem solved," Jaune clapped his hands together, like a man brushing off the accumulated dust of a hard day's work.

"That level of apathy isn't something to be proud of." Pyrrha broke the silence, green eyes stern as she locked a fierce glower onto him. "Nor is forcing someone else to handle the matter because you are too lazy to." There was a cry in the background, no doubt from Yang having reached her prey. None of them even bothered to look, since the result was a foregone conclusion.

"Funny, and here I thought this was what you all wanted. _Someone_ stepped in to do something." Blake's eyes narrowed but she didn't quite meet his eyes. Ruby's face too became scrunched up. A war between conflicting emotions that threatened to break through.

"When Nora and I were young we once met a young boy," Ruby's gaze turned to her teammate, who had leaned forward to rest both elbows on the table. "He wasn't able to stand by as two complete strangers were bullied. Even outnumbered and with someone of his own to protect, he stepped in to help them. At no benefit to himself." Nora looked sad as Ren spoke, the normally bubbly girl picking at her meal. "Sometimes I wonder what happened to him."

"Maybe he grew up." Jaune shrugged, "Or maybe he developed breasts and grew his hair out. Maybe he's up there right now defending that girl. I'm not sure why you're asking me."

"Me neither." Ren shook his head but would say no more.

Ruby could only let out a small, distressed whine.

* * *

After the events at the cafeteria the teams had only been too willing to split up. Ruby had walked away with her team, sparing a weak smile for them as she promised to see them again in the combat halls. Jaune wasn't sure whether the rest of her team would want to. What a mess. On the bright side he'd managed to get Velvet out of trouble... even if it had been a roundabout way of doing it.

Mission complete, and he'd managed to keep his cover too. He should have felt proud. Instead he just felt tired... and the girl in white standing across from him in the middle of an empty field wasn't helping matters.

"Isn't it a bad idea to do exercise like this before a big fight? I could pull a muscle or hurt myself, not to mention I'll be out of energy come this afternoon. Can you imagine how distraught you would be if I were to get beaten into the ground by Cardin?"

Weiss stepped towards him, the handle of Myrtenaster held in one hand, the point in the other. With nary a word she whipped it out towards him. "I think I will be capable of living with the guilt," she snapped. "You, however, will not be capable of living at all if you don't quit with the excuses."

Jaune sighed. Really, what had he been expecting – that Weiss of all people would back off and let him welch on training? Perhaps he should also go out into Vale, find Adam and open up a cabaret band with the guy, turn him away from vengeance and hatred so they could become hippies on the road together?

 _Really, Weiss was the worst partner I could have ended up with. Pyrrha at least would have held off until I asked for help, even if she would have felt bad about it._ Ah, the benefits of hind-sight. He'd been so determined not to end up with Pyrrha that he'd gone and upstaged himself entirely.

That didn't mean he wasn't going to try, however.

"But we've just eaten too, my stomach is full, I'll get a stitch-"

"You'll get twenty stitches if you're not careful!" Silver flashed through the air, a perfectly-executed thrust as Weiss crossed the distance between them. She was holding back… she could have used a glyph to cover the distance in a tenth of the time, but murder wasn't her true aim. A great sigh echoed in the back of his mind, an exhausted heave of breath as he stepped to the side and let her pass by him. "A good dodge… at least your reflexes aren't beyond repair."

Ah… he hadn't thought about that, had he? It had been an automatic response, a rather obvious desire to avoid the sharp end of a sword that probably cost more than the Arc family home. But it also told her that he had the reflexes necessary to track her approach, and the sense to get out the way. Simply put, it was letting her judge his ability.

Which wasn't on. _If I come across as too good… or even good at all, then she's going to get suspicious._ Her pale eyes narrowed, the girl took one step to the left and then another – slowly circling him. A bead of sweat dripped down his brow. _Do I circle with her, or does that make it look like I know what I'm doing? But if I stand still in the middle it makes it look like I am confident enough to handle whatever she throws at me._

When had pretending to be worse than he was become so hard? In the end he stepped with her, making sure to hold his blade in a weak grip. The point was a little to the right too, his left side open. It felt awkward and uncomfortable, his instincts struggled against it, but with iron control he just about managed it.

She saw it, he knew. It was clear from the moment her eyes narrowed, as her frame lowered, coiling back on her legs like a bird about to take flight. His body screamed at him, dodge, defend – counter attack, do _something_. He could step to the side, take the point of the blade on the flat of his so that it ricocheted down the steel. A solid punch to her face, little more than a distraction. She would reel back and in that moment he could swing Crocea Mors across his body, across her throat.

Instead his nerves screamed with agony as she struck. His aura strained and stretched, the impact dulled so that it didn't pierce flesh, but still landing with all the force of a sledgehammer to his flank.

"Your guard needs work." She whipped the blade down, a move designed to clear it off imaginary blood. He could only cough as he fell to one knee, a hand clutched to his bruised stomach. _I must be a masochist to take something like that on purpose._ "On the other hand, your endurance must be good to take such a blow without complaint."

 _Oh come on…_ now he was blowing his cover by not showing enough of a response to being hit? How hard was this supposed to be?

"Maybe he's just too dim to feel it." Jaune spared a flat glare for the black-haired girl reading a book. She was sat on the side-lines with Yang, the two apparently cheering them on. Naturally it was only the blonde doing so. _Blake's being even more stand-offish than usual… I thought she'd calm down if she thought I didn't recognise her. What a paranoid little cat._

But what was he supposed to do, say that yes he recognised her but don't worry, he'd keep her secret? Yeah sure, he could imagine how that would go. She would either be out the door or burying Gambol Shroud in him before he could blink.

"He made it into Beacon, so he must have some skill or potential to show."

"Maybe I made it in on non-combat skills," he tried, "You know, things like book-smarts, leadership and…" he waggled his eyebrows " _other_ things." He trailed off, watching as the three girls stared at him, brows raised. It was the first time this loop he'd seen them in complete agreement. He just wished it wasn't over him.

"If we're finished with your poor attempts at humour, let's get back to training. Since you already did some cardio and weights this morning, we'll focus on technique right now. Take a ready stance once more." He sighed but did as Weiss asked, adopting the same stance he had held a few moments before. She didn't probe it by sword point this time, much to his relief. Instead she strode forward and took his hand and arms in hers, adjusting his stance to something that satisfied her. "You need to put one foot back, a stiff breeze would blow you over. Hold your sword out a little, if the centre of balance is off then a good strike will send the blade back and have you cutting yourself in half. Bend your knees – your _knees_ , did I tell you to bend your back?"

He suppressed sigh as she pushed him into what resembled a normal stance. A beginner one at best, it wouldn't suit his normal style but it still felt more natural than what he'd used before. Another excuse that had been stolen from his repertoire…

She was pulling apart his cover… and the worst part was that she didn't even realise.

"So what do I do now?" he asked. "I suppose I chop people when they come near me? Are you going to throw fruit at me to cut like they do in the movies?"

"We don't have time for a long training montage." At any other time he might have been impressed Weiss of all people had made a joke. But the way she lowered herself once more was making him lean more towards worried. "And if I wanted my fruit sliced I'd have a butler do it."

He caught Yang roll her eyes and make some snappy comment to Blake.

"Focus on your defence," the girl warned, "Don't try to knock Myrtenaster aside with the tip of your blade but instead use the full length of it."

"We don't have to do this. You're just going to tire yourself out kicking the crap out of me."

"It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for your development." And with those words she was off, grass pushed up and sent flying behind her as she charged across the field towards him. It looked like she crossed a great distance but in reality it was only a few metres. The rest came from his mind, the world slowing down as adrenaline kicked in. She was going for his left again, likely to make things easier for him. His side still smarted, the skin raw and tender.

He had to take the strike… he couldn't knock it aside, that would be too much improvement and the success would egg Weiss on into knocking more out of him. His fingers tightened on leather. His arms shook. It would hurt. It would _really_ hurt. Not even a second passed and she was beyond his guard, his sword moved clumsily, slowly, but didn't stop her. Blue eyes scrunched shut, ready for agony.

His body moved.

Jaune hissed in pain as the blow glanced off the side of him. Weiss continued past, her momentum slowly bleeding as she turned to face him. She looked pleased… a stark contrast to the chagrined expression on his own face.

He'd dodged…

Or rather, he'd moved to minimise the damage, using his spare hand to guide away the strike so that he took only a fraction of it.

"Not bad," she clapped one hand against the fist that held her weapon. "You weren't able to deflect the attack, but you didn't take it either. Maybe there's hope for you yet."

 _You are such a pussy,_ Jaune thought of his body, and also probably himself. Take the attack. It was only pain… it was so easy to say, but so were a lot of things. Weiss hit hard and fast, and aura wasn't the catch-all painkiller that some people thought it was. You still bruised, you still bled – and if the attack was strong enough – you still died. Weiss wasn't about to kill him, though occasionally she looked like she really wanted to… but that still didn't stop his body from wanting to avoid being hurt.

Especially when it was for something that was ultimately useless…

It wasn't Weiss who decided if he stayed in Beacon, nor was it his team. They could have the highest or lowest opinion of him, it really didn't matter. He just needed to seem weak and ill-suited in front of the teachers. All he needed to be in front of his teammates… was someone they could hate. Or someone they would keep their distance from, who they wouldn't fight for if he were to be expelled.

Someone they didn't want to get close to. So that it wouldn't be harder than it already was to leave them all behind – to die. _Don't think about it, if I try my hardest or not they will still die._ He had to think of the ultimate goal… the happiness they would feel when he finally saved them. All of it made possible because of this.

But in regards to this training, Weiss was going to work him through the remainder of their lunch hour _no matter_ how poorly he did. He could either come out of it bruised black and blue, staggering to his next lesson. Or he could come out of it in one piece. She was the kind of person who would accept no other compromise.

Weiss really was the worst person to be his partner.

"I didn't really mean to do anything though, it was just instinct. Nobody wants to be stabbed."

"Any idiot can swing a sword like a bat," Weiss scoffed, "but it takes more training to know how to take blows. How to turn them aside without getting yourself killed in the process. I don't care if it's instinctual cowardice or just self-preservation. At this point I'll use whatever you have."

He held up one hand, "I like the first idea of just swinging my sword around. Can't I use that against whatever the guy I'm fighting is called?"

"It's Cardin, and no – you can't. Let's ignore the fact that he's wearing _armour_ of all things and also consider the fact that his weapon is a lot heavier than yours. You need to know how to deflect attacks because if you try to parry that then you'll be in trouble." Jaune could have pointed out that actually he'd have been okay. Cardin moderated his blows so that he didn't push through your guard, though there was no kindness behind it. He liked to drag fights out so that he had more of an opportunity to revel in his victory.

He was also unusually vicious in what damage he caused too… not at all afraid to swing below the belt or break bones. The fact that the bully tended to grow up fast and mature into a generally good guy was hardly any comfort at the moment. If the pain from Weiss' probing strikes was bad, it was only going to be worse in the afternoon. _And losing to him won't help either… if I recall, I always lost to Cardin and never got expelled the first time._ It was hard to remember that time. The memories were mixed with too many others. But he knew for a fact he hadn't actually been expelled, despite cheating his way in.

"Hah!" Jaune's eyes widened, body twisting to the side as a white blur shot at him. Crocea Mors came up, one hand on the flat of the blade as he pushed aside his partner's blow. He didn't need to see the excited grin on her face to know he'd completely messed up. "Better, much better! I can't believe it. Maybe you _do_ have the potential to be here."

What? Did he need to cement his feet to the floor or something? He could imagine the mental representation of his body, a small kicked puppy in his mind that whined a question of what it had done wrong. He couldn't even be angry… of course he would dodge an attack, he was used to them being more than a little fatal.

"I wasn't ready…"

"Exactly, an opponent is hardly going to wait for you to be prepared!" She threw another attack his way and this time he allowed it to land, moving his blade just a tad too slowly. Pain lanced through his shoulder. His breath came out in a strained gasp. Weiss frowned. "Keep trying!" She disengaged and came in for another, this time a horizontal cut across his body. It was so telegraphed that he had to assume it was a test… even a baby could have blocked it, so he brought up his weapon at the last second, the metal clashing together. "Better!"

It carried on like that for a while. As each strike came he would try to analyse it, try to understand if it was something he should realistically be expected to avoid, or a blow that he could afford to take instead. His aura flared and dimmed, pain settling in as his eyes became heavy. The last time he'd hurt so badly was when the Beowolf had torn his entrails out… but even that had been a sharp, immediate kind of hurt. This reminded him of battles with Adam or Cinder… fights in which he was cut down slowly over time.

The fact that Weiss' blows never cut flesh only made it worse… he felt each impact like a club, but his body never felt the need to send endorphins out to mute it. Aura was part of the body, and so the body knew how to work around it… just one of those frustrating caveats of the ability.

"Stop, stop," Weiss held out one hand even though it was a wasted gesture. It wasn't like he had thrown a single attack. "This isn't working… it's like you're getting worse the more you concentrate." She had no idea how accurate that statement was. "You were honestly better when I caught you off-guard."

"Maybe," Jaune panted, bent over with one hand on his knee, "I'm getting worse because I'm exhausted? Or because you've battered me half to death?"

"No, that can't be it…" Weiss turned with one hand beneath her chin, ignoring his shout of how that could totally be it. "You must be overthinking things, slowing your body down by trying to plan every strike. I can't believe I'm even about to suggest this of you… but I need you to _think_ less." Weiss kept her eyes on his but gave a slow, purposeful nod. Was that supposed to mean something to him?

He rolled his eyes. Her low opinion of him aside, what she was even asking was a tall order. Was he now supposed to think less about thinking more about not showing off the skills that he was trying to hide? All that was going to result in was a brain aneurism.

Weiss' eyes widened, "Look out!" she screamed, pointing behind him in sudden horror.

A footstep, a faint sense of a threat – it was enough to have him tear Crocea Mors back from its sheathe in a violent crescendo of steel rasping against steel. A step back, body tilted, he could just make out a flash of black hair and golden eyes, of Cinder closing in for the kill. No, not to kill him, to kill Weiss – and then everyone else he cared about. Blue eyes darkened, one hand slammed out, catching the blade on the edge of his palm just enough to divert its path. The shadow passed beside him, a startled gasp escaping it.

Before Crocea Mors slammed down like a meteorite, cutting through flesh and muscle with ease and splashing blood all across him.

Blake's startled eyes stared back up into his.

He froze, weapon carved into her breastbone, straight through the shoulder and neck. Her body drifted off it with a sickening squelch, sliding back onto the soft grass.

"Good job!" Weiss crowed. His wide eyes darted to her. In the background he could hear Yang crying out her own support along with the near silent applause of her partner. But… there was nothing on the grass but the tell-tale wisps of distorted light from one of Blake's clones. She had…? But the blood, her clones didn't create blood.

And there was none on his hands, now that he looked at them. It was a task that was made all the harder by the way they shook. His vision blurred, the blood appearing once more, before coming back to reality.

"Well it definitely looks like there's nothing wrong with his instincts," Yang clapped a hand on his shoulder. He wasn't sure if she could feel him flinch, nor the way his body was shivering. He had… no, he hadn't done anything. But he'd been prepared to, and in some way that was just as bad. Blake didn't look the slightest bit like her, but the hair… the eyes… at a glance? No, that was no excuse.

"Why?" The word was torn from his lips without thought, cutting through their mirth like a kni- no, he didn't want to think about anything cutting through anyone.

"Huh?" Yang shrugged, standing on one leg with hands on hips. "Why what?"

"Why…" he pointed one hand beside him to where nothing lay, "why do that!?" How could they have thought that was a good idea? He had nearly gone off the edge, he was still barely coping, his anger rolled off him in waves. It was a wonder they couldn't feel heat radiating from his body.

"To test your reactions," Weiss rolled her eyes. "And it worked – you _are_ better when you're not thinking about it. This is a huge development."

"It's not like there was any risk," Blake shrugged as she slid up beside them. "Without dust my clone wouldn't have been capable of hurting you."

 _It's not me I was worried about_ , he wanted to scream. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her, to rant and shout until Weiss and Yang understood what they'd just done. What they had just made him think _he_ had done.

But he couldn't… because they hadn't done anything wrong, had they? At least not from their point of view. He could only watch with heavy breaths as the three girls avidly discussed what had just happened, Weiss waving her arms and Blake nodding along. In any other situation… if he were a normal man… that would have been nothing more than a clever prank. Something to laugh and joke about… for him to feel silly over.

He could taste blood in his mouth. He'd bit his tongue and it had started to pool up. He wasn't sure if he could swallow it, for there was also bile and vomit threatening to force its way up. "I'm getting a drink," he snarled instead, hiding his mouth behind one arm as he made his way over to a nearby drinking fountain. Weiss called for him to wait, and if it had been any other situation he would have, if only to prevent the argument. Not this time, however... not when he couldn't think straight. She would get over it. That or she'd write it off as him being rude or an asshole. At this point he didn't care which.

They didn't even realise how much pain he was in.

That was good. That was what he wanted.

Wasn't it?

"Fuck…" red swirled in the bottom of the basin, the deep cut slowly healing as he felt the cool water sting. He had to calm his breathing, had to get himself back under control. It had just been a training accident. No one had been hurt and no one would be. _Calm down, you have a fight coming up that you need to throw… calm down._

It wasn't their fault. They were just trying to help. If anything it was his… for not paying attention, for getting distracted and letting Blake get the best of him like that - for losing sight of where he was and nearly killing her. The anguish vanished slowly. Draining away like the last vestiges of blood that spiralled their way down the drain. When he turned back to his waiting team it was with an embarrassed smile on his face, lips twisted up and bright eyes shining.

But it did nothing for the anger that festered beneath.

* * *

Weiss' emotions hadn't settled down any as the day progressed. At the back of her mind, from the very moment she had awoken, lay the cursed combat class at the end of the day. It taunted her… it almost haunted her. Her eyes slipped to the right to where her partner strolled nonchalantly beside her, as though there was not a care in the world that could impede him. But there was a certain edge to that, one that she could barely make out – but his eyes were a little harder. His steps a little more guarded.

Perhaps even he sensed the tension.

"Relax Weiss-cream," Yang chirped in, the abominable nickname generating a flash of anger before even that was drowned in anxiety. "We've put a lot of effort into training him. He'll at least be able to hold his own."

"A lot of effort?" Weiss laughed, the sound almost hysterical. "Yes we have, but the irony is that it all means nothing. So maybe he's some kind of idiot savant who has instinctual combat ability… that still means unless Cardin sneak attacks him, it won't actually help!"

She was doomed. There was no way he would be able to defeat Cardin with so little training. It had been a surprise to find the potential within him, and to be honest it was still little more than a theory between the three girls. But there was no denying that his combat ability was better when he was attacked off-guard. Blake's ambush had proven that... he hadn't gotten any stronger or faster, but the way he held his sword - the manner in which he'd dodged, the brutality? It was miles above what he'd shown before.

But it still wouldn't help him in this fight... Cardin would attack from the front, it was a regulated fight. He would be no better than when he fought her. Weiss' only consolation was that Miss Goodwitch had said he would have to fight. Which meant it wouldn't be as humiliating as his last bout. Even crushing defeat was better than giving up a full second into the fight!

"Do you at least have a plan?" she dared to ask.

He scoffed, "Of course I do!"

Weiss stared at him. Yang stared at him, Blake too… in fact it almost felt like some of the random passers-by on their way to the arena stopped to stare.

"So it's up to us to come up with a strategy for him," Weiss turned to the two sane member of her team. "We know who he will be facing so that lets us come up with something that might work. I'm open to ideas."

"Cardin is slow," Blake kept her eyes ahead as she spoke, "He telegraphs his attacks when he swings and his weapon doesn't have a great range of movement. A faster opponent would be able to run rings around him."

"He does have a decent aura though, so while that would work you have to keep in mind the fact that it's going to be a long fight to chip him down. I'm not sure Jaune has that kind of stamina."

"There are many women who would say otherwise." The man in question protested. Weiss rolled her eyes and ignored his fake bravado.

"He wouldn't be able to keep that pace up for long enough," she agreed instead. "His offence is still untested too, so unless he's unpredictably good with that sword of his, it's not going to be a single, clean strike that does Winchester in."

"We could look to abuse his range? Winchester's weapon isn't really all that complicated, where he swings it is where it goes. If Jaune can just stay out of range of it for long enough then the other guy might wear himself out." Yang shrugged. "Even the odd attack when he over-extends would be better than trying to fight him face to face."

"I could just hit him with my sword?"

Weiss patted his arm distractedly, as though acknowledging the words of a small child who didn't know any better. "That would suggest he knows enough to judge the distance and reach of the swing, it's not exactly something he's spent much of his life learning. We need to come up with a plan that's really simple. Remember the old proverb, so simple even an idiot could use it."

"I'm not sure that can apply to combat against a trained and skilled opponent…" Blake sighed.

"Not unless we ask Nora to borrow her weapon. Then all he has to do is hold down the trigger – job done."

"Explosives are banned in the arena," Weiss pointed out.

"Wait, what? That's unfair, how does that make the fights fair if some people can't use their weapons?"

"They are banned, Xiao-Long, because high-explosives indoors could kill everyone in the room. Or collapse the roof down on all the spectators. I think in light of that, a little unfairness can be accepted." Really did the girl have no common sense?

"I am glad to see you have all arrived." The voice of Miss Goodwitch cut into their comments, the stern woman looking over the four of them. "I trust, Mr Arc, that you are prepared for your bout today?"

 _We spent so long planning that we arrived,_ Weiss realised in horror. Students lined the benches around the rings, many in deep conversation. _We weren't able to come up with anything!_

"I am mentally and spiritually prepared," her partner smiled dopily up at the scary woman. "Thank you for asking." Weiss held her breath as the teacher looked down on them, whatever thoughts within her head were inscrutable, nothing more than flashes of light through her glasses.

"Very good," she said at last, releasing her gaze and moving away. Weiss began to feel like she could breathe once more. She wasn't sure how he could handle talking to her like that!

"Look, Jaune," she whispered. With one hand she reached out and took his shoulder, turning him so that he faced her. "I realise that our training has not been as successful as we might have liked." As _she_ might have liked. "I also realise that your combat skills are relatively low… but I _know_ you have potential. You wouldn't be here if you didn't, and as your partner… I have faith in you." _Somebody_ had to, for goodness sake.

"Are you…" he blinked, "trying to give me a motivational speech?"

Her cheeks flushed, even as Yang and Blake shared amused looks. "Yes." Over his shoulder she could see Winchester making his way onto the stage, arms held wide as he basked in the scattered applause. "He's bigger than you, he's stronger than you and he has more stamina than you. If he catches you, you're toast. But you _might_ be faster than him, and you're probably smarter than him too. Possibly…" she shook her head, Miss Goodwitch had already called for Jaune, but she _had_ to get her message across. "What I want to say is… give it your best. If you are knocked around and ultimately lose, then it's okay – we can recover from that. Even if he is the favourite to win… there's always a chance."

She stepped back, her hands slipped from his shoulders as she looked into his blue eyes. One hand came up to push his hair back, his fringe popping up past his fingers as he rubbed his head.

"Wow… motivation doesn't feel much like what I expected it to. I thought I'd feel all fired up and ready to go… but now I feel like I'm about to walk into a burning building. Maybe I should go take a rest and let the motivation wear off."

"Onto the stage Mr Arc," the blonde woman called one more time, her crop snapping down onto her palm. With a long sigh, the young man moved away, less climbing onto the stage as _oozing_ towards it.

"So uh... what's his chances?" Ruby asked with a wince as Weiss walked up to their two teams. Pyrrha, Ren and Nora still looked a little distant, but they were at least willing to give her a nod and a polite smile each as she sat down. Weiss never thought she'd say it, but she was actually pleased for Ruby scooting over to sit by her.

"He's screwed." The heiress flopped down with a sigh. "He is royally and utterly doomed." Yang and Blake spared her some sympathetic looks, but she focused on the stage instead, where Jaune had finally stepped up to stand opposite the armoured teen. The crowd were silent during his approach, even JBWY and RRNN not speaking up.

"You're actually going to fight me this time?" Cardin laughed and hefted his mace, pointing towards the blond as though he had just noticed him. "What's wrong? Did your girlfriends get tired of you hiding behind them? That's _twice_ now you've sent that bitch to fight me."

"Eh," Jaune picked at the side of his nose. "I think Yang got tired of beating you up to be honest. It takes her more effort to prepare her hair in the morning." The crowd oohed as Jaune inspected his finger. "More time too."

Yang wolf-whistled, the act causing Weiss' head to fall into her hands. Oh good lord, it had become one of those trading of insult things; pre-fight banter straight out of a terrible Vacuan gangster movie. Nora, Ruby and Yang jeered loudly, and even Pyrrha bore a tiny smile. Good lord, she was surrounded by children. On the other hand, the members of Ruby's team seemed willing to support Jaune for this, even after the events only hours earlier. That might have just been their dislike of Cardin showing. Or was it that from their point of view no matter who won, they would be pleased?

Cardin gnashed his teeth, his hands clenched around the handle of his weapon. "We'll see if you're still able to quip once I knock you to the floor. Or do you actually believe you have a chance against me? You knew you didn't two days ago – I'd love to hear what you think has changed now!" She hated his words… honestly; she hated arrogant braggarts like him in general. But that didn't make him wrong.

"My partner," Jaune's face was bowed, eyes hidden in shadow. Weiss' own widened, as more than a few people turned to regard her. "My partner has been training me for this moment. She gave up her free time to help me!" Oh gods, she was flushing – damn it, damn it, that was bad. But the way he was talking about her, the clear gratitude in his voice when he spoke about what she had done for him? Well, he was right to sound like that, but still! She caught a fond look from Pyrrha, even a pleased one from Ruby – along with the eyes of her two teammates, and that only made her feel all the more embarrassed – more on the spot. But she would accept it all with the grace it deserved.

What else could she do?

"From the earliest hours of the morning, through the day and late into the evening she has trained me." He drew his sword, the cool metal creating a loud rasp in the silence of the hall. "She expects the best of me… she expects me to win and has invested so much of herself into making sure I can do so!"

There were whispered mutters around them all now, as people pointed and looked towards her, some even going so far as to flush and giggle. It must have looked all the worse for the fact that she was as red as a tomato as well.

"And I will do anything," the blade was levelled towards Winchester, the entire hall going silent as they hung on his every word. " _Anything_ … to make sure I never have to go through that nightmare again."

"Eh…?" The high-pitched chirrup came from Weiss' own lips. It was possibly the only sound in the entire hall.

"Well," Yang snickered, hand clamped over her mouth – but even then her laughter could be heard, "looks like you made an impression on him, Weiss-cream!" Blake pulled the cover of a book up over her mouth, covering her face up to her eyes. They seemed brighter than usual.

 _I am going to kill him…_

"Enough posturing," Miss Goodwitch interrupted before Weiss could – possibly with rapier via throat. "Three, two, one, _begin_!" Her hand cut vertically down between them, the woman leaping back as combat was declared. Weiss' anger was shelve, eyes going wide as she watched the taller teen charge forward.

"Wait – time out!" Until everything came to a stop, Jaune Arc – her partner – the cause of it. He stood with one hand held out, his sword at his side. Winchester was less than two feet away, weapon raised, but he too had paused.

"Mr Arc," Miss Goodwitch scowled, "What-"

Jaune turned to point to the doors, "The Headmaster is waving his hands like mad. Does he need something?"

Weiss turned to look towards the doors, as did just about everyone. But they were empty… huh? It wasn't until she heard a mighty clang, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the floor that she even thought to look back to the stage.

Blake dropped her book. But that wasn't what had caused the sound.

" _Mr Arc_!" The blonde teacher screeched, rushing between the two teens to stop the fight. Even then it seemed a unnecessary measure, since Jaune hadn't moved from his original spot. Crocea Mors was still in hand, though he was gripping it by the blade instead of the handle, no doubt using his aura to prevent injury.

Presumably the reason he wasn't using the handle was because it had been used to deliver a devastating blow to the side of Cardin's face. The taller teen lay flat on the floor, arms spread wide.

"I-… it…-" Weiss choked but couldn't find the words.

"Mr Arc, would you care to explain yourself!?" The teacher growled. The audience was as quiet as the grave as he flipped his sword in his hands, happily sheathing it at his side.

"I took advantage of a clear opening in my opponent's defences, while also mitigating the effects of his armour on preventing what damage I could cause." He tilted his head back and smiled - as though waiting for her to heap praise upon him. "One should always keep one's eyes on the foe."

 _"Any idiot can swing a sword like a bat,"_ her words from earlier came back to haunt her. _"An opponent is hardly going to wait for you to be prepared."_

Oh Gods, she'd caused this, hadn't she?

"You…" Miss Goodwitch fought for words, "you shouted time-out…"

"Eh?" He scratched his cheek. "You'd already said to start the fight though… it's not like a Grimm is going to stop because someone asks for a time-out." In the crowd, Weiss' hands twitched, falling into a pose which might have been familiar to anyone who had felt the need to strangle someone before.

"Team CRDL, come take your leader to the infirmary. Mr Arc... while I cannot disagree with your... _strategy_." The compliment came out with incredible reluctance. "I would like it on record that should you pull something like this, I shall be in charge of your remedial training _personally_." Weiss let her head fall in relief, particularly at the fact that the woman was going to let him get away with that. Talk about a lucky break.

"Shouldn't I be congratulated for teaching everyone a valuable lesson on the importance of remaining focused in a combat situation?" Jaune apparently didn't see Weiss' motions to be silent, not the waving arms nor the rapid throat-slitting motions she was making. He did see the dangerous look on the older woman's face, however. "No? I'm thinking that look is saying no… it definitely doesn't look like a yes kind of expression."

"Get off my stage." The teacher took a visibly deep breath, releasing it slowly. "The next fight is-"

"I need to go see the doctor too."

" _How_!?" The question was incredulous, as were most of the crowd. Weiss slapped a hand onto her face as her partner held out one hand, forefinger extended. She couldn't see much from such a distance, but she could full well imagine that there might be the tiniest, most insignificant of cuts there. Miss Goodwitch sighed. "Fine… just…go."

Jaune grinned, hopped off the stage and made for the door. At the last second he turned, waving one arm above his head. "Hey Weiss," he shouted, making her wince and cringe all in one motion. "I won thanks to your motivational speech!" The door slammed shut a second later.

"Well…" Yang coughed, "He _did_ win…"

"I think I might have to reassess our theory that he's an idiot savant," Weiss sighed. "Clearly he is just an idiot."

* * *

Blue eyes watched neutrally as the three men dragged Cardin away. He wouldn't be waking up for some time after a blow like that, but his aura would protect him from any other damage. _You let your anger take control._

It hadn't been like that… Cardin was a braggart and a bully. It took him his first real loss to open up and grow. Plus, if he'd remained the target of said bullying then the events of Forever Fall would have happened again. They took place so often he was used to it, but this wasn't a case in which he could afford to garner attention by decapitating an Ursa. That might raise more than a few eyebrows. It was better to act out a little now to prevent the bigger loss later. It wasn't like his little stunt had convinced anyone he was a trained warrior.

 _You can make all the excuses you like… you beat him because you were angry._

It had been nothing more than a momentary lapse… the same frustration from what had happened earlier bleeding through. Cardin had made a convenient scapegoat, one that wouldn't come back to haunt him. _But did he deserve to be nothing more than a tool for you? Did he deserve to suffer for something he didn't even do?_

"What a day," Jaune sighed. "Not how I planned for this to go..." On instinct his hand dropped to his trouser pocket, the familiar indentation of his scroll pressed against his hand. He could call his family… that usually calmed him down, helped him centre his chaotic emotions. The hand came away. No, he wouldn't do that… they weren't tools either, and they didn't deserve to get a call every time he felt down. He would call them later tonight… when he was in a better, happier mood.

His finger caught his eyes as he brought it back up, the tiny droplet of blood still present. Not the same, of course, but the most miniscule of lifeblood that oozed through. Normally his control over aura was enough that such wouldn't have happened. How odd. Had it been the vibrations of the pommel connecting with Cardin's skull? Perhaps that had travelled down the blade and made the edge cut. He wasn't going to the infirmary with something like that. With his current mood the last thing he needed was someone asking probing questions or accusing him of trying to skip lessons.

 _I just want to go to sleep… I don't care if it's not even five yet._ A yawn pushed its way past his fingers, echoing in the confines of the hall as he made his way back to their shared dorm. It was the final lesson for the day anyway, so it wasn't like he had to wait for anything. Weiss and the others would roll their eyes, but they could do so as much as they wished. He had to sleep off such dark thoughts.

"Well, well, isn't it lesson-time for first years?" Jaune paused with a short sigh. It wasn't a voice he immediately recognised, the tall brown-haired girl was nothing more than a face he vaguely recalled. Among other things. "Combat with Miss Goodwitch if I'm not mistaken. Brave of you to skip on her."

"Just finished taking my opponent to the infirmary," Jaune lied, stopping to look the girl up and down. Third or fourth year, school uniform, long legs and light blonde highlights in her auburn hair. "I'm not expected back, so I wouldn't call this skipping."

"You injured someone in your first week?" She tried to sound disinterested, but he could hear the surprise in her tone. "I guess it's true what they say about young men and control."

"It wasn't control that was the problem," Jaune crossed his arms and stepped close, watching as her eyes widened. She wasn't used to youngsters she wanted to tease pushing back. He recalled that was how he usually met her, as much as he couldn't recall her name. Aimee, Amelie? Something with an A. She was on a rather nondescript older team... he'd never found out if she survived the fall of Beacon or not. Sometimes it was better not to know. "Or rather, control wasn't the problem for me. He couldn't control his mouth."

"Cute. I take it you're someone who thinks of themselves as a bad boy?" She laughed but he saw how her legs shifted. She liked guys who were aggressive. She pushed because she wanted someone to push back. But she'd broken her fair share of hearts if he recalled… she was neither ready not interested in a long term relationship. Her eyes widened as he pushed himself against her, catching her hands when she made to shove him back, pinning her against the lockers. She struggled briefly, or so it might have looked. He could feel her lower body grinding against him. "Okay, I'll admit... you don't waste time," she breathed.

"You talk too much."

"That's my line," her lips were a hair's breadth from his but she still grinned. "You talk good but are you sure there's anything more to it?"

Jaune grinned, "Guess you'll be the first at Beacon to find out."

It seemed there was more than one way to burn away his frustration. _Thanks for the advice Saph,_ he thought as he pushed his lips against the girl's. Maybe this was what he needed most.

Something to help him forget.

* * *

"Did you see mine and Nora's fight?" Yang asked as she hopped and skipped down the corridor. "Damn that girl is good with her hammer." She hadn't been pushed so hard since she'd arrived at Beacon. And the best part was how the other girl treated the fight too, like it was nothing more than a game. None of that angsty `I must win` crap, or taking everything too personally. Just two people letting off steam and having fun.

She'd still won, of course. But even she knew it was hardly fair. Nora hadn't been allowed to use her grenade launcher form, even if Yang was still fairly sure she could have gotten past it. She liked to get in close and personal, and the girl wouldn't want to fire at that range.

"Somehow I'm not surprised you would enjoy a match that nearly destroyed the arena," the snappy white-haired girl growled. Yang spared her a smug look, not that she noticed. Ah yes, the most beautiful sight of watching her baby sister get one up on the arrogant girl.

So. Damn. Satisfying.

Blake had totally agreed, even if she wouldn't admit it. Her yellow eyes had almost glowed with pleasure. Hey, she didn't hate Weiss – but that didn't mean she didn't enjoy a well-deserved ass-kicking either.

The fact that it had been her badass little sister was just icing on the cake.

"My fight wasn't anything particularly special, sadly." The blonde reached over to clap a hand on the girl's shoulder, even if she didn't exactly look torn up over it. There was no disagreeing with the sentiment, however. Blake had brought her bout to an end within a minute.

Yang hated minutemen… though not in the way most women usually meant it.

"Well you know who else didn't even last a minute," Yang grinned, watching as the Heiress' shoulders went stiff. "Looks like your plan went off without a hitch Weiss-cream, congrats!"

"That was not my plan!" The girl whirled around, finger outstretched as if to spear through Yang's face. "I can't believe what he did, of all the underhanded, irresponsible-"

"He _did_ win," Blake shrugged. "And he wasn't wrong… Goodwitch called them to start, Winchester shouldn't have gotten distracted." It was a weak excuse, even Yang knew. Before the next bout had even started the teacher had laid out rules that stuff like that was never to happen again. _No one is allowed to forfeit before a match and now no one can call for a time out. Is he just going to keep forcing rules to be added to the list?_

"It was humiliating is what it was! And then he had the audacity to talk back to the teacher," Weiss' hands gripped her hair in fury. "And then he waved to me, like it was all my fault – and what he _said_!" Her eyes widened, teeth gnashing together angrily. "If he thought that training was bad then he'd best be prepared for what I'll put him through, the ungrateful buffoon!"

"Wouldn't that count as domestic abuse?" Yang grinned and ducked Weiss' hand. As the girl continued to rant, she sidled over to Blake. "Pst, sis… I think mummy and daddy are going to have a fight."

"Funny, Yang," Blake pushed her away as she opened the door to their room. Sheesh, her partner was still a real bundle of laughs. _Did I manage to find literally the only three people in Beacon who don't find my amazing jokes to be funny?_ In the background she thought she could hear Ruby let off a single loud bark of sarcastic laughter.

With a forlorn sigh, she followed after, letting Weiss in behind as the door slammed shut. The bathroom door opened a second later, the lone male occupant of the room appearing with a loose shirt and his boxers on. He seemed to freeze upon seeing them, as did they.

"Oh, hey," he greeted awkwardly. "Uh… I just need my pants?"

"Please refrain from walking around in a state of undress." Weiss sighed, reached over and snatched a pair before throwing them at his chest. Her face scrunched even further as she looked at him. "You're covered in sweat, what have you been doing?"

Yang could smell something. She wasn't sure what, but it was out of place. Nothing familiar, it felt light and peachy? Was he wearing aftershave? Odd, since it was definitely a woman's fragrance. Also, were those a women's pair of shoes by the door? Did Blake leave hers out?

"I –uh…" he paused, swallowed and looked between them. Blake seemed to take a deep sniff, before her face twisted in disgust. She walked away with a fierce scowl, flopping onto her bed and refusing to be a part of the conversation. "I've been training." He finally said.

Weiss and Yang could only stare. "Training?" Weiss asked, voice uncertain. Yang could sympathize. But he _was_ covered in sweat and it did look like he had been about to take a shower. It just seemed… so unusual for his character. Another contradiction for her to agonise over?

"Well I…" he looked aside, "I thought about what you said… you did put a lot of effort into training me. So I thought I should acknowledge that by doing some of my own. In fact, how about we all go off and do some more training right now?"

"Weren't you just about to have a shower?" Yang pointed down at his still boxer-clad legs.

"Weren't you…" Weiss pointed directly at his face, but paused to try and find the right word. "I don't understand… but if you want to train then sure. Let me just use the bathroom."

"No, no, no, no, no. You don't want to go in there!" Jaune pushed the girl back, and Weiss did _not_ look pleased at being manhandled by a half-naked man. "It's… it's a real mess. I took a dump, it got out of control, it grew legs. Give it time to fade."

"Ew," Yang pinched her nose and backed away. Was that what the peach scent was, vast amounts of air freshener that he had used to mask the smell? "You're totally cleaning that."

"I will," he promised, one hand coming to rest on Weiss' shoulder, the other on Yang's, as he gently guided them both away from the closed door. "But let's all go out and get some training. As a team." His inspirational words were interrupted by the bathroom door opening. Something they each saw over his shoulder.

"Not bad tiger," a brown-haired girl grinned. Her fingers worked on the last few buttons of her blouse, which looked wrinkled beyond all repair. It was a little wet too, almost see-through in places. Yang could only blink as the older girl walked past them, reached down and squeezed their leader. She leaned in and pushed her mouth against his, biting his lower lip as she finished. "I added my number to your scroll. Give me a buzz if you think you've got the guts to go again." She then seemed to notice the three girls, who were giving her horrified expressions. A hysterical part of Yang's mind noticed that Blake didn't actually join them in that, the girl studiously scowling into her latest book. "Oh hey, thanks for the use of your teammate. See you round freshmen."

The door to their dorm slammed shut, leaving the four of them in complete silence. You could have heard a pin drop… and in fact, the loudest sound was that of Blake's pages turning – and something that sounded like two objects being grated together?

" _You_ …" Oh right, it was Weiss' teeth. That made sense. "In our bathroom…? I-… I can't even…" she shook her head. "What were you _doing_!?"

"Do you actually want the answer to that?" Yang did not. And nor did Blake judging from the way she covered her ears. Weiss' face went scarlet as she grabbed him by the collar.

"I meant what were you thinking? You can't bring your girlfriend to our dorm for that!"

"Ah well…" he scratched the back of his head, "She's not actually my girlfriend per se… she's more, well, she prefers things a bit more casual."

"I don't care for the specifics!" Weiss howled, pushing him back so hard he bounced off the woodwork. Yang still wasn't sure what she was supposed to do. On the one side she considered herself the party girl and free spirit, she was the cool kid. She wasn't meant to get angry at that, and hell, she'd been caught making out with boys once or twice.

On the other hand, _ew_ … she was going to have to use Ruby's shower tonight… and possibly for the rest of her career at Beacon.

"Who even was she?" Weiss continued, all spit and fire as she stomped her way around the room. Jaune held one finger up, brow creasing for a few seconds. Yang felt the urge to slap a hand against her face and knock him out all at the same time. Was she supposed to stand up for women-kind here, or just lament at how idiotic her leader was? "You don't even remember her name, do you?" Weiss sounded like she was looking at the most disgusting creature she had ever seen.

"I do too!" he argued, standing up straight in what might have been an intimidating pose if he weren't wearing a loose shirt and his boxers. "I'll have you know that I would never forget the name of the sweet, independent, and beautiful Blake Belladonna."

"That's _my_ name!" Blake slammed her book down atop the mattress. " _I_ am Blake Belladonna." His mouth opened, "And _no_ we have not had sex!"

"We haven't?" He threw his arms over his face, as though experiencing some great shock. Weiss growled that he wouldn't distract her, before then launching into a tirade about what he'd said and done in combat class. He shouted back, about teaching a lesson, about doing what she said – it continued from there.

Yang could only stand and watch it all, morbid disgust slowly transforming into something less troubling. As the two argued and Blake alternated between interrupting and furiously reading her book, she started to laugh.

It didn't make sense… so many contradictions, and it was hard to get a grasp on him. Now she had to add a new one too, he was a pervert – but that also came with the caveat that his sister's overheard words had proven true. He was good with women… somehow. But that didn't matter. Her team was a mess, a complete train-wreck of conflicting personalities and opinions. They had zero teamwork, zero understanding of one another… and technically zero leadership for the whole squad.

But it was kinda funny too, in a weird way.

"What are you standing there grinning at Xiao-Long!? Help me stomp this stupid, perverted, moronic… _idiot_ into the ground!"

"Whatever you say _, mum_."

"And stop calling me that!"

* * *

 **Another chapter, another week – I hope you enjoyed. So about Jaune, aura and pain... I realise that people can ignore pain in life-threatening situations, because the feeling is pushed back by the body in favour of survival. But in training, I don't think so. There's a lack of "certainty" of death that would keep you fighting past exhaustion and agony. So yeah, Jaune is still a human… his mind may go back each time, but his body does not. Certain tolerances he may have built up (including his drinking) are unfortunately reset. As such, yes, getting knocked about by Weiss and Cardin** ** _does_** **hurt him. A lot. Thus there is incentive to avoid it.  
**

 **He can push through with mental discipline, as he did here in letting Weiss continue to wail on him. But that doesn't mean he won't end up feeling and regretting it. He is not an invincible tank; he just has more skill and knowledge than just about any other student. His weakness is conditioning. Hopefully you'll notice I used the word "instincts" instead of muscle memory too. Obviously, he has no muscle memory.**

 **A personality switch with the girl, it's a hint at how he has tried so many different things. It's not that he is or isn't that kind of guy. It's that he knew the exact words and way to act to get what he 's almost a nod to how he has acted in previous lives.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 21** **st** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	11. Chapter 11

**Note: There was a mistake last chapter and a big one at that! I apologise but the update date was one day out. I update this story every two weeks on a Friday, and accidentally put the 21st, Thursday. This was likely because I finished writing last chapter on the Thurs and just added seven days on, like an idiot. Sorry about that. For future reference this will always update on a Friday - every 14 days.  
**

 **Thank you all for continuing to read and support this fic, I'm glad you're all enjoying it so much. I actually finished "One Good Turn" last week, which was amazing. The early chapters are kinda bad… but in a way I like to keep them that way, because it's a crazy reminder of just how fast I was able to improve.**

 **Anyway, the new Forged Destiny fic is out – though only in prologue form. It's going to be updated on Mondays following this fic. Anyway, enough about meta concerns, let's get into another chapter here.**

* * *

 **Beta:** _College Fool_

 **Chapter 11 - What's in a smile?  
**

* * *

"All I'm saying is; I think you're being unfair about this," Jaune sighed as the four of them marched down the corridor. Yang kept herself slightly behind the group as they moved, with Weiss in the lead and Blake to the left. Jaune slouched in the centre, looking more than tired than anyone had the right to at nine-thirty in the morning.

"Unfair," Weiss' eyes were narrow slits of ice, "Unfair!? I can't help but think _you_ were being unfair when… when you did _that_ in our shower. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it was to have to ask to use Team Rubine's bathroom!?"

"No," he answered, "because I didn't have to use it. You didn't either to be honest."

"It still smells of peaches in there," Yang flicked the back of his head. Sure that might have masked the scent of anything else (thank god), but it was also a stark reminder of what had gone on the previous night. There was no way she was going to put up with that while she was trying to wash her hair. Oh gods, what if she was reaching for the shampoo and – no, no – she couldn't think about it!

"You are henceforth _banned_ from bringing women back to do that in our shower!" Weiss declared with all the pomp of an Empress. This was one time in which Yang was more than willing to put up with the girl's arrogance. Even encourage it.

"This is sexism."

"This isn't sexism – this is manners. Think of us next time you do something like that!"

"Now that _would_ be impolite," he frowned and paused with a hand on each hip. "When I'm with a woman, I categorically do not think of other women. I'm afraid that if you want me to think of you in the act then you'll need to have s-" He didn't get to finish, likely on account of Blake's elbow burying itself beneath his ribs. Weiss nodded in thanks, getting a returning one from the black-haired girl. Well… it was nice to see those two getting on.

"You are also banned from thinking about any of us in that way." Weiss smiled.

"And I still," he coughed, "say that isn't fair… I don't complain when I walk out the bathroom and see Natasha masturbating."

"My name's Blake!" The girl elbowed him again, not even having to ask which of them he was referring to with the mistaken name. It actually took the angry girl another eight or nine seconds to realise what she'd missed out. "And I haven't ever done that in our room!"

"Nice pause," Yang leered.

"Shut up, you." Her partner growled, "At least I didn't steal my sister's shower for an entire half hour. It'll be a wonder if their team even has any hot water left."

"For shame," Jaune nodded, only to croak as he folded over Yang's fist. "Owie…"

"Daddy shouldn't be saying such cruel things about his daughter," the blonde simpered. "She might get angry."

"S-such a violent daughter…"

"Any and all deviant activities such as those are banned from the room," Weiss decreed. "Does anyone disagree with this?" Jaune's hand rose. "Anyone important, I mean." His hand didn't fall, but nor did Blake's or her own rise. It wasn't like she had planned to get up to anything like that. And even if she did find someone, their shared room was _not_ where she was going to experience her first time. "Good."

"I don't think we should refer to natural things like this as deviant," said Jaune. "As responsible parents we need to be accepting of daughter number two's unusual tastes."

"Daughter numb-? You don't get to use that as an excuse to not remember my name!"

"And if she likes hard-core erotica, we need to accept that."

"Is that what those books are?" Yang grinned as she turned to the girl, who had gone very stiff and very white. Hmm… Jaune _had_ apparently known Blake's last book by name alone, and her reaction did seem to encourage it. Yang's grin widened to shit-eating proportions.

Her partner was going to be hearing about this for a _long_ time.

"Who are you calling a parent?" Weiss crossed her arms with a huff.

"If we repress her desires like this then she might turn into an anti-social deviant." He held his hands up before his face in horror as he turned to look at the humiliated girl. "Well, more anti-social than she already is."

" _I'm_ anti-social?" Blake rolled her eyes. "I don't need to hear that coming from you."

"See?" He gripped Weiss' shoulders, only to be roughly shaken off. "She's already answering back to me. Next thing we know she'll start hanging out the wrong kind of people, then she'll get into criminal activity and end up trying to blow up a train or something!" Blake stuttered in shock, while Yang just laughed.

"Stop with the infernal parent thing," Weiss scowled. "I'm too young to be a mother to two teenage girls, even more so when I already feel like I'm responsible for a six-foot tall baby!" She glared at him as he scratched one cheek. Yang personally thought he'd missed a chance to ask if it was breast-feeding time. But given Weiss' expression, maybe that was self-preservation on his part.

"Where are we going anyway?" Jaune asked. Yang grinned as she stepped a little closer behind him, as did Blake on the side.

"We have a free period this morning so I thought we could all get some of that training you promised us last night." Weiss' smirk was vicious, and it only grew when his eyes widened in horror. He looked behind him, no doubt for an escape route – only to see Yang stood there. A quick look to the side, where Blake waited with crossed arms… Looked like he'd finally noticed their unusual formation – which was essentially three people escorting a prisoner.

"I left the oven on," Yang grabbed his collar before he could bolt.

"I turned it off," she grinned.

"I left my spine in the room!"

"You can't leave what you don't have." Weiss cocked an eyebrow.

"I left Blake locked in the bathroom!"

"I'm right here," a long pause, followed by a sigh, "I am Blake, by the way…"

"Come on fearless leader," Yang laughed as she dragged the boy behind her. "It's time to work up that sweat you were so adamant about last night."

It wasn't revenge… it was all about helping him. It was about doing what was right for _him_.

…

Okay, it was totally revenge.

* * *

"Why are we the only ones who are tired?" Blake asked as she collapsed down beside her partner. The blonde spared her a quick smile as she leaned back on the grass. The sun had been beating down on them for the last hour or so, which hardly helped matters. Still, one could never tell under what circumstances you might have to face the Grimm, so it was worth it to train come rain or shine. That didn't answer the question burning inside, however.

"Maybe he's secretly a badass," Yang said, "Maybe he's repressed all his skills and experience deep inside, and he's actually fitter than all of us. And now it's finally showing as he can keep going long after we collapse."

Blake glared at the grinning girl, "I'd be inclined to believe that. If he were actually running at all!" Her golden eyes traced over to the racing track, where she could quite clearly see the bastard strolling nonchalantly around the other end. Weiss stood at the finish line, panting slightly but with an expression that could only be called murderous.

Much like he had for the last two laps, he suddenly began to stagger and slouch on the home stretch – passing them with great heaving pants, as he half-jogged, half-fell across the finish line. Collapsed at Weiss' feet, he begged for water.

"Another lap," the girl snarled.

"Aww…" he rose to his feet with a sigh and strolled on again, looking as fresh as he had over an hour ago.

"I hate him," Blake seethed. "I've never hated a person as much as I hate him."

"Easy to hate him in a situation like this," her partner sighed. Blake made a sound of agreement, even if she didn't really mean it. Yang misunderstood – and perhaps that was for the best. Because in any situation she could have been in, Blake hated Jaune Arc.

He knew. That dirty, lying, worse than a Schnee… _asshole_ … knew. Blow up a train indeed, and she'd dared to let her guard down around him. That would have to change… If it even could. He had blackmail material over her, as much as he didn't seem keen to use it. He was probably too lazy for even that. What was she supposed to do about it? It wasn't like she could get rid of him – even if she were willing to throw everything away and commit cold-blooded murder – everyone would notice his absence.

Unless… Blake's eyes narrowed as she watched him ooze around the course. As she watched Weiss slowly begin to boil.

She could not get rid of him, but if someone else were to do so, then she wouldn't be in trouble at all, would she? _Not like Adam,_ she hurried to convince herself. Not murder, never that. But if she could highlight how bad he was, if she could get him in the attention of the teachers?

Well, it was hardly her fault if he got expelled, was it?

 _Can I do that though?_ She wondered. Could she honestly sabotage a person's career like that? More than that, could she sabotage the people of Remnant by robbing them of someone who might one day save their lives?

"But I don't _wanna_ run," he whined – before letting out a quick yelp as Weiss charged at him with her weapon. Well, what did you know, it looked like he could run pretty fast when the motivation was there.

Yes she could, Blake sighed. It would be a damned _service_ she would be performing to the people of Vale. She could just imagine a city on fire and him looking over it before turning with a serious expression to the awaiting civilians. _What city? I don't see a city. Maybe you were all imagining it. Maybe I'm imagining it! I'm going to go to sleep against this tree and see if I wake up from this dream._

He gave Hunters a bad name. He gave _people_ a bad name. If he didn't want to take being a Hunter seriously, then he didn't deserve to be at Beacon.

"That's a mighty serious expression you're wearing there," Yang had apparently noticed her inner musing. "Should I be worried?"

"Don't be silly," said Blake. "I'm just thinking about the book he ruined."

"You can get another book," Yang apparently didn't understand the majesty of The Man with Two Souls, and she wasn't going to waste time trying to convince her. "I'm sure there's an adult store somewhere in Vale."

"Ha. Ha." Blake pronounced the words slowly, letting the sarcasm seep through. There was nothing wrong with mature romance, it was grittier and more realistic than usual – something she needed to get by. Once you'd lived a life like hers, the idealistic tales of childhood years soon ceased to have any meaning.

"You…" the blonde paused, "don't really like our team, do you?" Blake glanced down at her, trying to catch the emotion behind those words. Yang's face was neutral, however, giving nothing away. Blake glanced away for a moment. Was that what she thought? It was true that she'd been distant... mostly out of fear of _him_ revealing her secret.

But she hadn't meant to make them think that.

"I don't hate it," she sighed. "It's not what I imagined but it isn't all bad. As loud as you are, you're not half-bad - when you're not making puns." Yang grinned and stuck her tongue out. "The Schnee… she's a bit annoying, but I think I could get used to it. She isn't honestly as bad as I expected." Though maybe that was because all the girl's ire had been focused on their final teammate.

"And Jaune?" Her partner just had to prompt. Of course she would… it wasn't like anyone would have missed that she left him out. How was she to say this diplomatically?

"Hey guys!" Ah, saved by the cavalry. Yang turned round on her seat to wave at her sister. The team of four each nodded a quick greeting to Blake, who returned it with a vague attempt at a smile. It wasn't like they ever talked to her, or vice versa. She was always happiest on the outskirts – and thankfully – Yang was personable enough to like the opposite.

Their partnership was good like that.

"Oh wow," the young leader whispered, "he's actually training. I'm kinda surprised. You managed to get through to him then?" Yang and Blake looked back, just in time to see their leader stagger mid-run, arms pumping as he tried to keep ahead of Weiss' rapier.

"Sure," Yang grinned, "Let's go with that."

"You never did explain why you needed to use our shower this morning," Ren said. "Is that going to be a regular thing?"

"It better not," Yang whispered, "But eh… let's just say it was a plumbing disaster." That was one way of putting it. Blake had noticed the smell as soon as she entered, and it had taken but a minute to place it as a woman's perfume. She'd always kind of assumed everyone else made light of his claims to be active with other women. She had known otherwise of course… and now, sadly, they did too.

"I assume it was something to do with him." Pyrrha nodded towards Jaune.

"Well…" Yang edged.

"You would assume correct." Blake ignored Yang's sideward look. "It's best not to ask for specifics." Let them think he'd clogged the toilets or something. It was hardly her problem. She'd just been thankful that she didn't need to walk all the way to the arena's changing rooms to get a shower.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it," Ruby cheered – with all the idealistic obliviousness Blake had come to expect from her.

"It can't be easy being led by someone like him," Pyrrha said. Ruby looked uncertain, like she wasn't sure if she should defend him or worry whether Pyrrha thought the same of her. Perhaps it was her experience at noticing things in the background, but Blake couldn't help but pay attention as Nora sighed. She looked upset, even as her silent partner reached over to pat her back. Now that she thought about it, he had said something about Jaune and childhood. Perhaps there was a story there... "Are the two of you doing okay?"

"It's not that bad," Yang was quick to leap to their leader's protection. A fact that made Blake sigh. Why was it that Yang seemed determined to defend him so? Blake was sure she wasn't imagining that... and as far as she could tell, he hadn't done anything to actually help Yang in any way. Was she doing this all for her little sister - who had made friends with Jaune? "Sure he's a little lazy and irresponsible, but that doesn't make him a bad person."

"His apathy hardly helps matters," Pyrrha said. "He doesn't seem to care about his peers, he doesn't seem to care about training – the question becomes; what does he care about?"

"But he _did_ help that girl…" Ruby's voice was quiet.

"He did," Pyrrha agreed, "and I never said that was bad. Even if he made Yang do it, it was still the right thing to do. But that doesn't change the fact that his attitude could use some adjustment. He didn't help her because he wanted to. He helped her because he wanted to get us off his back. That's not exactly an admirable trait for a future protector of mankind."

Blake couldn't have said it better herself. Sure, she'd been glad that the poor girl had been able to escape in the ruckus. And yes, she'd wanted nothing more than to go over and beat the snot out of that man herself. But that didn't excuse him for what he'd said about faunus – or as Pyrrha said – his general lack of caring for people at all.

How far did that extend? Did he even care for them? _I don't want to see Yang die because our leader didn't care enough to help her._ She didn't want to lose anyone to something so callous. Apathy was what had left the faunus abused and mistreated. The frustrating thing had always been that the majority of people _didn't_ actually hate or mistreat faunus.

They just didn't say anything when others did. They just looked sadly on and thought - well at least it's not me - before walking on as yet another faunus was beaten in the street by racist thugs. He hadn't done anything like that... but in some way he reminded her of it.

"Come on guys," Yang fidgeted, "He's not that bad. I'm sure once he gets to know us he'll open up."

"Y-Yeah," Ruby was quick to agree. "I think we're judging too quickly here. I like him. He's a good listener."

Blake sighed, even as every other person there felt the need to look away. She wondered if they all shared the same mental image as her? Of Jaune and Ruby sat against a wall, while the younger girl chatted and yapped away. Jaune would sit there in silence, listening to it all, even as Ruby proclaimed him the best friend ever and ran off.

Then he would slide down the wall, fast asleep.

"I'm sure he's a good listener," Pyrrha said, with the kind of cautious care one might use when trying to explain that Santa _totally_ existed. "And I didn't mean to make it sound like I was trying to say who you can or can't be friends with. That would make me a terrible partner," the redhead smiled, earning a relieved sigh from Ruby. "Maybe you're right. Maybe we'll learn to accept him when we get to know him a little better. I'm only saying what I feel now. I could easily be wrong."

That was well said. Much more diplomatic than anything she could have come up with. Maybe that was the girl's experience in press conferences talking.

"No more," the subject of their conversation collapsed in front of the group, harsh pants dragged from his lungs. It definitely looked a lot more real this time… especially the sweat covering his back. He looked sick. "Please no more…"

"There," Weiss nodded – clearly pleased with herself despite how badly her red face clashed with the white clothing. More than getting him to actually exercise, Blake was more impressed that the heiress still had the steam for running after how much they'd done earlier! _Why is it that she has to be annoying and go ruin my expectations like that? A Schnee is supposed to be fat, lazy and cruel._

Weiss could be aggravating at times, but you couldn't call her cruel. Well, not unless your name was Jaune Arc – in which case the description was probably apt. Maybe that was what had given her the energy? Blake couldn't help but think she might be able to find her second wind if Jaune Arc was at the end of Gambol Shroud.

"Good Job Jaune!" Ruby cheered. It seemed even he couldn't argue with the innocent joy in that voice, as he simply grumbled something into the grass rather than tell her where she could shove that enthusiasm.

Blake had to admit, she did feel a little better now that he was suffering as well.

* * *

Oobleck's history lessons were tough for Ruby. They were just as boring as Professor's Port's class – more so, in fact, because it was such a boring subject. But what truly made it worse was how quick the teacher was to notice anyone goofing off. There was no chance she could get away with sketching or sleeping when he was around… which meant the small girl had to sit through the gruelling two-hour sessions with nothing but a textbook and his rapid voice for company.

It was torture, basically. Cruel, unusual and well-designed for slowly driving her insane.

Which was why it was really no surprise when her mind started to wander. She knew Pyrrha would quickly grab her attention if the teacher asked her something – she was cool like that – so there wasn't any real risk. She wondered how her dad and Zwei were doing. How the gang back at Signal was holding up… would they even really remember her anymore, or had she been replaced?

They'd sounded pretty jealous in their last few messages to one another… and that had never been a good sign when she'd first started out at Signal. Being good, being a prodigy… it had just driven people away.

Ruby shook her head to dispel such thoughts. That didn't matter anymore. She had great friends here with Pyrrha, Ren and Nora. Her big sister was still with her too – along with her team. Well, sort of. The jury wasn't just out on whether Weiss actually considered her a friend. The jury was missing, presumed dead. Blake was… yeah, Blake was Blake. It was hard enough trying to figure out if the girl even liked Yang (and why wouldn't she? Yang was awesome).

And Jaune was a friend too!

Sort of…

 _Arghh… why do I have so many `sort of` friends?_ Nah. He was definitely a friend. He just… wasn't good at expressing it. Or at expressing much at all, now that she thought about it.

She just wished her partner could get on with him a bit more. A sigh escaped her as she looked towards the tall girl beside her, and then to the blond boy further down the row. He was slouched over the desk again, fast asleep. Not that it came as a surprise to her… or anyone, really. Even Weiss seemed to have not noticed – and she was the strictest person around. Ruby wondered if that was because Weiss had gotten so used to his falling asleep that her brain didn't actually class it as unusual.

The smile that had spread across her face at that thought died an ugly death. If Pyrrha didn't like Jaune, did that mean she would ask Ruby to make a choice between them? Oh she'd said she wouldn't – Pyrrha had pretty much stated it flat-out. But Ruby knew from experience that what people said and did were two different things.

Maybe she wouldn't do it in a nasty way, but there was a good chance Pyrrha would get upset at him and then try to keep her away. If Ruby then went and defied her, she might be hurt at Ruby too. But if she ignored Jaune, he might be hurt.

Well... if he even felt like that. No, that was silly. He wasn't a machine; he was a normal guy. Of course he would be upset.

What was it that Pyrrha had said she didn't like – his apathy? Hrnnn… why did it have to be something confusing like that? She knew what the word meant of course, she was fifteen – not five. But it wasn't something easy to fix like not enjoying cookies or thinking the colour red sucked. Not that anyone who thought either of those things even _deserved_ to be fixed – but still! Pyrrha, and the rest really, got angry at Jaune over what he'd done about that faunus girl.

 _I don't get it though… he helped her – or got Yang to help her. Isn't that enough?_ Sure his reasons for helping were bad, she _got_ that. But at least he had helped, right? That had to count for something. If he really hadn't cared, if he _really_ didn't give a damn about what happened – then he wouldn't have done anything at all.

At least, that was what she thought.

He did care. He just didn't know how to express it. Aka, he was shy, awkward, a nerd. _Just like me!_ Maybe that was why she'd found it so easy to connect with him? Maybe that was why she had that weird feeling of safety when she was sat next to him. Because in a strange way she kind of understood his silences more than she did small talk, deep conversation – or Yang forbid – _flirting_.

 _Not that anyone's gonna flirt with me when I'm two years younger than everyone – and every girl around me has figures like this._ Except Weiss… not that she would ever dare mention that. She'd seen what the girl had done when Jaune had mentioned something like that yesterday. Yep. People might call her awkward, but no one ever called Ruby Rose stupid.

At least she hoped not… nah, no way.

Right?

"Mr Arc." Ruby jumped in her seat, nearly making a complete idiot of herself as she gasped. Pyrrha's hand settled on her arm a nanosecond later, as the small girl's breath evened out. Okay, it wasn't her – unless she'd gotten engaged while she'd been lost in her own head.

In stark contrast to her (which was kinda annoying) Jaune didn't so much as flinch when he was awoken. One blue eye blinked, a yawn fought its way past his hand. And then he slowly rose, like some great leviathan bringing itself up from the bottom of the ocean.

Professor Oobleck waited, though there didn't seem to be much patience in the way the man's fingers tapped his arm.

"Glad to see you with us Mr Arc. Perhaps you can show me how much you've studied after our previous lesson." Uh-oh. Jaune had gotten the question wrong last time, and Oobleck _had_ warned him that he would ask another.

"Sure," Jaune sounded confident at least.

"Well then. We were discussing the colour revolution in Atlas, while you were busy catching up on lost sleep. Do you know what Atlas was called before the colour revolution?"

"Mantle."

"Good, very good," the teacher nodded. "And of course the revolution itself overthrew the old leadership of the Kingdom, installing a Council like our own – although now with a strong military command structure. Now, are you able to tell me the name of the man who organised this coup and instatement of the new leadership?"

Weiss looked like she wanted to answer but wasn't sure if she would be allowed. The stern stare she fixed on her partner seemed to suggest she was trying to telepathically send the answer across.

"General…" her friend paused, "erection?"

Weiss' face hit the desk, while a few people sniggered. "No, Mr Arc," the teacher sighed. "The coup was led by General Ironwood." The laughter got louder, and Ruby flushed at noting the similarities. "Perhaps a thousand-word essay on the tactics used by the General would better allow you to remember this lesson. I will expect it on my desk come Monday."

"When you say a thousand words…" Jaune began, somehow ignoring the ferocious kicks of Weiss telling him to be quiet beneath the table.

"- I mean two thousand," the teacher corrected. "Would you like me to think about it again?"

"No, sir…"

"Very good," the man turned back to the board and began to write notes down onto it, orating the entire time. Ruby watched with a forlorn expression as Jaune slouched back onto the desk. His team didn't even seem surprised, with Yang just reaching across to pat his back.

A wad of scrunched up paper bounced off the back of his head, followed immediately by laughter. Ruby spun in her seat, eyes flashing as she tried to find the person responsible. A few guys in the rows behind gave each other high-fives, as others continued to laugh. Some even pointed at him, no doubt spouting insults and cruel words.

She wanted to go up there and make them stop. Wasn't this a school? Didn't it make sense that people wouldn't know the answers to things? That was why they were here after all. So what was the point in laughing at someone who hadn't been able to answer?

She'd been a good student, it was hard not to be with dad, uncle and Yang. But even she'd gotten things wrong every now and then.

They'd laughed at her too… though she had noted at the time that they didn't laugh at other people who made mistakes. The first few weeks of Signal had been the worst… she'd honestly thought about quitting. She'd even spent a dinner or two crying in the toilets. He didn't look like the type who would do that. Plus, there was a big difference between being twelve and seventeen, so it wasn't that fair a comparison.

But she did wonder if it hurt.

He didn't act like it did. In fact, he didn't even seem to notice the people teasing him, even if the rest of his team did. He never seemed to care about it, either.

But did that make it true? She'd tried to pretend it didn't bother her as well, for all the good it had done. Yang had seen through it almost immediately, and though it had taken the older girl a little longer to coax the full story out, she'd managed it. The bullying had stopped soon after… though for some it had been replaced with a reluctant fear.

That was Yang though, always coming to her rescue whether she wanted it or not. She both loved and hated that about her sometimes… though the love always won out in the end. Even when she borrowed her video games and didn't give them back – and then when she did – they were all damaged and grrr…

No, she was focusing on the problem before her. Not the unforgiven and definitely unforgotten horrors of the past. Jaune acted like he didn't care about what people said about him, but that didn't necessarily make it true.

What if he was hurting, just like she had been? What if he was silent not because he didn't want help… but because he didn't think anybody _would_ help.

What if he thought they would just watch, like they had with that faunus girl?

Ruby could come to only one conclusion. She was a bad friend. If she wasn't a bad friend then he wouldn't have to worry about that, and if she was a better friend – or a better person – then that faunus wouldn't have had to worry either. But what was she supposed to do? She was just one person and it was just about the entire class laughing at Jaune. Should she make a scene and draw their ire onto her? That seemed like a bad plan, since it would just end up with the bullying been switched to a new target and not dealt with.

She was too small to stand up to all of them. Sure she was tough, but this was like forty or more people – and this wasn't a fight. Or if it was, it was a battle fought with words. _Ah words… my biggest weakness._

"Hey Pyrrha?" Ruby whispered, after making sure the teacher wasn't looking. Her partner didn't turn from facing the board, but her green eyes did slide over to her.

"Hm?"

"How do you stop someone being bullied?" She asked. Maybe she could have gone to her sister about this, but she already knew Yang's approach and didn't really want to get in trouble for hospitalising half the class.

"Bullied?" Pyrrha hissed, eyes chips of hard emerald, "are you bein-?" She followed Ruby's hidden finger, the girl sighing. "Ah, I see. It's… it's not something that is easy, and I can't say I have all that much experience." Of course… Pyrrha was the invincible girl. There was no way anyone would have ever wanted to bully her… or been strong enough to get away with it. "But I don't think it's a good idea for you to try and interfere with him."

"He's my friend," Ruby pouted and the girl's eyes went wide. "You said you wouldn't-"

"I don't mean because it's him," she said. "I would offer advice if I could. It's just… Before you can help someone – they have to be willing to help themselves."

"Help themselves…?" Ruby asked, but the teacher turning back towards them ended that conversation. The two continued to pretend to pay attention, while Ruby mulled over those words. If everyone could help themselves then there'd be no need to help anyone, would there? But that wasn't exactly what Pyrrha had said.

Did Jaune not want help?

She looked to him again… and wouldn't Yang have something to say if she knew how much that had been happening lately? Jaune was awake now, likely knowing that Oobleck had an eye on him, but his eyes were still heavy and he yawned occasionally. He didn't seem to react to the people who sneered and laughed towards him, though with the joke long gone, many had paused.

If Ruby were being honest, it didn't look like he _wanted_ anything. Other than sleep, maybe. What had Pyrrha seen that she had not? Why would somebody not want to help themselves when they were being bullied?

Did he like it? No, that was silly. If he liked it then he'd be smiling or seeking it out. He gave the cruel words and jeers the same attention he gave those who delivered them. None. Did they not bother him?

That didn't seem possible either. Sticks and stones and all that was one thing, but the people who jostled and bumped into him in the corridors? You couldn't _not_ _care_ about people physically knocking you around. If anything it had to at least annoy him. What kind of person could put up with that kind of negative attention with so little reaction? What person didn't even blink an eye when others spat in your direction? The answer came to her so fast it made her gasp.

Somebody who was used to it…

Silver eyes softened, as they looked over the blank-faced teen. Was this kind of behaviour so common, so familiar… that he considered it normal? Was that why he didn't show any surprise, shock or anger? Because to him a life without this kind of cruelty was the real shock?

Was he like this because no one had _ever_ tried to help him – even back when he had wanted it the most? The thought made her sick. It made her sick and angry! Angry in a way she hadn't felt for such a long time!

It was the anger of someone who had once gone through the same. Before Yang had come by to save her, as she always did.

Jaune Arc might not have had anyone who was willing to save him… or anyone to show that he should want to help himself. But she swore she would be that person. She would be the best friend she could be! And next time she wouldn't sit by and do nothing as someone was bullied.

She would make a difference.

* * *

She was following him. Ruby, that was. He wasn't sure why – nor did he really want to know. But there she was, keeping pace about ten or fifteen metres behind him. Not that he could mythically sense that, what with the corridors filled with other students. But the way people cocked their heads and asked why she was following him _did_ help a little. Poor Ruby... she still had much to learn if she wanted to be as sneaky as Blake. You had to remember that following someone was more than just not being seen by the person you were after.

She probably wasn't following him on Weiss' orders, thank the heavens. Because if she was then he was fairly sure she'd have dragged him off already. The moment the lesson had ended and dinner began, Weiss had gone on about how he was going to have a big meal then get started on homework.

Which had been right about the time he'd slipped away – at the exact moment she'd pulled that pose. Hands on hips, foot tapping – _eyes closed._

Oh he was going to suffer for it later… he could tell. But in truth he just couldn't be _bothered_ with another show at the cafeteria. It wasn't like he was hungry anyway, it had only been four hours since breakfast and he'd had a full bowl of porridge there. While there was probably something cute in the way she kept trying to force feed him, it really wasn't necessary. That and the homework… yeah, maybe she'd force him to do it later, but right now he just wasn't in the mood. Better to escape and get some rest rather than lose his rag and snap at her.

She was just trying to help him after all… as much as he neither needed nor wanted it.

So fine. If Ruby wanted to follow him then that was fine. She could watch as he went up to the roof, found that nice, shady alcove round the back of the staircase, and went to sleep. It wouldn't be particularly _exciting_ watching… unless she'd developed some hitherto unknown fetish for sleeping people – but hey, if that was what she wanted to waste her lunch hour on then more power to her.

Her presence did distract him, however. Enough so that he only noticed the hand grabbing him by the collar the moment it actually struck. With a mighty heave he was lifted off the ground and slammed into the lockers. His eyes narrowed. He could grab the hand by the wrist, place his thumb into the joint between arm and hand and lean forward. The wrist would snap like a twig, that is if the person didn't scream in pain first. His hand was already in position, his fingers locking around the dead man who held him.

It was… honestly quite hard, to hold back.

" _You_ ," the figure who had hold of him seethed. And Jaune wasn't at all surprised to see the familiar face of Cardin Winchester. Though the bandage across his nose was a new addition. _Shit, did I break his nose?_

"Hey Cardin," Jaune waved, not at all concerned with his position. People had gathered around them now, forming a wall of bodies. He could just about make out Ruby through the crowd, the girl struggling to push her way to the front. Blue eyes flicked back to Cardin. "You look different… new haircut?"

"You've got a lot of nerve showing your face around here…"

"Er… actually, I kind of live here. And walk through this corridor just about every day. Also, we've just shared a less-" his words were cut off as his back was pushed further into the lockers, cutting off his airflow. Okay, that was pushing things a little. If Cardin tried any more then he'd be forced to take matters into his own hands.

"Shut up!" The burly teen spat, a glob hitting Jaune in the forehead. "You think you're so hot with that _bullshit_ you pulled yesterday?"

"My what-now?" Jaune asked, reaching up with one hand to wipe the spittle away. Redeeming qualities… Cardin had them… they would come out in time. He couldn't kill the guy. He had to resist.

"That fight! The fight you cheated in!" Chea- oh come on, Jaune rolled his eyes. Any Hunter worth their salt would have taken that loss in stride, maybe even thanked him for the lesson. There was no such thing as cheating in a fight. You did whatever you had to do to cause enough pain or injury to make the other person stay down. So that they didn't do the damn same thing to you!

But Cardin wasn't a trained Hunter, he had to remember. Cardin was just seventeen.

He was a child.

"So what now?" Jaune asked, "I kind of have somewhere to be so I haven't got time to spend attached to the end of your arm." _Walk away Cardin. I am very much not in the mood for this._ Things had just continued to stack up and now he was on the precipice of some serious violence.

And Cardin was making himself oh so appealing.

"Somewhere to be?" Cardin's grin turned ugly, "Allow me to help you on your way!" Before Jaune even knew what was happening, two figures had hold of his arms from behind and were dragging him back. He struggled briefly, but stopped when he realised they had a good hold on him. That was the problem with people being trained to fight… when they got hold of you – they got hold _good_. Maybe he could have broken free on strength alone if he were someone like Yang. Or he'd spent time building up any muscle.

Not that it mattered. What was Cardin going to do to him, flush his head in a toilet? Oh, the agony – the true pain. Whatever would he do?

He'd fucking _drowned_ to death more times than he could count.

But it was no toilet he was destined for. Not when something metallic was opened behind him and he was pushed back into a cramped and confined space. Crocea Mors, on a hook beside him, was the first sign of his location. The door of the rocket locker slamming was the second.

"Cardin," Jaune sighed, "come on… this is just silly. Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you'd get in for this? You might be expelled." Which would piss him off, to be honest. Wouldn't it be just his luck for someone _else_ to get expelled?

"See you later Jauney!" Cardin saluted after he had tapped in some random numbers. Jaune felt the locker begin to vibrate and leaned back with a sigh. He wouldn't give them the satisfaction of scrabbling at the grill. Not when the locker's safety launch mechanisms had no doubt kicked in and sealed the door. Nobody wanted to tumble out mid-flight after all.

 _I should have just broken his arm,_ he thought to himself – as air rushed past, the view outside the locker changing from school corridor to bright blue sky. With a slow and inevitable lurch his momentum paused, the world tilting as the locker reached its apex. His stomach gurgled in anticipation of the nauseating horror that was to come.

"Hundreds of lifetimes," he clutched his stomach, "and no cure for motion sickness." The locker fell. "I hate my life."

He stumbled from the wreckage and onto the soft grass with a cough, smoke wafting from the impact of metal storage unit unto rock and soil. Green trees around him gave away his location, as though the short flight hadn't.

"Perfect lan-" his sarcastic quip was interrupted with a stream of breakfast, the vomit dribbling past his fingers as he collapsed to his knees. "Okay… nobody watching… that's good." He coughed once more, tearing up some grass and chewing on it to get the taste out of his mouth. A spit and wipe of a sleeve later, he looked around the area.

 _Definitely the Emerald Forest,_ as though the green trees weren't a dead giveaway, he could just make out some of the tallest points of Beacon in the distance. It would only take him forty minutes or so to trek back.

"And I could trek the opposite way if it wasn't for you," Jaune lifted his right foot with a sigh, though the anklet was hardly visible beneath his trousers. He wondered if Ozpin would believe him if he said he'd gotten lost and accidentally walked back to Ansel. Honestly it was lucky none of the girls had noticed it the other night. Then again, they'd probably looked down just far enough to see that he didn't have his trousers on then kept their eyes locked firmly above the waist.

"Ugh… I really can't be bothered with this." The locker was a bust. They never did take off again, not that he was sure how the school could keep replacing them so easily. With a put upon sigh he pulled Crocea Mors out, inspecting it for dirt before strapping it to his waist. His guitar came out second, the same one that his family had gifted to him just a few years ago. There was no way he would leave that behind.

Which just left textbooks and school supplies, all supplied by Beacon and Ozpin. And all _very_ expensive.

"And nothing of value was lost," Jaune cheered and slammed the locker door shut. Except for his time, that was… he'd wanted to catch a quick nap with that. Not exactly something he could do in Grimm territory.

 _Cardin bloody Winchester… I really thought he'd have gotten off my case after I humiliated him the other day._ Cheating or not, Cardin was the kind of man that respected strength. Surely he'd felt the strength behind that strike? In the recent repeats Cardin had never even bullied him… mainly because he'd made his skills clear from initiation. "I guess I forgot all about him, since I haven't had to deal with him for decades."

That could be a problem this time. The bullying was easy to ignore. Compared to what he'd been through in the past he hadn't been joking with his surprise when Weiss made him first aware. He honestly hadn't noticed that he was even being bullied. Maybe it was the fact they had pointed it out which made it so obvious, but whatever the case, it had clearly become a bigger problem than he'd expected.

"Cardin's the ringleader," Jaune pushed aside some loose branches as he stepped over a rotted log. "Most people will laugh and talk, which is fine. But Cardin's the only one with the guts to actually do anything." Was that a good thing, did that make the guy brave – or stupid? Either way, he was going to have to deal with Cardin at some point.

 _And it's not going to be Forever Fall,_ he grimaced. In either sense of the word… there was no way he was going to make a scene by saving Cardin from an Ursa. But he wasn't willing to up and let the guy die either. Not like that – not for being a bully. If he just made sure not to get involved in whatever the asshole was up to, then nothing would come of it. Someone might end up getting sapped, but it wasn't a big deal. Winchester could have his laughs and life would go on.

A growl from nearby caught his attention. The sound was familiar and low, like granite being slowly drawn across rock. Crocea Mors clicked quietly, blade loosened in its sheathe.

Beowolf _,_ his mind noted. There was no fear in that thought, nor trepidation. Instead he calmly waited as the beast circled behind him, remaining in the bushes. No doubt it had been attracted to the crash site and stalked its prey from there. The why and how didn't really matter. The bushes rustled, and with a loud roar no doubt meant to intimidate him, it leapt through the air. Jaune turned lazily, catching sight of it bearing down towards his head.

He rolled his eyes. A quick step forward and down, he slipped beneath the beast's trajectory while drawing Crocea Mors and cutting upwards with one hand. The blade formed a crescent arch of pure silver, metal cutting through fur and muscle with ease. The Grimm's weight carrying it across the blade as it collapsed to the grass – cut from shoulder to hip.

"Idiot," Jaune scoffed as it started to dissolve. They were a threat perhaps to normal people… one had even managed to critically wound him, though he'd been both unarmed _and_ without aura at the time. But they really were nothing more than common trash. There was a reason completely green students could be fired into a forest filled with them.

More growls started to emanate from the trees around him. One hand fell to his sheathe, but after a second's pause decided against it. He wouldn't need his shield for this… he was out of shape, not out of practice. "Come on then," he called, "I've got a nice patch of shade with my name on it back at Beacon. And you're wasting my time."

It was always a coin flip as to whether Grimm understood the human language. They always seemed to react to it, but maybe that was just hatred – even towards the words spoken by them. Either way, the moment he had finished, a number of shapes blurred from the treeline towards him. There were mostly Beowolves, though a couple of juvenile Nevermore glided above them.

Mindless barbarism… in a way it could be terrifying, it had – _would_ – be when Beacon fell. But that was an isolated event, and the true panic had come from how many and how the White Fang escorted some Grimm inside. Too many opponents from too many angles, with dangerous terrorists chipping in and Atlas' robots doing what they did best – messing up.

This was nothing like that. A step to the side had the first opponent missing. Jaune pushed into the broken guard, using the flat of Crocea Mors to spin the beast around so that it stood between Jaune and the next opponent. The Beowolf cried out as its `ally's` claws pierced into its spine, but it was soon torn away and discarded by its kin.

He took the weapon in a two-handed grip, sliding his left hand down to the bottom of the pommel and using it to flick and twist the blade as he deflected a strike to the right. A quick step in and an elbow to the face staggered the beast, before he completed the motion and drew the blade back across its neck. The head fell back in a burst of gore, sinew and a tiny thread of muscle all that held it in one piece.

But he had already turned to the next foe, reacting to an angry squawk as he batted a Nevermore out of its dive. It hit the ground in a cloud of dust, only to crunch as his boot slammed down onto its back – carrying him and the sword into the ribcage of another lupine monster. Draw and flick, blood splattering behind – only to spin and slice, a slender, clawed arm cartwheeling through the air. Step to the left, cut down, withdraw, flourish and deflect – then slide between the third and fourth rib. A quick turn to push the impaled enemy into its brethren, even as his spare hand came up to catch a Nevermore by the beak and slam its body into his breastplate in an explosion of feathers.

A guttural laugh bubbled from his lips.

Gods, they were a joke – weren't they? This was what Hunters had been raised to kill for generations. And they had gotten _damn good_ at it too! In the end, it was never Grimm which did them in. At least, not on their own.

"People call you monsters," he smiled and shook his head, looking over the disappearing enemies. "But really it's us who are the real monsters." It was people like Cinder and Adam, like Torchwick and Neo who were the beasts that killed hundreds, thousands of innocent people.

It wasn't mindless muscle charging into its death over and over, like the one he stepped into – using brute force to bat its arm aside before he shoulder checked it into a tree. It roared in displeasure but he soon put a stop to that. His left hand gripped its face, forcing the jaw shut as he pushed its snout towards the sky. Crocea Mors was almost gentle as it pushed through the throat, cutting into the larynx before biting into the tree trunk behind. The beast sagged in his grip, and as he tore the blade back out, it slumped at his feet.

No. It was the enemies who feinted and dodged; who planned and strategized – who lured into traps and used numbers to their advantage. The monsters that would watch and wait, who would judge whether they were strong enough – and if they weren't – would stack the deck in their favour. Or wait until you were weak.

It was the monsters with _minds_ that were truly terrifying. They were the ones he feared.

But this was fine.

This was perfect.

Beacon was a problem. It represented everything which filled his stomach with dread. It made his mind heavy and his heart ache. More so when he saw people like Pyrrha, his partner and the first woman he had truly loved, look at him with disappointment or anger. When he saw Yang cringe when she met his eyes - when he saw distrust in Blake. The disappointment in Ren - the sadness Nora tried to keep hidden.

It tore at him.

That was to be expected, from all of them no less. He didn't think he could have loved them half as much as he did if they'd been the kind of people who could agree with how he acted. And it wasn't like they knew the full story anyway. They never would. What use would it be, but to fill them with terror? They were all going to die, whether they liked it or not – whether _he_ liked it or not. Getting close to them would just make it hurt all the more when they did. When he had to stand aside and run away while they did.

But that didn't mean it was easy either. Weiss with her nagging, Yang with her teasing – hell, even Blake's cattish looks filled him not with dread but with fond amusement. The sheer amount of stress that caused inside was incredible. He couldn't deal with it. Already he'd gone and snapped at Cardin, would one of them be next?

They might have been… were it not for this beautiful opportunity.

"More!" he laughed, the sound so loud and filled with joy that a few of the Grimm must have been baffled! His hair streamed across his face, sweat dripped from his muscles, but his mind _sang_ with the rush of combat. Crocea Mors sang too, as he took claws to the flat of it, tilting the blade gently so that they slid aside before reversing the grip and driving it up and into the Grimm's snout. Bone and cartilage gave way in a manner that could only be considered orgasmic, before all resistance stopped and the metal tore free. It shone red in the midday sun, so beautifully.

They were no match for him, but just enough to get his blood pumping – and that was perfect. He was so sick and tired of people being a match for him, of crushing and killing him time and time again, that he'd forgotten what it was like to so effortlessly prove his superiority. And it was over something so unabashedly evil, too.

No moral quandaries, no guilt or hesitation – just the euphoric joy of doing something _right_. He whooped and dove in. These packs were so damned small, and he knew exactly who to blame for that. He wondered what the eccentric man would think if he knew Jaune was out here, culling them before he could.

It wasn't like they could launch children into a truly dangerous environment now, was it? And there was a good reason the biggest packs they'd come across in initiation had been two or three strong. The Professor did enjoy his duty of breaking up larger groups.

And to think… his team had probably thought he was lying with that story of having seen the man in the forest. Perhaps he hadn't seen him in this lifetime. But the Grimm were always excited after initiation. One of the teachers usually had to go in and make sure they didn't congregate into a real pack or swarm.

Blood flowed; Grimm blood. Tainted and evil as Crocea Mors bit down. Beasts roared, with nothing more than hatred and anger.

But his laughter drowned them all out. It drowned out the sound of everything.

* * *

Weiss wasn't sure whether she should feel horrified or furious. She felt both, the two emotions clashing and vying for control as she sprinted down the halls of Beacon, taking two to three steps at a time. Behind her she could hear the rest of the team too, along with Ruby's team.

The girl had been nearly in tears when she came crashing into their dorm room. It was only that expression which had saved her a tongue lashing of the ages. But the heiress' anger had soon turned to a different target.

Winchester, that…. s _cum_. How could he be so irresponsible, how could he be so vindictive? She'd wanted to march straight to his room and freeze him solid.

But there were more immediate concerns to deal with. Such as finding her no doubt stranded and helpless partner. Of all the people that brute could have launched into the forest he had to choose _her_ partner. The one person she wasn't quite sure would be able to survive on their own.

Well, of course he had. Winchester was just that sort of person… cowardice personified, picking on the weakest person he could out of fear of reprisal. If he was afraid of someone fighting back so much then perhaps _she_ should pay him a visit and show just what the consequences of messing with her partner were. _No, focus now – you need to save the lazy fool before he becomes a dead one._

There was no time to find any teachers. Beacon was huge and they could be anywhere, and it wasn't like they really needed them anyway. Jaune had been launched in his normal uniform… which meant he would still have his scroll on him. Still _did_ have his scroll on him, since the signal was blinking on her own – somewhere in the middle of the Emerald Forest.

It wasn't moving… which brought with it all sorts of terrible images.

"I should have stopped them," the little messenger wailed. Weiss ignored it, too focused on making sure she didn't trip and end up somersaulting her way down the stairs. "But I couldn't get through the crowd in time and then he was already being launched. I didn't know what to do!"

"Nobody blames you Rubes," Yang said. Even she was concerned, as much as she tried to hide it. Weiss was well aware that Xiao-Long was actually the oaf's biggest supporter, though god knew why. She just hoped the two weren't in some kind of relationship, since that would give her nightmares. Either way, the blonde's hands were gripped into tight fists, and her eyes blazed a little darker than her usual lilac. They almost looked red.

"We'll find him," Pyrrha promised, and it was her presence that gave Weiss some small hope. The Grimm wouldn't be able to stand before her might, not combined with Weiss' own. Oh, how amazing it would have been if they could have been partners. But that hadn't happened and there was no way there was losing that lazy, blonde idiot. Not before she'd whipped him into shape. He annoyed her too much to die – he had to repay her for all the effort she had put into him! "Even if he isn't moving, he could just be waiting for rescue. They do say not to move away from where you are if you're lost, right?"

"That's advice given to children," Blake scoffed. No one spoke for a good fifteen seconds. "So yes… you might be right, actually."

 _And this is my partner,_ Weiss sighed as she cleared the final steps and came out into the courtyard of Beacon. Sunlight streamed across her face, blinding her for a moment, but with a grunt she ran on. They could take a Bullhead, but that would take time. Better to call one of those in for the return. His marker still hadn't moved.

"How are we going to get down?" Yang panted as she came to a stop beside Weiss, looking out over the cliffs where it had all begun. Weiss rolled her eyes and stepped behind the blonde, only to blink as Blake shoved by and placed two hands in her partner's back.

Yang wailed angrily as she was pushed off. "Sorry," Blake shrugged, "but she's my partner. I get to punish her for all the puns."

"I can't argue with that," Weiss shrugged – ignoring the looks of Team Rubine as she took a step back just for a run up. There was a part of her brain – the normal, human part – which cautioned against leaping off a cliff. There was even the nauseating sensation in her stomach, likely from the visions of what hitting the ground would look like.

Sometimes it was hard fighting past the body's natural instincts. If Yang asked later, that would be the excuse she and Blake would give. With a quick breath of air, Weiss dashed forward, pushing off the ground at the last second.

Flying… was not the best description of what it felt like. There might have been a moment of joy – of freedom – for all of 1.2 seconds, while her momentum still carried her up and outwards. But all too soon did gravity exert its cruel hold on her, turning that velocity downwards and bringing the contents of lunch back up her windpipe. She bit it down, tasting the beef as she took long, deep breaths.

It was no different from initiation. In fact, it was easier than initiation… on account of the fact her trajectory was more under control. There were no horrifying flips and spins thanks to the launchers and she could see where she was aiming to land. She'd done it then and so she would do it now.

 _Rocket lockers can home on scrolls,_ her mind helpfully commented. _We could have just taken our own lockers here._

"Curse you Jaune Arc," she sighed. It was his fault she'd been so concerned that she didn't think about that. "I'll work you into the ground for this. You're expected to get top marks for the next three weeks!" That would show him, though it really shouldn't. He should have been thrilled that she deigned to spend time helping him to fix his mistakes.

She couldn't bring up a glyph beneath her. Not at the speed she was going. Hitting a glyph at terminal velocity was no different from hitting the floor, except that the splatter she made would no doubt make an artistic display across it. Instead she conjured one at an angle, the side of her boot and one hand glancing against it, slowing gently, but not stopping.

And then she brought forth another, and another, each time using just a little dust to slow down her momentum, so that when she brushed against it the glyph would activate and bleed away her speed. It was an incredible effort of concentration and skill. Particularly making sure to summon each one in a way that did not cause her to slam into it.

Winter would have been proud as she reached the floor, daintily stepping off the last glyph and settling down onto the grass.

Four sniper rounds hit the floor near her, followed by Ruby latching onto a tree branch with her scythe and bringing herself to an immediate stop. "Made it," the girl cheered – before noticing Weiss' flat look. "What?"

Terminal velocity was a little less than two hundred miles per hour, slowed a little by the shots – perhaps – but then to snag a tree branch and arrest all of that momentum? Weiss looked down at the girl's arms… which were pointedly _not_ made of some kind of unusual alloy (or mangled beyond recognition). After a moment's thought she also blinked and looked at the tree branch.

It was still attached to the tree.

…

No. She wasn't even going to think about it.

The rest landed within the next few seconds, some tumbling and hopping, others using the trees to stabilise themselves. Yang came spluttering from the bushes about the same time Blake touched down. "Not cool Blake," the blonde sighed as she picked some twigs from her hair, "not cool."

"Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"He still isn't moving," Weiss' eyes were fixed on the screen. "But he isn't too far away either. A kilometre, maybe a little over." That wasn't bad honestly, since they'd had little more to work with than leaping off the cliff. It could have been a lot worse.

"Is he answering his scroll yet?" Nora asked. They'd each tried calling earlier but it had just continued to ring. She hadn't dared to say what that might mean, though they likely all knew.

 _Come on answer, answer the damned scroll,_ she hissed in her own mind. Again and again it rang, but much like the other times it went through to a dead tone. The idiot hadn't even bothered to set up an answerphone message.

She couldn't say that surprised her.

"Nothing." She wanted to say something to remove the sombre expressions from so many faces. But didn't know what there was to say. Everybody likely had the same thoughts in their minds. _I'll kill Winchester when I get back. I'll have him expelled so quickly his head will spin._

It took a few seconds of turning to pinpoint the exact direction. But as soon as she started jogging, the others followed. "Where are all the Grimm?" Ren asked. Weiss' eyes narrowed at the question, as she suddenly realised his point.

There really were no Grimm nearby… or at least none that they could hear or see. The forest was big, but during initiation they'd all pretty much been attacked upon landing. So it seemed odd that the area would be so empty.

"A lucky break for us perhaps," said Pyrrha. "If this area is relatively uninhabited then it might mean Jaune is still safe." The taller girl looked towards Ruby as she said that, and they were all rewarded with the worried girl calming down somewhat. The younger girl really was terrified for him.

 _Odd that he could make such a good friend when he barely speaks to her._ That was more on Ruby's part than his, since he didn't put any real effort into befriending her. The rest of her team seemed uncertain around him, a mixture of criticism and awkwardness that even Weiss didn't miss. At least relations were better between the others. _And things aren't so bad that they weren't willing to come with us to rescue him – so there's still hope yet._

She would have to put him through a public relations course as well… since it was apparently just another thing he was deficient in.

"We're getting closer!" Their speed picked up, twigs and leaves batting against her face as she pushed through yet another thick bush. She could just make out the faint wisps of smoke drifting above the treeline before they dissipated into the atmosphere. It must have been the wreckage from the locker!

"Jaune!" Ruby was the first to cry as they burst into the clearing, her Semblance granting her speed at the final moment. Weiss appeared a second later, pale eyes scanning the clearing before they zeroed in on her prey. _No…_

They… they were too late?

" _Fuck_ …" Yang spat, and for once Weiss didn't feel the need to correct her words. Pyrrha whispered something but she didn't hear it, instead walking forwards with leaden feet towards the man. Slumped against the locker, his sword lay scant millimetres from his fingers, his scroll from the other.

She could see dried blood crusted across his body, though some of it had cracked to fall down in a rain of flakes. He… he had tried to fight them off. That much was clear.

Weiss swallowed. One step and then another as she approached her partner, before slowly kneeling down beside him. The grass was cool on her legs, yet she felt colder still. With a shaking hand she reached out to touch his face.

Before her eyes narrowed.

"Weiss!" Yang cried out in shock, as the hand rose and fell sharply – slamming into his chest as a fist.

"Jaune!" Ruby shouted – this time in relief – as the bastard coughed and hacked, rolling onto his chest and gasping into the grass. Weiss crossed her arms, eyes twitching as she looked down on him.

"Asleep?" She hissed, "Asleep out here – in the Emerald Forest!? Do you have any common sense? No, don't answer that, we all know there's nothing between your ears. You, Jaune Arc, are the most idiotic, insipid _fool_ I have ever had the misfortune of dealing with!"

"W-Weiss?" He coughed, "I was jus-"

"Sleeping?" She interrupted, brow raised. "Enjoying the fresh air of the forest? Skipping lessons?"

"Skipping?" He blinked, "Wait, have we missed class?"

"It's 2:30 now," Nora helpfully chimed in. "So yeah, we're going to miss Professor Port's class."

"Sweet."

"Not sweet!" Weiss slapped the top of his head once more. "And now _we've_ missed that lesson too." Though she'd make sure the teachers knew that was Winchester's fault. "But more than that, we thought you'd been killed by Grimm or were trapped out here in agony, and we find you here _sleeping_!? Do you even have an excuse for that?"

Jaune Arc coughed nervously as he looked to the rest of the two teams for help. Weiss coughed dangerously at that, drawing his eyes back to her. She wasn't going to let him get away with distracting her. Not this time.

"If I left the crash site then you might not be able to find me?"

"Not good enough," she snapped, though in the background she could hear Blake sigh. "You could have contacted us – or at least answered your scroll when we called you. Unless… were you attacked? You're covered in blood." Not that she could make out any injuries on him… and if there had been then surely sleep would have been the last thing on even his mind.

She hoped it would be anyway… how lazy could he be?

"Ah there was one Grimm," he admitted.

"Did you kill it?" Clearly it wasn't around, which meant that unless he'd found out his Semblance was the ability to talk to and convince Grimm to go away, he must have. He scratched the back of his head, however, honestly looking embarrassed.

"Well, sort of…" she raised one brow, waiting for his explanation. "You see, this Beowolf came out of nowhere when I was climbing out of the locker. So I tried to hide inside and it came rushing at me and I held my sword out." The others leaned in, while Weiss' eyes glowed with pride. "And it tripped on the ruined ground and fell on top of the sword. Man, it just kept _bleeding_ into the locker while I was stood there. Then it died."

"It…" Weiss fought to hide her incredulity, "tripped?"

"Much like the Deathstalker." Ren added for good measure. Not that she had missed that similarity.

"You think I'm lying?" He looked from her to Ren, then back again. "Why would I lie about killing a Grimm?" His eyes widened, "Wait! Yeah, the reason I didn't answer the scroll was because I was fighting like fifty Grimm single-handed. And I was cutting through them with ease when I heard my scroll ringing but thought that I couldn-" his words cut off with a yelp as she knocked a fist atop his head, making him bite his tongue.

"You are an idiot," Weiss sighed. Perhaps there was some hidden relief behind it... no, she knew there was. She was relived. But that didn't mean she wasn't furious too! "I will expect you to be capable of actually _killing_ the next Grimm yourself. And you'll suffer through the worst training imaginable for making us worry."

"You were worried?" She didn't so much as twitch at his question. And if he was expecting a blush then he'd be sorely disappointed. Instead she brought her fist back down atop his head. If she needed to hammer some common sense into him then she was going to get started! "You _were_ worried," he laughed – and she hit harder on the next strike.

"And now I'm angry! Don't sound so pleased!

"Ow, ow, this is domestic abuse!"

"Don't start with that. And don't think you've gotten out of repaying us for the lesson we missed!"

"Hey – repay? But it's Port's lesson. You should be paying m- OW!"

Ruby watched the two with an odd expression. Jaune seemed… different somehow. More vocal or just more patient with Weiss. It wasn't something she could put her finger on, but he was actually laughing as she hit him, and his words felt more like he was joking. His face was twisted in a weird way, and it took her a second to realise what it was.

He was smiling.

In a way it should have made her happy. He was safe, her friend was safe and she hadn't failed him. Plus, he was in a better mood than he had been in before.

But it didn't make her happy. Because at that moment when she saw him smile and throw some comment at Weiss, one that made the heiress bristle and push him over. Ruby realised why the scene felt so odd.

He never smiled. He never smiled, nor did he laugh. He made the motions, but it never seemed to reach his eyes.

And that frightened her.

* * *

"All's well that ends well," Yang chuckled as she fell back onto the mattress. After the hot and heavy day running through the forest, the cool sheets felt divine. A shame their fearless leader couldn't enjoy it like they could, since he'd been consigned to the bathroom with a toothbrush and instructions that it was so sparkle when Weiss went to use the shower later.

She'd have called it cruel… but he totally deserved it for making them worry. _Lucky break there wasn't many Grimm around,_ she thought to herself. _Lucky for Jaune and lucky for Cardin._ They'd made sure to tell Professor Port why they had missed his lesson. The large man had looked more serious than Yang had ever seen him – and assured them that Cardin wouldn't get off lightly. _Still think we should have gone with Nora's idea though._

"Is it?" Her partner asked, from behind the cover of her latest book. "Do you really think Winchester is going to let this blow over? Especially now that he's going to suffer through however many detentions Port gives him?"

"He will let it go if he knows what is best for him," Weiss hissed from across the room, flicking her hair back. Yang shot a grin towards Blake, but the other girl didn't seem to understand the message. Bah, she would learn eventually.

It was funny how Weiss-cream would fall into the protective routine. Especially since she pretty much hated Jaune. _Though they always did say friendship and hate weren't mutually exclusive._

Then again, Weiss forcing her tutoring on him seemed to be born out of some strange mix of self-respect and pride.

Whatever the case, it was funny as hell to watch.

"Yeah, go mum. Defend dad's honour!" Yang cheered and threw a fist in the air, grinning when she heard the white-haired girl snarl. Too easy. Well, while _daddy_ was off cleaning the bathroom, it looked like it was time to play some video games while she had the chance. Before Weiss caught wind and forced her to do some homework anyway. _The one way she actually ends up acting like a mother and it's the most annoying habit out there. Just my luck._

Before she could actually start her game, a loud ringing began to echo around the room. The dull, vanilla tone of a scroll call. Yang looked down at her own, before she glanced towards Blake. "Not me," the black-haired girl said.

"Not mine," Yang added for good measure.

Weiss sighed and flounced up to Jaune's bed, picking something off the clothing strewn across the top. "It's his… I suppose I'll just end the call. They can always call ba-" She didn't get to finish… on account of the fact that Yang had pushed her aside so hard she fell onto his bed. While the girl was shrieking and whining about germs, muck and possible STD's, Yang snatched the scroll.

"Hang up, are you joking Weiss-cream? This is like a perfect opportunity to get some information on our dearest leader!"

"You mean a perfect opportunity to invade his privacy," party-pooper Blake said. Yang didn't exactly miss how the girl continued to watch though. _Yeah sure, paint me as the bad girl when you want to know as well._

The screen flicked on as she accepted the call, the hazy image quickly coming in. It was a young girl, definitely younger than Ruby, maybe thirteen or fourteen, with rough, blonde hair. Blue eyes blinked at her in confusion.

"Hey there cutie!" Yang waved, putting on her best cool big-sister smile. The girl blinked once more, before turning away from the screen.

" _Mummmmm_! Jaune broke his promise not to answer when he's doing naughty things!" Huh? Yang's grin fell. Promised not to answer when he's doing naughty things – what did that mea-? Oh hell no!

"Whoah, whoah – no. Absolutely not. Me and him, nuh-uh." She waved one arm wildly across her throat, "We're on the same team, that's all. I'm his teammate and I'm not interested in him like that. The name's Yang!"

"Liar!" The girl accused. "Every girl I know is interested in my big brother. Well you can't have him!" She pouted and snarled at the same time, or rather she tried to. Yang's big sister instincts were already raging, and the confused, threatening expression was just too much.

"D'awwwww!" She cooed and practically _dashed_ over to Blake. The black-haired girl's eyes widened, right before the book was torn from her hand and a scroll screen pushed into her face. "She's so _precious_! Oh Blake, look – look! She's all _my brother's the coolest!_ It's so _cute_!"

"He is!" The adorable girl insisted, driving Yang into paroxysms of glee. It was like seeing little Ruby again, except blonde with blue eyes – and twice as cute because she was trying to sound scary and failing so bad! Jaune had a little tsundere sister - Yang would make this girl hers! "Stop cooing at me! Stop it! _Mum_ , Jaune's slutty teammate is making strange noises at me!"

And there went her giddiness. "Slutty!? You can fu- I mean, aren't you a little young to know words like that?"

"Aren't you a little young for my brother?" the little girl shot back. "Like twenty years too young?"

Why that little snot-nosed brat! She could totally snag her stupid brother if she wanted to. "Why, you going to marry him yourself?" Okay, maybe it was childish to get drawn into an argument with a girl so much younger than her. But no one dissed Yang Xiao-Long. _No one._

"Ew – no!" the midget grimaced. "But he belongs here. You're not allowed to steal him just because there's no guys as strong and cool and kind as him!" _Strong?_ Yang mouthed towards her teammates, who despite their criticisms were both listening in. _Cool?_ Blake mouthed back. Kind!? Okay, talk about rose-tinted goggles, this girl was worse than Ruby.

 _I still want her though. I can just imagine it now; "I-It's not like I c-care about you or anything, big sis Yang..." all the while she's blushing and rubbing her feet together. Eeeeee!_

"But he's going to leave you eventually isn't he?" Yang held a finger up to tell the others to be silent. "I mean when he finds a woman he wants to settle down with. He's not going to live with his little sister forever." _But that's okay - I can be your new big sister!_

"H-He…" the girl frowned for a second, before her eyes lit up. "He already has a girlfriend here. He loves her a lot, and she loves him too!" Yang grinned, ready to tell the little girl how he'd already made a new one at Beacon. "Actually – they're engaged, so there!"

Words died in Yang's mouth. "H-He's engaged?" she whispered. No way. The girl was young right? She was just getting her words mixed up or something. It was one of those silly misconceptions, he'd probably been engaged when someone tried to call him on a scroll or something, and she just didn't know what it meant. Yeah, that had to be it.

"Legally engaged – and they're going to get married, so you're not allowed to try and take him away from her. Sh-She's like a sister to me, so you'll be an evil homewrecker!" Holy shit… _she'd_ be the evil one? If he was engaged, then here he was sleeping with other girls in Beacon. It was none of her business but… damn, she couldn't crush this little darling's heart like that.

Yang looked towards Weiss and Blake, only to see the two in perfect synchrony, waving their hands in the negative. Great, no help there. _Argh crap, I shouldn't have taken the call. Damn Xiao-Long curiosity!_

"Look, none of us are going to steal your brother away from you – or his… it _is_ his fiancée, right?" Better be sure.

"Fiancée, lover, future wife," the girl rattled them off. Okay, sheesh, she was sure. "They are practically family already. In fact, she's even taken his last name!" _Holy… okay, so this is serious._ Yang wasn't sure what kind of serious… seriously messed up for one. Seriously not supposed to be her business for another. "If you break her heart then I'll never forgive you!"

"I get it, I get it." She was losing that cute factor awful fast. "What's your name anyway? I'm Yang, that's Blake," Blake didn't so much as wave, the grouch. "And the white-haired girl is Jaune's part- teammate Weiss." Might as well save them the misunderstanding there. "But you can call me big sis!"

"Big breasts, medium breasts, flat breasts…" the girl's eyes narrowed. Though definitely not as thin as Weiss' did. "You can cast the net as wide as you want. You're not going to seduce my brother away from Coral. They love one another!"

Coral, eh? Not a name she recognised – and thank the gods for that. If it had been someone she knew, then she wasn't sure what she'd have done. _Even when you're not here you're still confusing the hell out of me, Jaune. I was right the first time. You're more trouble than I know what to do with._

And oh God... did his being here because of her mean that she had actually gone and torn him away from his lover? Had Yang _already_ become the homewrecker, if even by proxy? What if it was her actions that had caused him to seek comfort in that girl? She started to feel dizzy, this was a disaster.

"Oh – and my name's Amber, nice to meet you." She said the words, but the expression on her face said it was just that. _Save me,_ Yang mouthed towards her teammates.

"Okay, enough of this," Weiss came to her rescue. Something she wouldn't forget in a hurry. "If Jaune overhears this then he's going to be very upset that we are talking about him behind his back like this." She appealed to the girl's desire not to look bad in front of her brother, the sneaky girl. Yang approved.

"Why would big brother overhear? Is he there?"

"He is cleaning the bathroom," Weiss answered. "He had an… accident in there the other day. So we've locked him inside and told him to clean it."

"Oh… then you don't have to worry. He sleeps really heavily."

"I think you misheard," Weiss frowned. "I said he is cleaning our bathroom. It's en-suite, so he could hear us talking if he listened."

"You said you locked him in the bathroom?" The girl paused, waiting for Weiss to nod. "And that you told him to clean it." Another pause, another nod from Weiss. "And you expect him to? Huh… I guess maybe you aren't trying to get to know him. Either that or not doing a very good job at it."

Weiss turned to Yang, eyes like chips of ice. "Excuse me, I shall be back in a moment." Yang winced as the girl stomped to her bed and picked up Myrtenaster, right before she stomped over to the bathroom door.

"Right…" Yang cringed as she heard the door slam open. Only to cringe even harder when she heard the snores from within. "I'll uh… see you around maybe, Amber… yeah."

"Okay, bye homewrecker." The girl waved. "Tell Jaune I said I love him and he needs to remember his promise to me!"

"Sure kid, by-"

"And he needs to call us."

"Right b-"

"And it's my birthday coming up, so I'll n-" the scroll died as she slammed her hand into the off button. Okay… definitely not like Ruby. _Mental note, if Blake's scroll ever goes off when she isn't here – I throw it out the window and run._

"JAUNE ARC!" Weiss roared. The sound was followed by a clash of metal on tile. Yang turned to Blake.

"Want to… uh… visit the library while mum and dad sort this out?"

Blake's book closed with a snap. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

 **So initially this entire chapter was different but College Fool swooped in with his beta hammer and said "Thou shalt not rush things," and I was like "kay" - and then this was born. That's the benefit of a beta at times, and also a curse, because you _know_ they are right (when they explain their reasons). But you're also like "but I just wrote 8,000 words..." :(  
**

 **So here we are, with a little more time - which was the correct choice - for characters to start to make their own thoughts and distinctions re Jaune. Ruby has... perhaps enthusiastically come up with her idea. And there's the beauty of it in a sense. We judge people based on what we know, we draw from our own past experiences in efforts to explain the actions of others. But nobody has ever had a past like he, and so no matter how hard they try... in a way, it is impossible for them to truly understand.**

 **It sounds comedic, reading it all up until this point. But read deeper and it's actually quite sad.**

 **That's the Coeur al'Aran promise! Bringing you misery hidden within comedy.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: (Double checking this time) - Friday 5th August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) coeur**


	12. Chapter 12

**Well here's another chapter. It took me a few days to write, since the chapter lengths are so ridiculous on this story. I normally have to start writing this a full four days before publication, since it takes a lot of planning and writing.**

 **I think in the future I would not agree to something that is 15,000 words per chapter. It's just too much. I actually looked at how much I write a month recently, and on average, assuming a month is 4 weeks (which we know it isn't) – I do 84,000 words on average.**

 **On a quick note, last chapter I made a mistake and listed Salem in the people Jaune knew as evil. It was just listing baddies and she slipped in, but a few people pointed out that I had not mentioned her before. This _was_ a mistake by me and has been changed in last chapter – but since it's unlikely people who had already read it would notice, I thought to mention it here. Jaune does not know of Salem – and thank you to those who pointed out my error ;)**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Chapter 12 - Slipping up  
**

* * *

Ruby Rose had a plan. That was usually enough to scare off her sister. It would probably have also have had her dad locking the doors and Zwei hiding under the bed. But she wasn't at home and she hadn't told her sister, so it was fine. What's more, her team didn't know about the unfortunate circumstances that tended to dog her plans. Circumstances that were _totally_ out of her control and definitely weren't a result of bad planning (no matter what Yang said).

Plus, they were kinda supposed to follow her orders as team leader. So it was that when Ruby announced her plan to try and fix her sister's team, Ren and Nora were forced to listen. And what was what had led to the current situation, as Ruby shuffled beneath the covers of her bed, sidling over so that she could sit with legs crossed, the thin covers draped over her head like a tent.

"I don't understand why we're doing this," Ren said from where he sat, opposite her.

"Because it's a secret meeting, duh," Nora rolled her eyes and gave a fist-bump to Ruby. Nora was awesome like that. She always understood her reasons for doing things, their hidden society bed sheet included. "Go on then supreme leader!"

"Thank you, Nora." Ruby said, "Anyway, the first meeting of RNR is a go!"

"Rest and relaxation?" Ren sounded interested, but was shushed as Ruby went on.

"It's Ruby, Nora and Ren…" Ruby didn't pay attention as the young man deflated. "And we're here to try and figure out what's wrong with Jaune."

"You mean apart from his general attitude?"

"Apart from that," she rolled her eyes. "But I mean what caused it, why did he end up like that. I just want to understand so I can help him."

"And why bring us into this?" Ren asked. "I can understand not asking Pyrrha, but what makes you think we could be of use?"

"Pyrrha doesn't get on with him. She'd help if I asked her to, she's nice like that, but she wouldn't enjoy it. I don't want to make her do something she doesn't want to. But you and Nora both knew Jaune when he was younger, right?" Some people called her slow, but it wasn't like she couldn't read between the lines of what Ren had said in the cafeteria.

"We did," he nodded, "though only for a day. It was when we visited a small town; I can't really recall the name. We were being harassed by some local children and Jaune came to our aid." Ren's brows furrowed as he let out a long sigh. "He's changed a lot since then."

"He actually came to help you?" Ruby asked. Ren nodded. "Without being forced to?"

"Back then he was very different. The way he carried himself… I don't think I realised at the time, but looking back on it he acted like an adult even then. It didn't feel like someone our own age, but rather someone much older breaking up a fight."

"He didn't even recognise us," Nora sulked. "We made a promise to be friends when we reached Beacon, but when we saw him he didn't even come up to us."

Yikes! It was worse than Ruby had feared. A broken childhood promise was big, it was huge. You could do a lot in life but promises made as a kid were sacred. Her video games had made that _very_ clear.

"Well there has to be a reason for that," Ruby said, "a reason for him to have changed into what he is now. People don't just change for no reason."

Ruby knew that. She remembered how dad had changed, when mum died. She could also remember how Yang had changed, though her older sister had slowly started to come back. Their father still hadn't, though he tried his best.

"I… suppose that makes sense." Ren's brows furrowed.

"Well I want to try and figure out what that is, so we can help him." Ruby looked first to Ren and then to Nora, the latter of which looked determined already. "If Jaune went from being this super-awesome and kind guy to someone like this, then something must have happened to him."

The three of them pondered that suggestion for a few long moments. Ruby wasn't sure what, since she hadn't known him for long. But there was something there. Something she wasn't sure on.

"His attitude does share some similarities to depression…" Ren's eyes were narrowed, one hand rubbing his chin. The image might have looked more impressive were it not for the white sheets that pooled around his ears. "I hadn't considered it before, but it's possible."

"And then we can fix him?" Nora asked.

Ruby nodded. That part of the plan was still the vague bit, but she was sure they'd think of something in time. Phase one was figuring out what was wrong with him, phase two was something or other, and phase three was Jaune being happy and everyone being best friends.

And Yang said she couldn't plan things, pfft…

"Then let's do it! Ooh Renny, if we fix him then we can have our friend back. We are _so_ doing this."

Ruby turned to look at the single man in their group as well, making sure to hold her hands under her chin and stare unblinkingly into his eyes. She was impressed. He actually managed to hold her gaze for a solid eight seconds.

"I never said I wouldn't help," he sighed as he looked away. "You can both stop with the looks."

Nora and Ruby shared another high-five.

"But that doesn't mean this will be easy," he went on. "Whatever happened to him, Jaune isn't a sociable person now. He isn't going to talk just because you go up and ask him what's wrong."

Ruby drew out the notebook she'd kept on the bed behind her, opening it to her `help Jaune` page and scribbling out the first suggestion on the list. She'd thought it was such a good idea too… very direct. Hey, why did Ren have his head in his hands?

"Ruby…" he sighed, "Give me the notebook."

"It's the list of ideas I was able to come up with so far." She was quite proud of them actually. She'd spent the last twenty minutes before bed writing them down. That was more effort than she put into homework! Ren flipped through the three or four pages, brows drawing close as he muttered something she couldn't hear.

"Hugs," he said at last. "How are hugs going to solve this?"

"Hugs are good," Ruby explained, like she was talking to a child. "Hugs share the happiness from one person to another. I figured that if he won't talk then I won't force him. I'll just hug and hug him until he shares my happiness, breaks down and explains what's wrong. Then I help him."

She'd played a few videogames in which that happened. Though those were the videogames Yang was _not_ allowed to see. The kind she'd frantically hide, switch off the TV and pretend to be doing homework if she so much as heard Yang _exist_ near the door to her room!

"Jaune… Ruby…" Ren rubbed a hand through his hair. "He isn't some kind of piñata that you can hug and expect answers to come popping out of. What would you have even done if that didn't work?"

"More hugs."

"More hugs?"

"More hugs," she nodded. "Then Nora could have helped." The ginger girl crossed her arms and nodded imperiously.

"The only thing Nora's hugs would have helped with is suffocating him." Ren tore the page from the notebook, ignoring her pained gasp. Beta plan, _no_! She'd even spent time decorating that page with doodles and scythes and pictures of roses. "Cooki-? No… you know what, let's start afresh. And this time I'll be the one to write down the plans."

Ruby fumed but let it go. This was for the greater good after all, so there had to be sacrifices.

"The first thing we need to do is try to identify what is wrong with Jaune, and for that we're going to need evidence." Ren tapped her brightly-coloured action hero pen on the notepad. "We're not going to be able to get a full idea unless we look at each individual aspect, so I want the two of you to list things that you've noticed."

Ruby and Nora rattled off a list of things. Ren accepted some with quiet hums, while gently dissuading others. Before long the trio had a neat list of… well, Ruby guessed they were character traits.

Lazy, sad, quiet, does not respond to bullying, does not respond to others being bullied, little teamwork, does not smile much, does not pay attention in class. There were a few others as well, but they could mostly be categorised as things that had already been listed.

Opposite that was something different. Words that seemed to paint a picture of somebody completely different from the man she called friend.

Determined, kind, protective, mature, altruistic, brave, loves his family…

"I remember seeing him with his sisters before," Ruby admitted as she read that last one. Family was important to her and Yang, so she found her finger tracing over the word as if it somehow carried more weight.

"When you fought Torchwick?"

"Hm…" She hadn't thought much of it at the time, mainly because she hadn't seen much of him. Sure he'd teased her with the line about what Ozpin would do, but it wasn't like they had talked much. Ruby had been fighting Torchwick's goons at the front of the store and had only really arrived in time to see Jaune be defeated by the crook. She didn't even see their fight.

She hadn't mentioned it to Jaune… mostly because it didn't feel like something that needed to be. She could ask him, and he would say that yes it was him… then nothing would happen.

"Did you see if he was protecting his sisters?" Ren asked.

Ruby shook her head. "I didn't see his fight, though I guess he must have. They were safe while he was hurt, but Torchwick might have only attacked him. Why?"

"When we first met him he seemed to be very protective over his younger sister. Obviously we made no moves against her, but even when she nearly tripped it looked like he was ready to catch her at a moment's notice. He seemed terrified of letting her come to harm."

 _Just like Yang used to be…_ Ruby realised. Back when they were younger, after the incident! Yang had dogged her steps with almost determined protectiveness. It had honestly been really weird. Did that mean he was like Yang? But she got better, once she realised Ruby wasn't made of glass and wasn't going to explode into a thousand pieces if she stepped away.

"I think it's safe to say that personality trait hasn't changed," Ren sketched a circle around the word. "But a lot of the others seem to contrast. His altruism from when we first met him for and his apathy now for instance."

"He wasn't exactly being _cruel_ ," Ruby protested, "when he didn't want to help that girl." Sure it hadn't been right for him to do nothing, but that didn't make him bad either. Cardin had been bad, since he took pleasure in it. But Jaune wasn't like that… or at least she thought he wasn't.

"I never said it was… it's just that what he would have done when he was younger is so much different. _He_ is so much different. It feels like I'm being introduced to a different person who just so happens to share the same name and face."

"Ugh…" Ruby wasn't sure what she was supposed to say.

This wasn't going as well as any of them had hoped.

"The best we can do is to keep an eye on him today," Ren said at last. "Perhaps if we each focus on how he acts during the day, we might be able to have a better idea when we next meet. Okay?"

"Okay Rennie," Nora cheered.

Ruby nodded, all to glad to have the two on board with her grand strategy.

"What are the three of you doing?" The voice came from outside the wall of blankets, a dark shape appearing through the thin material.

"Ack! We've been discovered!" Nora cried, and if they hadn't been before then she surely would have given the game away. "Evacuate, evacuate!" The girl planted both feet against Ren's chest and `helped` him off the bed. He took the bed sheets with him, propelled off the edge where he collapsed onto the floor in a tangled heap of white linen.

Pyrrha raised one eyebrow at the two girls.

The crumpled mess that was Lie Ren could only groan.

* * *

Ruby shook her head at the memory of that morning. Pyrrha had rolled her eyes and written off their silliness as early morning play, and luckily, was no closer to guessing their true objective. Her partner would have been totally supportive of the plan, Ruby knew that. But she would have been supportive because she felt she _had_ to be supportive.

Ruby didn't want that. She didn't want Pyrrha to feel like she had to do what she didn't want to do, just because Ruby said so. That wasn't how friendship worked, that wasn't how a _team_ worked. The older girl didn't seem to fully get that, Ruby could tell. She always looked like someone afraid she would make a mistake, that she would say something and Ruby would stop considering her a friend.

 _I'll prove her wrong as well,_ Ruby grinned. In the same way she would help Jaune, she'd help Pyrrha too. Except that there wasn't any grand plan for Pyrrha. Just time and proof that friendship wouldn't go away would be enough. This was a plan she could solve with hugs, no matter what Ren thought.

But for now it was time to focus on her secret mission, one handed down to her by Overlord Ren. Ruby started to hum some spy music in her head, increasing the volume as she approached her targets. They didn't even notice; such was her stealth. She could ambush them at a moment's notice, striking from behind while they we-

"Will you quit that infernal humming?" Weiss Schnee growled from behind her textbook.

"Eek." Oh fiddlesticks, she'd been humming out loud, hadn't she?

"Hi Rubes!" Yang leaned back to wave, the two of them were on their own out in the gardens.

"Hi Yang," Ruby returned and flopped down between them. "Hi Weiss!" The heiress grumbled something that Ruby magnanimously pretended to believe might have been a greeting. Oh yeah, Pyrrha had _definitely_ been the best choice of partner. "What you up to?"

"Relaxing," her sister laid back down on the grass. "The weather is good for it and we have most of the day off thanks to that field trip tomorrow."

Ruby hummed in agreement. Miss Goodwitch was taking them on some trip to collect sap for Professor Peach. They'd been told to bring their full equipment, which meant there was a risk of combat.

Ruby could hardly wait.

But that wasn't her mission today.

"Where's Jaune?"

"Oh?" Yang shifted so that she was laid on her side, head propped up on one hand. "Any reason you're looking for our lazy leader? Is my little sister finally discovering the male species?" Yang's expression turned... complicated. "I'm not sure he's the best person to whet your teeth on."

"I _know_ he's not," Weiss added.

"No, no, no, I'm not crushing on him!" Ruby shook her head. "It's just… well I usually see him with you around this time. Normally Weiss would still be chasing him around the track."

"And I would be now," the girl said, "Were it not for the fact that he actually did it himself this morning."

"Eh?" Had they killed Jaune and replaced him with someone else while she wasn't looking?

"Surprise, huh?" Yang grinned. "But he actually jogged with us all this morning and didn't even put up much of a fuss."

"Much of a fuss for him," Weiss corrected, "He still whined worse than a ten-year-old child."

Yang shrugged but didn't argue, even as Ruby looked back and forth between the two. Jaune… agreed to train? That just didn't make sense – it didn't compute.

"Was he sick?" Ruby had to ask.

Yang burst out laughing, and even the heiress allowed a tiny smile to spread across her lips.

"Sick of being forced into it, maybe," her sister said. "Weiss is right, he still moaned like normal, but he put up with it and completed the training. I think he just agreed because he knew we'd force him into it anyway."

"And you let him go afterwards?"

"Of course," Weiss said. "I'm not about to look a gift horse in the mouth. If it's true that he agreed for the sake of avoiding being forced into it, then I'm not about to prove him wrong by doing just that. Otherwise he would just resist any training in the future." Ruby still didn't understand. Weiss must have noticed. "Think of it like training a dog. If you offer them a treat for obedience but then withhold it, then you simply teach them to resent you."

"Jaune's not a dog!" Ruby's eyes narrowed.

"It was just an example. I am well aware that my partner is a human… no animal could be so difficult to deal with."

Ruby calmed down a little at hearing that. It was just that… well, she didn't like hearing people insult her friends – so she was a little defensive, okay?

"You can be difficult to deal with too." Ruby wished she could take the words back the moment she uttered them. Apparently Yang did too, considering how the girl rapidly scooted away from her teammate.

"Pardon?" There was enough ice in that single word to make Ruby's legs freeze.

Ah – ah, damn her mouth! "W-Well I'm just saying… maybe you and Jaune don't get on because you're always pushing him around?"

It was too late to back out now, especially with the icy look Weiss gave her, so Ruby squared her shoulders and stood firm. A hysterical part of her mind noted how her beloved and protective older sister was definitely _not_ about to come to her aid.

"It's not like I want to push him around." The aura of dread receded, taken away as the older girl looked aside with a sigh. "And I _have_ tried speaking with him. He stonewalls my every attempt, or tries to distract me in some way. I thought after-" she paused to take a breath. "We had a discussion about team leaders, where I accepted him as mine and promised to help him become a better leader – a better Hunter. I thought that after that, we had reached some kind of common ground. But he instantly went back to his usual lazy self, refusing to take any part in training or actually lead the team."

"Maybe that's just the way he is." Ruby whispered. She froze however, when the girl glared at her.

"And will the Grimm accept that excuse? Should _I_ accept it, when I come across my partner's broken and bloody body? That it was okay for me to give up and not do anymore, because being lazy was just the way he was?"

"No…" Ruby wilted under the girl's stare. It was hard to argue with that kind of image.

"I don't _want_ to be the one always running around hitting him with a stick," Weiss went on. "But in lieu of a carrot, this is all I have. If the carrot has to be that training with me means I'll give him an afternoon off, then so be it. He's ahead on homework anyway."

Should she say sorry? Ruby wasn't sure. She knew it was wrong of her to judge them like that, especially since she wasn't even a part of their team. _Ugh… this is more complicated than I thought it would be._

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" She asked instead.

"Not at all."

Ruby continued to stare at her, until the white-haired girl sighed.

"I'm not worried because we'll all be together. There shouldn't be any risk. Even if there was, I trust he would be able to deal with it accordingly. He's lazy, not incompetent." That might have come across as supportive, if it weren't for the mumbled, "I hope not anyway," tacked on the end.

"But what if he doesn't know how to fight the Grimm?" Ruby asked.

Her sister and Weiss stared at her. Ruby looked between the two of them, recognising the pitying looks of someone who wasn't sure if the person they were looking out was completely sound.

"What? I'm serious! Fighting Cardin is one thing, if you can call that a fight – but the Grimm could really hurt him."

"He survived a Deathstalker in initiation," Yang pointed out.

"Not to mention the Grimm from three days ago – recall the locker incident?" Weiss said.

"Yeah but those were accidents," Ruby laughed. "They tripped."

The two stared at her once more, the pitying looks having returned in full force.

"What?"

"The amount of blood?" Weiss hinted, one brow raised.

Ruby tilted her head.

"The ruined patches of ground – the broken branches? The fact that his clothing was almost completely ruined?"

"Oh…" Ruby made a long sound of understanding, followed by a nervous laugh. "I uh… pfft, of course, I totally get what you're saying. Like, who wouldn't?"

She'd ask Ren later.

"I don't even know why I try," Weiss sighed.

"Ooh, you're so _adorable_ when you don't notice things." Ruby yelped as her sister reached over to snatch her hood, drawing her in so that she could crush the smaller girl into a hug. Ruby's legs kicked in protest as she howled and fought to escape. "My cute little Rubaby!"

 _Rose down, Rose down! I've been captured by the enemy! Go on without me guys!_

* * *

Jaune sighed, "When you said you needed to talk I was under the impression it would be for something more important than this."

"There is nothing in this world more important than my entertainment," Coral said, eyes flashing from behind her glasses. "I gave you that notebook for a reason. Don't tell me you haven't even gotten started on filling it?"

"I've gotten started," he defended – though he half-wished he hadn't. Since when did he need to defend his preferences like this? And since when was he supposed to be defending it this way around. Wasn't she meant to be rebuking him as a responsible older sister?

Ah yeah… Coral.

"I don't accept excuses, Jaune." She shook her head, apparently disappointed with him. "You've been there long enough to bed more than one girl, not to mention you're on a team with three. Are you sick? Did you contract something? How are you supposed to marry me if you're penis rots and falls off?"

"Since when were we getting married?" he rolled his eyes.

Coral smiled. The sight of it didn't fill him with confidence. "Well if you haven't heard, you haven't heard. Don't worry about it. But I expect any future lover of mine to be experienced."

"A, I'm already pretty damn experienced," multiple repeats had that kind of effect. "And b, we're not lovers. Present, past or future."

"So cruel," she looked away and bit her lower lip. It would have looked genuine, were it not for the way her eyes glanced back at him – and the amusement he could see dancing within them. She really was the worst. "Does no one on your team take your fancy then? I have to admit I was surprised when I heard you had Weiss Schnee of all people on it."

"How did you know that?"

He hadn't told them who was on his team, at least not the names.

"Amber told me. She called you a few days ago and spoke to your team for a moment."

She did? He hadn't heard about that – and what exactly had Amber spoken to them about?

"She didn't tell them anything about…" Jaune looked around but no one was paying attention, "my plans, did she?"

"Of course not."

Jaune sighed, shoulders drooping as he went back to casually walking down the corridor.

"Amber isn't that silly, plus you know she'd never tell anyone else something about you. She's so possessive, like she believes if she even tells someone your shoe size they'll fall in love with you and take you away." Coral giggled into her hand, "Maybe I should be worried she will try and steal you away from me."

"She wouldn't have to try very hard." He shot back, enjoying the way her eyes hardened. The look of irritation vanished quickly, however. Washed away as easily as one might some juice in the bottom of a sink.

"Keep talking like that and you might break my heart. I can be a vengeful lover, dear brother."

He could believe that, even if she had never actually been a lover – his or otherwise. Of course he'd never spent a previous repeat in touch with his family, much to his shame. But even before Beacon he didn't think she had ever been in a relationship with someone. She wasn't the kind of person most men could speak to. Maybe she was too forward or they were too timid, but most tended to avoid her in favour of his other sisters.

That pissed him off. Any man should have been prepared to cut off their arm just for the _opportunity_ to bask in the presence of his sisters. Coral, included.

But there were more immediate concerns… of the little sister variety.

"Do you have any idea what Amber and my team talked about?" he asked.

"Nothing you need to worry your little head over. You love your sisters, right?"

"Of course."

"You love _me_ , right?"

"Against my better judgement."

"Then Amber didn't say anything you need worry about." Jaune's eyes narrowed. Coral loved her little games, twisting words in ways that could mean multiple things. But his team hadn't come up and mentioned it, so maybe she was being honest. Amber might have just gotten competitive and claimed he loved them more than he did his team.

"Well whatever," best to wave it all off. If it was something unusual he was fairly sure one of Jazzberry would have already confronted him over it. If Amber had let slip that he intended to get expelled, then there was no way Weiss would have stayed quiet. "I've been trying to chat with a few girls lately, but every time I do one of my team seems to pop up, drag me aside and give me stern looks. Then by the time I weasel my way out, the girl I'm trying to chat up has left."

"How unexpectedly sweet of them." she cooed.

Jaune gave her a suspicious look.

"I simply mean how they try to keep your attention for themselves," she laughed. "I suppose if they want to taste your delights for themselves, then I don't mind sharing. I have to admit, the little Schnee was quite attractive at the concert. I'd love to hear how you bent her over a table and tore her underwear aside, plunging your ton-"

" _And_ the conversation has taken a weird route," Jaune interrupted quickly – before she could go into full prose. "Nice talking to you Coral, give everyone my love."

"Only if you'll give me yours," she winked and leaned forward to whisper, " _I love you, Jaune_ ~"

"L-Love you too." Damn his stutter – and damn the way she burst out laughing when she caught it through the scroll. The screen went black a second later, but that didn't do anything for his cheeks, nor the echo of her amusement in his head. Argh, it was no wonder he'd been such a mess around girls back then. He couldn't remember Coral ever being quite like _that_ , though.

 _Then again, I can barely remember my life before Beacon anyway. I guess that's why it's such a new and exciting experience spending my time with them._ Strange to think of it like that, in the sense that a boring and everyday life could be a novel experience, while life or death had become standard. It was just the life he lived… crazy as it was.

At least he'd gotten most of the day off, except for the combat classes this afternoon, and the training his team had forced out of him that morning. He'd gone along with it begrudgingly, mostly because he'd wanted to slip away and call his family the first chance he could. Speaking to them – even if it was Coral – was like a cool drink after a long trek through a desert. There was love there, undeniable and boundless.

It filled the gap he'd created between himself and his friends. _It's necessary,_ he reminded himself. _This will let me not die at Beacon, which will let me start my next life with so much more time to train._

Then he would come to Beacon, save them all and destroy Cinder's plans once and for all.

All he had to do was get through this life first.

"Which means I've got to deal with Cardin this afternoon." Another fight in the ring, though this time he doubted Cardin would fall for the same trick. That was if Glynda didn't chew him out for even trying it. _Hm, she is pretty sexy when she's angry._ He shook his head, focus… that was what he needed. He could deal with his _other_ problem later, preferably when his team wasn't playing cock block.

It had been more than a little weird when Yang literally dragged him away by his ear, only to shake her head and glare at him. The glare she'd given him… it had actually shocked him.

…

Hmm… now _there_ was an idea.

* * *

"Where is he!?" Blake watched with a raised brow as the Schnee heiress looked around the people filing into the arena. She tried to see over the people around them, but with how short she was it wasn't working out. Blake wondered if the girl would suffer the indignity of actually jumping. She did not. Instead, she stood in place and fumed. "I swear if he doesn't show up..."

"I'm sure he will," Blake's partner laughed. Yang laid a hand atop Weiss' head, which was pushed off a second later as the girl glared. "It's not like he's going to skip out on Miss Goodwitch of all people. Even he isn't that insane."

"Who isn't that insane?"

Blake nearly jumped out of her skin. She managed to stay still at the last second, but even then her heart hammered in her chest as the subject of their conversation walked around her to be rebuked by his partner. How had Jaune managed to sneak up on her like that, without even setting off any of her senses? Even with the crowds around them she should have sensed it if it he was that close.

She couldn't have gotten soft… Blake hadn't been away from the White Fang _long enough_ to have gotten soft.

"Yeah, yeah I'm here," she came back into the conversation in time to hear him speak. "I swear it feels like this teacher has it in for me."

"That would be because she does," Weiss helpfully pointed out. "And I think just about everybody here can see that."

"Oh? Do you think it's repressed desire? Maybe I should get a detention after all… I wonder what she would do to me."

"Oh it's repressed desire alright. A desire to kill you from what I can see."

"Maybe she's just shy," he stroked his chin, "or kinky."

Blake sighed and tuned him out, trying to find something else to occupy her thoughts. She hadn't been able to find any real information on him in the past few days, other than the fact that he was as lazy and horny as ever.

 _But is that an act he puts on, or the truth? If he's as much of an idiot as he pretends to be then how did he get into Beacon in the first place?_ Things still weren't adding up, which meant she needed to take things a little further.

Tomorrow _,_ she decided. After this Forever Fall nonsense, after whatever happened today, she would need to take a more direct approach. He wouldn't be able to deny her if she cornered him in an abandoned classroom. And one way or another she would have her answers.

It took her at least three seconds to catch the veiled connotations of that mental statement. And another ten or so to finish mentally bleaching the image from her brain. And here she'd thought she would need to hide her own dirty little habit in Beacon. Her books were tame compared to him!

"Will Mr Arc and Mr Winchester come up to the arena," the stern woman called, eyes firmly fixed on the blonde member of their squad.

"She totally likes me." He winked and sauntered off.

The three girls could only stare at one another.

"So…" Yang broke the silence, "if he tries it on with her… do we interfere?"

"I think she will do a more than good enough job dissuading him herself," Weiss answered – and Blake agreed. That would be something she'd pay good lien to see. Sadly that wasn't going to be her entertainment for the moment, as she instead turned back to watch the two combatants square up against one another. From the corner of her eye she noticed the other team approaching, Rubine, who seemed to be an ever-present presence in their classes. Blake was fine with it. It gave Yang someone to talk to, which meant she could spend time reading instead.

Blake considered it a beautiful business relationship.

"Combatants," Miss Goodwitch called, and all conversation in the hall quickly died out. "I will remind you of the rules… of which there have been some recent additions thanks to someone who will not be named." She paused to glare at their leader at that, a fact nobody missed. Weiss groaned into the palm of her hand.

"The fight will continue until your aura enters the red, or I call it over. There is to be _no_ time-outs or pauses, no matter what somebody shouts or who walks through the door." Yang sniggered. "There is to be _no_ forfeiting unless your aura is already in the yellow."

Jaune held his hand up.

"What is it…" her face twisted, and for a moment Blake desperately wanted to know what she was thinking. "Mr Arc?"

"I'm the leader of my team, so I really think they should be counted as weapons too." He spun to face Cardin, one arm extended, "Yang, I choose you. Use kill!"

"Eh?" To Blake's infinite amusement, Yang actually rose a little off her seat, as though wondering whether the unorthodox move would be allowed. "Do I…?"

"No." Miss Goodwitch snapped. She was staring at Jaune as she said it, but her crop was pointed directly at Yang – as though threatening her life if she dared move. Yang wisely sat down. "This is a one on one spar, which means you _cannot_ use Miss Xiao-Long as a weapon. Nor can Mr Winchester use his team as one."

"Like I would," the other teen scoffed. "Stop trying to hide behind your girlfriends and fight me."

"Do I _have_ to?"

"Yes!" This time it was Cardin and Miss Goodwitch both who spoke in perfect sync, with a few people in the crowd laughing nervously. The teacher glared at Winchester as though it was his fault, and the bully's mouth snapped shut. "Mr Arc," she continued, "this is a spar to establish your ability so that we can better judge and advise you on how to improve. Whatever your circumstances, whether you are unconfident or simply _concerned_ about the result – you must fight."

Blake leaned forward on the bench. This ought to be good.

It didn't look like there would be any other complaints or suggestions, not as Jaune went quiet and stood in position. He drew his blade with a quick rasp of steel and took a stance that Blake vaguely remembered had been drilled into him by Weiss over the past few days. It would do for a beginner, but she wasn't sure what use it would be against someone like Cardin. Braggart and bully though he was, and Blake hated him like no other, she couldn't argue with the fact he was skilled.

Not enough to touch her, Yang or Weiss… but enough to trounce a beginner like Jaune. _You won't get to distract him like last time,_ she thought. Who did she want to win-? Jaune... the answer came instantly and without hesitation. Apathetic and annoying though he might be, even if he did make her uneasy, she would still prefer to see her teammate tear that racist bigot a new one.

Winchester had taken sick pleasure in tormenting a faunus… and cruel words or not, Jaune _had_ stopped it.

"Begin!" Miss Goodwitch shouted and dodged to the side, even as Cardin roared a battle cry and charged across the arena. His footfalls were heavy on the mat, drowning out all other noise as the huge figure, clad in heavy armour closed the distance between them. Except that he wasn't closing the distance at all.

On account of how Jaune had turned tail and fled.

"Ughh…" Beside Blake, Weiss groaned into her cupped hands, not even surprised at the turn of events, as her partner ran around the circumference of the battle area, arms pumping at his side. The disguised faunus actually felt an unusual sense of camaraderie with the usually hated girl, almost wanting to reach over and pat her shoulder in comfort.

"Come back here!" Cardin roared, and Blake almost imagined she could hear some cliché chase music as the heavier teen chased after him. Miss Goodwitch looked like she was experiencing a stroke.

Was he trying to tire Cardin out… or was Blake giving her leader too much credit? He _was_ wearing less armour, which theoretically meant he should be able to last for longer. Then again, Jaune wasn't exactly big on stamina compared to most Hunters. He was able to keep up with them in the morning cardio, but barely – and he was much worse for wear than anyone else would have been.

It carried on for a good ten minutes. The entire time the class watched them in silence, no doubt wondering if Miss Goodwitch would step in, and just how angry she would be. This really couldn't be called a Hunter fight… not with how every now and then Jaune would run past their section of the arena, arms in the air and shouting wildly. Or how Cardin would huff and puff his way past, a second later, sweat dripping from his body.

"Go Jaune!" Ruby shouted, pumping a fist into the air.

What was she even cheering at, was she watching the same fight Blake was? Wearing out your opponent was a strategy… that was true. But there had to be some kind of follow-up, some way of capitalising on it. _It's now or never Jaune Arc… I wonder what you'll do._

He seemed to realise it too, for his pace started to slow and turn into more of a jog. Perhaps Cardin didn't realise, still lost in the haze of fatigue and with sweat in his eyes. But to Blake it seemed obvious that Jaune was now faking his flight, slowly letting the bigger man close the distance. He was ready to spring his trap.

Blake's eyes narrowed.

Jaune Arc tripped

Blake pulled off a wonderful impression of Weiss Schnee.

Laughter burst out across the hall as their leader struck the mat, rolling and sliding along with his face pushed down into the unforgiving material. Yang winced and made a pained noise, even as Ruby cried out in fear and Weiss' groan became that much more pronounced. She sounded like she was undergoing surgery without anaesthetic.

"Jaune, get up!" Ruby cried as Cardin finally caught up. No amount of sweat or exhaustion could make him not see an opportunity like this, and his huge mace was raised above his head. Blake's heart missed a beat. He would live, of course he would – but if that hit he'd be spending the next few days in the infirmary! She even saw Miss Goodwitch step forward, eyes narrowed. Blake wondered when she would step in, only to gasp as the blonde woman smiled and remained still.

"Jaune!" Yang's shout was lost in an explosion of dust. The impact of Cardin's mace had torn up part of the ground, such was the force behind it. That… that would be bad. Why on Remnant hadn't the teacher stepped in to stop him!?

Weiss made to stand.

A cough within the smoke stopped her. "That could have really hurt," the familiar voice wheezed.

Even across the distance, Blake saw Cardin's eyes widen as the smoke blew away, revealing his foe – Jaune Arc – laid flat on his back between Cardin's legs. Blake let out a sigh she didn't realise she'd been holding. So he'd managed to dodge then – but this fight wasn't over.

"You're open!" Jaune shouted gleefully, reaching down for his weapon. Ruby cheered, but Blake remained silent. This wasn't over by a longshot. He was on his back, attacking from the ground where he couldn't swing his weapon. Even if he tried to stab his sword straight up into Winchester's crotch it would likely bounce off the armour, if not his aura.

Wait a minute… that wasn't Jaune's weapon – and why was it sparking?

"Aiyeeeyeyeyeye!" Cardin's scream was horrifying.

It could have revealed her secret in an instance, for the moment Jaune struck and the man squealed Blake's ears flattened so hard they made her bow go flat as well! Lucky then, that literally every other person in the room had wrapped their hands over their ears and closed their eyes against the agonised noise.

When she cracked her eyes open a second later, it was just in time to see Cardin Winchester – smoking slightly – collapse to the ground.

His leg twitched.

Jaune Arc climbed to his feet, tottering once before lifting his hand in victory. He then levitated off the ground a little, suspended by said arm.

"Mr Arc!" Their teacher didn't so much roar as she did whisper. Except that it was a whisper Blake felt in her bones, like the sibilant hiss of some deadly snake. "What was that!?"

He didn't seem to see the danger. Either that or he was too far gone to recognise it. Instead he smiled proudly, as though he were being held up as an example before the class. Blake wasn't sure what world he lived in that being telepathically strung up by your arm was a good thing… on second thought, she didn't want to know.

"I saw a tactical disadvantage in his equipment ma'am," he happily chirped. "I then preceded to take advantage of that by wearing him out." His expression seemed to scream _praise me_.

"I was talking about this!" His hand shook, as did his entire body as a result. But it was clear she meant the small piece of black metal in his restrained hand. Some blue lightning sparked between the tips.

"I saw a tactical disadvantage in his equipment." Miss Goodwitch's face looked like it was cut from rock. "Well it _is_ all metal… since my sword wouldn't be much good I decided to seek a better tool."

"Hence the dust taser," she said.

"Hence the dust taser."

"New rule," the woman sighed. It was a sigh filled with so much exhaustion it made Blake want to throw herself off the cliffs of Beacon. "No unauthorised or otherwise unapproved weapons may be brought into the arena."

"In that case I'd-"

"Your application for the dust taser to be an approved weapon is denied." She shook him again for good measure. His fingers pried open, slowly and awkwardly, as the tool drifted out of his hand. "And this will be confiscated, thank you."

"Aw…"

"It has also come to my attention that perhaps you need a new opponent who can deal with your… unique strategies." That was certainly a polite way to put it.

"Yay!"

"In which case I have decided that next time you will be facing off against Miss Xiao-Long."

"Nay!"

"Miss Xiao-Long," the teacher ignored the forlorn young man in favour of fixing her eyes on the girl. Blake could feel her partner shift against her, clearly nervous. Blake didn't blame her. "You _will_ ensure that there is a fight."

"Umm…"

"You _will_ ensure this."

"Y-Yes Miss Goodwitch… o-of course. I'm so pumped… heh." Blake started to sweat as the teacher kept her eyes locked on Yang. She had no idea how Yang managed to stay upright. But after what felt like two or three minutes, but which might have been as many seconds, the woman nodded and walked away. Jaune was left behind, dumped at their feet like so much rotten trash.

"So…" he said, "You… uh… you're going to take it easy on me, right?"

"Sorry daddy," Yang shivered, "I'm going to eviscerate you. If only so I don't find out what happens if I don't give Miss Goodwitch the fight she wants."

"Class is dismissed," the woman shouted from further down the row. "Remember that you have the trip to Forever Fall tomorrow. I will not accept excuses, so I expect you all to be fully rested and prepared to leave at ten."

"Let's get you two back to the room," Blake sighed – helping to lift her nervous partner, even as Weiss did the same for her own. "You both look like you need to sit down."

Ruby and her team waved them goodbye. Weiss and her helping to escort their partners until they got their bearings back under control. Yang managed to recover some confidence after only a minute or two, mostly when they got out of eyesight of Miss Goodwitch. Jaune seemed far worse, though Blake had a suspicion he was just being lazy and Weiss hadn't noticed.

"Where did you get that taser anyway?" Yang asked once they reached their room, the four of them settling down on their beds to rest. "Those can be pretty dangerous and it's not like you've visited the city or anything."

A good question and one Blake paid attention to as well. Stun or electrical-dust based weaponry wasn't that rare, but you didn't see it often. There were all sorts of problems with it, from the chance to shock yourself, your allies, conductive materials you had to be careful of… the list went on. Most Hunters didn't bother with them, not unless they had some kind of semblance that tied into it or mitigated one of the problems.

Most elemental weapons were like that. Cool at first glance, but pretty impractical once you got into it. Yeah a sword on fire _sounded_ impressive, but good luck sheathing or handling it.

"Oh I found it," he shrugged.

"You… found it?" Yang asked, "Just laying around?"

"Well sort of… I got to the arena early but there was no one there so I decided to look around. Then I came across this door which said `weapons` and I was all `ooh, this might help` - I find it in there."

"By chance," Weiss' eyes narrowed, "was it the door with the signs on saying Teacher's Supply Closet and Do not enter?"

"Eh… maybe… you think I shouldn't have entered?"

Weiss groaned but couldn't seem to find the energy. At least Yang found it funny, snickering in the corner. Blake was about to roll over and grab one of her books – a new one that he hadn't spoiled for her yet – when Yang piped up.

"But isn't the supply closet locked?"

"It is," Weiss agreed. "As I understand it, you can only go in if you have prior permission. It's for people who lose or damage their weapons, it's meant as more of a temporary solution until you can fix or commission a new one. As such it's filled with unusual and dangerous weapons and you can only enter with permission and a teacher as escort."

That all made sense, but it wasn't the thing Blake had fixed on.

Locked… the supply closet was naturally locked, as any room filled with dangerous equipment would be. And in Beacon, that didn't tend to mean little bolts and keys or padlocks. Their rooms were locked with sensors that only responded to their scrolls. Communal areas had the same kind of deal, but there was always a manual password system to let you override it. The changing rooms used those for instance, so you didn't have to worry about your scroll being damaged in a spar.

And since the supply closet was part of the arena and combat areas, it no doubt had the same thing.

"How did you get in?" Blake asked, eyes narrowed as the sole male member of their team paused. "How did you break through the locks?"

"Meh, just pushed random buttons."

Impossible… at least it was statistically impossible. If the codes were four digits long – and they had no proof they were – and there were ten digits to choose from, then the chances of getting it randomly would already be infinitesimally small. It was small enough to be impossible.

And impossible enough to make her nervous.

"So you're some kind of criminal," she said at last – ignoring the startled look from Yang. "Breaking into rooms you're not supposed to enter."

He frowned, "I don't want to hear that from you. Isn't it about time you went back to your own dorm?"

"This _is_ my dorm!"

"It is!?"

Okay… and now she was angry again.

* * *

Another day gone, another day earned in a future life. That was how he used to look at the passing of time, before it had all started to meld into one dreary dream. Events were fixed, themes occurred again and again, and at times it felt like there was nothing that could stir him.

And then something like this would happen.

No matter how many times he saw it, Forever Fall always seemed to take his breath away. Maybe it was because it was always a rare sight, never more than a single day of any of his lives. It had never extended longer than that, not that he'd put any real effort into making it so. But when the teams all landed, and the students filed out into the wild forest, Jaune was a little embarrassed to admit that he joined them in gawking.

It was so beautiful, like a forest in perpetual autumn, crimson leaves drifting to the ground like scarlet rainfall. They made a sound as they did, wind tinkling against the leaves to create a sound like a thousand wind chimes echoing in concert. He caught one in the palm of his hand, lifting it up to his eyes to blow it away.

 _My sisters would love to see a place like this._ Not that he could ever bring them. Forever Fall was on the outskirts of territory owned by humans, a wild and unclaimed land infested with Grimm. That was the message that Miss Goodwitch was busy explaining to the others. It was a lecture he'd heard time and time again.

Not that Weiss knew that, as she gently stabbed an elbow into his side. It was gentle for her anyway, though it still left him wincing. She rolled her eyes and looked back to the teacher, trusting that he would as well. He supposed he could indulge her. There really was little else to do.

It had been a while since Beacon had started. His sisters, well – all except Amber - seemed to understand that it would take some time for him to get expelled. It wasn't as though Ozpin or Miss Goodwitch would notice and dismiss him immediately. They needed to give him a chance to improve – or fail to – before they made such a decision. That was if he wanted to get expelled naturally, as a result of poor grades and performance. A natural expulsion was the only way he'd be really free to go, since it wouldn't be his fault in any way.

Forever Fall hadn't really factored into his plans. Other than that he would do everything he normally did, sans getting attacked by an Ursa. This wasn't a place to act out or cause trouble… not when it might mean bringing Grimm down on his teammates.

He wanted to be expelled… he didn't want to get them killed.

So he'd play his part and gather some sap. Maybe even steal some for himself since Nora had always praised its taste. Maybe it would make an effective bribe for the girl too, should he end up facing her in Goodwitch's class.

Miss Goodwitch had banned him for forfeiting, but she'd never explicitly banned him from convincing someone else to forfeit.

Jaune's eyes slid over to Cardin, but the armoured man didn't seem to notice. _I hope my little display earlier was enough to get through to him,_ Jaune thought. _I need to avoid trouble which means I don't need him thinking I'm an easy target out here._

It had been one thing putting up with Cardin in the safe hallways of Beacon. His taunts and attempts at bullying were a time waster, but little else. That incident with the locker had proved him wrong, however. Cardin thought – or had thought – him an easy mark. Hence Jaune's attempts to… gently dissuade him in the ring.

 _You liar,_ his mind seemed to giggle, _you enjoyed hurting him more than you admit. It was just like killing those Grimm, except that you could see the fear in his eyes._

"Jaune, Remnant to Jaune?" Yang's voice pulled him from his thoughts, the last minute rescue he needed. Weiss and Blake were looking at him. Or rather Weiss was… Blake had her eyes firmly fixed over his shoulder for some reason.

"Sorry, what's up?"

"We need to collect sap, _dad_." Jaune caught the glass jar she tossed at his chest. Weiss sighed and rolled her eyes at the emphasis Yang put on that title, but walked up to stand beside him nonetheless. He noticed she had two spikes with which to tap the trees, no doubt one for him. It was amusing to consider how in a past life he might have considered that something to be pleased over, that Weiss of all people, would collect something for him. "Ugh, you're spacing out again."

"No I'm not." No one looked like they believed him. "We have two hours to collect two jars of sap per partner. The trees need to be bored and tapped, but will seal up after a few minutes due to the sap coagulating. We should then move onto a different tree so that we don't damage the ecosystem."

He'd heard the instructions so many times he could recite them in his sleep. Some things changed, in the innumerable loops he had done. But this wasn't one of them.

"D-dad actually listened…" Yang fell to her knees. "I-is he sick – daddy, are you dying!?"

"Enough dramatics," Weiss scowled. Yang laughed but climbed back to her feet, the four of them trekking off with the heiress in the lead. "Two hours should be more than enough time if we just find an empty copse to tap. We might even have some spare time to relax."

"W-Weiss is suggesting we relax," Yang began, only to laugh and duck ahead when Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Yeah, yeah, we'll get on it. Come on Blake."

"I swear those two will be the end of me," his partner sighed. "Here's your spike. Please don't use it on yourself."

She stomped off with a determined expression. He felt sorry for whatever tree she decided on.

* * *

Ruby sniffed the sap experimentally. It smelled sweet and tangy, like sugary water except much thicker. Even for someone who loved cookies like her it smelt a little bit too much.

Nora had already guzzled her second jar.

That was impressive in multiple ways. Firstly that she could honestly stomach all of that so easily and secondly that Ren could gather two jars faster than Pyrrha or she had been able to fill one. What was he, the tree whisperer or something!?

"This is harder than it looks," Pyrrha whispered from the next tree over. Ruby hummed her agreement as she let out a short sigh. The hole she'd made had already sealed, and with only an inch of sap collected. "It shouldn't be… but it really is."

"Well at least it's not just you," Ruby nodded towards everyone else – bar Ren – who was suffering with their own trees. They'd managed to catch up with her sister's team, and since there were plenty of trees to go around they had all agreed to work together.

"I just don't get it," the girl's emerald eyes seemed to narrow in on the bark, as though accusing it of conspiring against her. "This should be easy…"

"You're… not used to failure, are you?"

Pyrrha flinched, "No, I mean, that's not it. I fail as much as any other person."

Ruby giggled, unable to control herself as Pyrrha fell into denials about holding herself to some higher standard. Maybe it was something she'd done back in Mistral, or maybe it was her family – Ruby didn't know.

"You don't have to worry about that here," she said instead, patting her older partner on the shoulder. "If anyone has to worry about messing up, it'll be me."

"Don't say that! You are doing a marvellous job at being this team's leader."

"And you're doing fine at being my friend," she returned, pointedly not watching Pyrrha's face. "You don't have to keep worrying about it."

For a short while the only sound between them was the rhythmic _thunk_ of the spike being driven into wood. It was a good sound, a satisfying one almost.

"You must think me silly," Pyrrha said at last, with a low laugh.

"Nope."

"It's just that… with my career, I've never had many friends bef-"

"Nope." Pyrrha's mouth froze still open, a scene that made Ruby laugh all the harder. "It doesn't matter what you used to have. You have friends now and a team too. So stop over-thinking everything."

"It's just… well you never seem like you need a friend," Pyrrha sighed. "At first I thought I could help you since you're so young, but you are already able to fight on a level similar to mine."

Now that was a lie, and Ruby knew it. Talk about being polite, Pyrrha could _crush_ her at a moment's notice. She'd already had a spar or two, and the girl really did deserve her title. But that was neither here nor there.

"I have Yang so I don't _need_ a friend," Ruby carefully said, "but that doesn't mean I don't want one, or more. You don't have to offer or prove anything to me. Friends are just friends, you know?"

"Nope." It was Ruby's turn to freeze as Pyrrha plagiarised her. Right before the redheaded girl burst into laughter, Ruby slapping her on the arm. "I don't know," Pyrrha said as the giggles died off, "but I suppose I'll find out. Thank you Ruby."

"Yeah, yeah… you can thank me by teaching me that backflip trick some time." Pyrrha smiled and promised she would, even as Ruby shook her head and moved on to another tree. Gosh it was weird, but she supposed that was just how Pyrrha was, incredible in the ring, but strangely uncertain out of it. It might have been awkward, had not Ruby gone through that herself once upon a time. She knew full well the pangs of being lonely and awkward.

That thought made her attention drift to Jaune once more, who was crouched a tree or two away from Weiss, slowly filling his own jar. They were too far away for Ruby to hear anything, but as Weiss turned to say something to him, she saw him call something back with a laugh and a smile.

Ruby didn't know how she had missed it before. It was like one of those puzzles, like the pictures of cats that Yang sometimes showed her. Ruby would spend hours staring at them, unable to identify anything. And then, when she finally found it (or more realistically when Yang gave in and showed her where the cat was) Ruby would find it impossible to un-see. For hours after she would wonder how she could possibly have not seen it. It was so obvious!

It was kind of the same with Jaune and his smiles. They were there, and they worked mechanically speaking… but it was like Crescent Rose without ammunition. It did all the right things and had the correct motions, but the intended result just wasn't there. It didn't seem to reach his eyes, even as the skin around them crinkled. He could smirk, grin, smile and laugh – and even though the emotions on his face changed – it was like his eyes remained the exact same.

Ruby huffed and wondered if anyone else had noticed. She had apparently been the only one not to notice Jaune having fought some of the Grimm, so maybe she was being silly here as well. Weiss was his partner… and she'd shown that she cared more than Ruby had initially thought. Maybe she knew… maybe she didn't intrude because she thought it wasn't her business.

Maybe she was right, maybe it _was_ none of Ruby's business and she should let him be whoever he wanted to be.

She'd find out when she tried anyway, because she wasn't willing to let this go. If she made a mistake then she could just play the fifteen-year-old card. _Heh, oh I'm only fifteen, I'm sorry I didn't realise… works every time._

Well, except on Yang and her dad. She'd used it a little too much for them to fall for it anymore. And for some reason she had the impression it wouldn't work on Jaune either, thought she couldn't put a finger on why. Maybe it was because he had younger sisters too, like the ones she'd seen him with at that store.

Ruby paused as she heard some muffled muttering. It came from behind her in the forest. For a second she reached down to grip the handle of Crescent Rose, prepared to deploy it at any second. It moved on however, and after a few more seconds she recognised the tell-tale crunch of booted feet on leaves.

Other students, she relaxed her grip. Everyone was sticking nominally together, mostly so they could call for aid if Grimm attacked. It was probably just some people looking for trees and had spotted their group and decided this area was taken. She was letting the atmosphere get to her. Pyrrha had noticed too. But she too seemed to recognise it as not a threat and get back to her tree.

That proved to be a mistake.

On hindsight she should have known something was up. Among the footsteps she'd heard whispering and laughter, that should have clued her in. But in her defence, how could she have thought someone would do something like this?

Pyrrha shouted a warning, as they heard something whistle through the air. Ruby saw it almost in slow motion, a bottle of dark, purple sap. It lazily span end over end, tumbling through the air towards them where it landed with a loud crash – purple splashing across blonde.

There were muffled curses from the bushes, followed by the sound of stampeding feet.

"Are you okay!?" Yang was the first to speak, rushing over to her teammate. Jaune stood with his arms held out, sap dripping from his fingertips. The thick, viscous sap covered his head and shoulders, dribbling down his arms and chest. Around his feet was broken glass that littered the ground. Ruby could only be thankful that his aura had protected him from the worst.

But wait a second, the last time she'd looked he had been over at Weiss – not near her sister and Blake at all.

"I'm covered in sap," he sighed, "but other than needing a shower, I'm fine."

"Forget the sap," Weiss shouted, "what about the shards!?"

"Winchester," Pyrrha frowned, even as Ruby held back a growl. There was no doubt in her partner's voice and none in Ruby's mind either. That idiot had been picking on Jaune since Beacon started. Who else would do something like this?

"Wait," Blake's eyes narrowed, looking towards where the sap had come from. "I… hear something."

Ruby followed the girl's gaze, though she couldn't hear anything at all. What was she talking about? A second later something became audible, though it was nothing more than a low hum, almost like a scroll buzzing or something.

"Oh for crying out loud," Jaune whispered – something that Ruby only just caught. She was about to ask what he meant, before Ren cried out a warning and her jaw dropped. Insects, bees – or wasps – over two hundred of them, and they had to be more than two inches long, came bursting from the bushes. Pyrrha yelped and dove out of the way, but they didn't even look at her.

Instead they zeroed in on the only person covered in-

"Jaune!" Ruby cried, and the others' voices joined hers as the he was attacked. They flew over him in a swarm, buzzing around his head and shoulders as they dove in. If he cried out, she didn't hear it – not as she sprinted over to him as he threw himself to the ground. He rolled frantically left and right, crushing insects beneath his weight – but there were just so many.

Ruby hesitated on the side-lines, arms outstretched. She wanted to help but what could she do? There were so many of them, Crescent Rose would be useless – shooting it even worse, she might hit him. In a panic she grabbed her jar and swung it left and right, trying to knock some out of the air but making a measly dent in the swarm.

"Argh, get off!" Yang growled, falling to her knees beside Ruby to do the same. She swung her fists left and right, catching and crushing wasps wherever she could.

"Out of the way!" Something gripped Ruby by the hood and pulled her back, even as she saw Blake do the same with Yang. Weiss stepped up, her weapon held vertically before her eyes. "Jaune – close your eyes!" She shouted, before whipping the metal down.

 _This looks familiar,_ Ruby thought as lightning and ice crashed, along with the popping of fire. Not quite as explosive as her and Weiss' first meeting – but definitely similar. As it came to an end, Ruby winced as she looked at her friend, buried beneath a carpet of crispy insect carcasses. They shifted and fell as he sat up, wiping more from his face with a disgusted expression.

"Jaune," the heiress snapped, "are you okay?"

"Less okay then I was when Yang asked," Ruby winced as she heard the nasally tone of his voice. Even through the dirt and grime she could see small, red welts on his skin. They'd acted fast – but the wasps had been faster. "Also, ow…"

"Did anyone bring any first aid?" The white-haired girl looked to them, only for Ruby to look desperately at her teammates.

"Only bandages," Ren sighed. "But I did see a stream nearby… it might help to wash them."

"Rarghh!" Yang's hair burst into flames as her eyes flashed red. "Is no one going to address the real problem here?" She snarled. "Rapier wasps don't exist out here – neither do wild, flying bottles of sap. That… that _fucking_ Winchester." Ruby winced. As if the flames weren't indication enough… Yang only swore when she was truly furious.

"Ruby and I heard them," Pyrrha said, drawing the ire onto her. "But we didn't think they would do that… it was definitely Team CRDL. We should tell Miss Goodwitch." Yeah, not that Ruby thought Yang was going to be satisfied with th-

"No!" Yang instantly proved her right. "The teachers know Jaune is being targeted, not that they've done anything about it. If he won't get the hint on his own then it's about time someone _beat_ it into him." Her grin turned deadly. "I volunteer."

"Yang – you can't jus- ah!" Blake staggered as Yang broke out of her hold and rushed off into the treeline. Oh heck, there went her sister… that didn't bode well.

"Go after her!" Weiss shouted as she helped her partner to his feet and turned towards the nearby river, "I'll look after Jaune, just make sure we don't all end up expelled or something!"

Technically none of Team RRNN were part of JBWY, nor did they have to follow any of their orders. Not that the technicality prevented all four of them sprinting off after Yang, with Blake running alongside. _Oh gods Yang please don't kill them – just murderise them a little._ It wasn't hard to track the angry girl. She left a trail of destruction in her wake, though thankfully no forest fires. If the fire generated by her semblance were capable of that then their wooden home in Patch wouldn't have lasted very long.

"You think this is funny!?" Ruby heard Yang shout from ahead, the noise followed by a meaty _thwack_ that Ruby recognised all too well. The five teens burst onto the scene right as Cardin slumped to the floor at the blonde's feet. The other three members of his team were scattered, laying on their backs or fronts in fear. "That's one swelling. Now I think my teammate had about a hundred – so this might take a while."

"Yang!" Blake shouted, rushing forward to grab the girl's arm. Ruby didn't hear what the usually quiet girl said, but after she whispered something into her sister's ear the flames started to die down. Blake stepped back with a sigh, releasing the blonde.

Ruby stood on the outskirts with her team, not really sure what they were supposed to do.

Yang stepped over Cardin's groaning body, snagging the guy with the weird hair up from the floor by his collar. He stammered and held his hands before him, ready for a punch.

"Look… Dove?"

"R-Russell."

"Whatever. You can call me sir. Your dear leader is out for the count, guess he isn't as tough as mine but we all saw that from the fight earlier, didn't we?"

"Y-Yes…" Yang's eyes narrowed. "S-Sir!"

"See the thing is," the blonde went on, "I'm starting to get really tired of your team trying to take out their inferiority on my team, let alone my team leader. He's lazy and perverted, but he's kind of my friend. You can see where I'm coming from, right?"

"Yes sir!"

"This," she pulled him close and then pointed down to Cardin, "has to stop – okay? No more picking on him, no more launching him into the Emerald Forest… and if I _ever_ see you do something that could actually hurt him like this again, then I swear there won't be anything left of any of you!"

Threats and intimidation… it left a nasty taste in Ruby's mouth, but she could see the need for it. Bad enough they'd risked his life by throwing him into the forest, but what if he'd been allergic to wasps? He could have died – he _would_ have died.

"We didn't throw it at him!" Russell wailed - arms held up as Yang pulled back for one final swing. The entire clearing seemed to pause, as the boy blubbered in fear. When the blow didn't land his eyes cracked open, though the sight he no doubt saw wasn't exactly comforting.

"Explain." One word. Ruby didn't think she needed more.

"It wasn't aimed at Arc. Cardin got the sap – and the wasps. But when we asked if it was for Arc he said no."

Ruby's eyes widened, quiet mutters breaking out between their team. But Cardin hated Jaune, why would he have told them not to? Ruby looked to Ren for an answer, only to find him doing the same with her.

"We didn't argue," Russell continued, "we just collected the sap since he said it would drive the wasps wild. It wasn't ever meant to hit Arc!"

"Who was it meant to hit?" Yang shook him. "Answer me!"

"You!"

He shouted the word, the sheer volume of it causing an echo. He dipped in Yang's grip as she lowered her arm, not that he probably noticed. Ruby's eyes widened. They… they wanted to set those wasps on her sister? Her tiny hands balled into fists.

"Cardin wanted to get back at you for how you kept stepping in for Arc, how you kept humiliating him. It was meant to hit you, not him…"

"Well nice aim fuck-face. I'm completely fine. I know Jaune's not exactly buff but he doesn't have my figure from behind – unless you're saying I have his?"

"It didn't miss," he said, "It was going right for you and it was about to hit. But he got in the way!"

What? Now that Ruby thought about it he _had_ been over by Yang, when he'd been stood by Weiss just a minute before. If they'd been aiming for him then surely Weiss would have been the first person to his rescue. The white-haired girl had been forced to run across the whole clearing, and she didn't have the benefit of a semblance like Ruby's.

"He just…" the guy waved one arm, "suddenly wandered across the clearing… like he had to catch the last Bullhead or something. Even tried to knock it out the air but the glass smashed on his hand and covered his head. I swear that's what happened!"

Ruby felt she could have cut the silence with Crescent Rose. The only thing they could hear was the occasional chirrup of some insect, and the ever-present tinkling of the falling leaves.

"He…" Yang blinked and looked aside. Ruby realised it was back to where Weiss and Jaune must have been. "He defended me?"

Silver eyes widened, even as a smile blossomed across Ruby's face. He did, didn't he? He'd defended her big sister – his teammate. She desperately sought Nora's eyes, only for the girl to meet her half-way. She looked like she was about to explode. Even Pyrrha looked considering, a small, secretive smile on her face – as though she'd opened her cereal that morning and found some pleasant surprise within.

"He defended me," Yang repeated – followed by a little laugh as her cheeks flushed. "Ha ha, I knew he liked us. I _knew_ it!"

"I'd reserve judgement on that," Blake sighed. Ruby noticed even she looked a little confused, however. Ren smiled across the clearing at Ruby, as though tipping some imaginary hat. Hell yeah – R'n'R was back in action!

"D-Does that mean I get to go?" Russell drew all attention back to him, Yang's euphoric grin vanishing in an instant.

"You wanted to throw _purple_ sap in _my_ hair?" She growled.

Ruby winced and scrunched her eyes shut. She heard a loud thump a second later, followed by a groan. Pyrrha sighed and tapped her shoulder, and when she opened her eyes it was to Yang dusting her empty hands, the unfortunate bully at her feet.

"Well," she grinned, "It's a good job I killed the Ursa that attacked Team Cardinal."

"Yang…" Ruby's face fell into her hands. Nora giggled.

"I _said_ ," Yang turned and placed one foot over a different guy's crotch, "It's a good job I killed the Ursa that attacked Team Cardinal!"

"It is!" Dove, she thought he was Dove anyway, shouted. "It knocked us around real good but you saved us!"

 _I should be disappointed in this… damn it Yang._

"Great," the boy fell back with a relieved sigh as Yang stepped off him. "Well, make sure to get all those definitely Ursa-induced injuries checked out. By the way," she leaned down to take four jars full of sap, "Oh, and if you don't want your sap so badly you're willing to throw it around then we'll help you out."

"Thank you, sir." Blake caught one of the filled jars, while Yang took the other two. Everyone on Team RRNN pointedly looked away. Hey, if they didn't _see_ it…

Yang was almost in too good of a mood as she skipped away from the team, the five of them left to follow behind while sharing confused looks. Ruby wondered if she should go talk to Blake, but the girl looked so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't dare.

They arrived back at their clearing just in time to see Jaune on the riverbank, Weiss lifting some water out in a canteen to pour it over his arm.

"Daddy!" Yang cried, dashing over to wrap her arms around his neck. Ruby still didn't fully understand that joke, but she did wince as her friend yelped at the pressure on his stings. "Thank you for protecting _meeee_!"

"Get off, get off, ow-ow-ow!"

"Xiao-Long," Weiss snapped, dragging the girl off and tossing her to the side. Yang didn't even seem to mind, giggling as she landed in a roll and easily tumbled back onto her feet. "What's gotten into you – oh my god you actually killed them, didn't you?"

"Nope!" Hey look, everyone was stealing her phrase today. "But guess what?" Yang nudged Jaune with one foot, even as he glared balefully up at her. "Turns out they weren't after Jaune at all. That bottle was meant for me! And guess who took it on my behalf."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Jaune rolled his eyes and stood up.

"Really?" Weiss stroked her chin. Ruby never could figure out her expressions – other than the angry ones. This one wasn't angry, however. It looked more like she was considering something, with maybe even a little smile hidden within it. "He _did_ up and leave in a hurry, for no good reason."

"I needed to take a leak," he shrugged. "I didn't expect to take a bottle to the side of the face – why would I even do that?"

 _Why would you need to go to the other side of the clearing to use the bathroom?_ Ruby wondered, unable to hide her smile. He scoffed and rolled his eyes, denying each and every thing Yang said with the kind of determination that had to be forced. If he didn't care, then what did it matter if her sister thought he saved her?

If he didn't care, then it would be easier just to accept her gratitude, even if it was mistakenly given.

"You're the bestest seventeen-year-old father a seventeen-year-old girl can ask for!" Yang cried, leaping onto him once more. This time he was prepared and ducked to the side, letting her sister fall on her ass while he crossed his arms.

"I can't be a very good father if I've raised my daughter to be so delusional."

Yang only laughed.

Ruby watched it all with a smile that could have rivalled the sun. He was arguing against it. Fighting the fact with every facet of his being, yet it was clear as day to Ruby. It didn't matter how much he claimed he didn't care.

Because he totally did.

* * *

Idiots, all of them. Jaune shook his head as they filed onto the Bullhead and strapped themselves in. They'd been insufferable ever since the sap incident. Damn Yang, damn Cardin – and damn himself. Would it really have killed him to let Yang take the sap?

He'd spotted the moronic foursome wandering around in the bushes. You couldn't be quiet in that much armour and they didn't even seem to try. It would have been pretty damn simple to dodge the sap since he knew it was coming – then he could play it off as luck and revel in the joy of having scuppered Cardin's plans one more time.

That was, until the absolute cretin had thrown it at Yang instead.

What had changed? Was it because he'd threatened Cardin earlier – or was it because it was Yang who had gone up to save Velvet? Had Cardin started to feel angry towards the girl who kept stepping in to protect Jaune?

As ever, understanding Cardin's mentality was an effort in insanity. He'd get better, in time, but he was still an ass now.

 _I still should have let it hit Yang._

The atmosphere after that... it had been so nice. Laughter and jokes, people asking if his arms hurt - Weiss being kinder, even Blake looking at him with something other than distrust. It was familiar and sweet, like things usually were.

Jaune suddenly felt more tired than before. As though exhausted by nothing other than sheer emotion. He wanted nothing more than to lean his head back and fall asleep.

Someone had already taken that route, it seemed, as a head fell to rest on his shoulder. The sheer _amount_ of hair told him exactly who it was, even if her totally unfeminine snoring didn't. In all the repeats he'd never been able to sleep with Yang… and with what he knew of the girl, he never would. Sex yes, sleep – hell no. She was like a foghorn mixed with an angle grinder, all strapped to Remnant's most abrasive donkey.

He could see Blake's eyes watering. Two sets of ears and Yang as a partner… he didn't envy her.

"Preparing for take-off," a metallic voice echoed through the transport bay. Automated and formal, it was the same whether you were on a commercial or military Bullhead, which was a little awkward. Blue eyes drifted to the side as Yang shifted, narrowing in on her waist.

Typical, she hadn't even buckled herself in, the idiot. With a put-upon sigh he reached over to strap her belt, making sure it was secure and tightened so that she wouldn't be flipped out of the seat and sent crashing to the hard metal.

Ruby's smile caught his eye on the way back. Her silver eyes watched him.

"What?" he asked. He hadn't missed the way she'd been staring at him all day… who could?

The girl's grin widened, eyes twinkling as she reached across the small distance before them to touch his hand.

"Your secret is safe with me," she whispered.

What was she on about? He shrugged and settled back, leaning his head on the cushioned backboard so that he could sleep. It would be tough, what with Yang growling away on his shoulder.

But he didn't want to wake her.

* * *

 **Awww, the feels. Jaune isn't able to fully hide his emotions, no matter how hard he tries. Some had their suspicions, noticeably Yang from how she knows he took a bullet for her before Beacon. But this adds more complications.**

 **I mean, you might be able to see some of the potential complications if you look into the team dynamics and what just happened here.**

 **On the note of aura and the wasps in general – because Professor Arc got a lot of comments like this in its last chapter over Pyrrha. Aura is a shield, yes, but I don't think it is impervious. In the show we see that Jaune bruises, and if aura could prevent insect stings – then why would Cardin's plan have ever been an issue in the first place?**

 **Pyrrha would have stood there and gone. "Oh no, not rapier wasps… argh… the pain. Yawn."**

 **We also see from chibis (though yes it isn't canon) that Rooster Teeth considers a broken leg due to tripping a possibility. I only mention this because I can guarantee you, _someone_ would comment on how this is impossible because aura would have protected him from harm.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 19th August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	13. Chapter 13

**Just to throw this out, there was a little confusion at the end of last chapter. I wrote this,**

"In all the repeats he'd never been able to sleep with Yang… and with what he knew of the girl, he never would. Sex yes, sleep – hell no."

 **Some people seemed to mistake that it meant Jaune _had_ been in sexual relationships with Yang in the past. If it were just one or two mentioning this, I would have PM'd this. But since it was 5 or 6, I thought I would quickly explain. What I mean there, is that he has NOT had sex with Yang, but he would if he could. He just knows that after the sex there would be no sleep, as Yang's snoring is so loud. It was Jaune making a joke.**

 **Hope you enjoy this chapter as we move into the next arc.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Chapter 13 – The cat's out of the bag**

* * *

Weiss rolled her eyes as she watched Yang skip happily down the corridor. There was something about the energy the blonde was showing that made even Weiss tired, let alone their team leader. "You are entirely too happy about this," Weiss sighed.

The blonde girl laughed, flicking hair back over one shoulder as she turned to face them, keeping pace even as she walked backwards.

"Why shouldn't I be?" Yang asked. "Theory classes are over for the day, now we're onto the good stuff."

Weiss hummed noncommittally, sharing a brief glance with Blake. The black-haired girl shrugged, before the heiress turned back to Yang. Normally the blonde wasn't so keen for combat class with Miss Goodwitch, but then she normally wasn't so eager for Port's lectures either, and she'd been a bundle of energy all morning.

Scratch that, Yang had been insufferable ever since Forever Fall two days ago. Weiss was starting to get a headache just looking at her.

"You do realise who you'll be fighting against, don't you?" Weiss asked, nodding her head towards their team leader just in case Yang _had_ forgotten in her good cheer. Jaune sighed but didn't pipe up. No doubt he was well aware of the nightmare that faced him in this spar.

"Yep!" Yang giggled loudly. Sometimes it was hard to see the relation between Ruby and her, but right now it was as clear as day. "Should be fun."

Fun was not the word Weiss would have used to describe facing off against their leader. In fact, she wasn't sure a single word could be used, unless it was _complicated_. On paper the fight should be trivial and a foregone conclusion. Yang was stronger, faster, fitter and more experienced. Easy fight, right?

Winchester had probably thought that too.

 _I wonder if Yang's mood will persist if he pulls out a taser on her, or some other outlandish weapon._ No, weapons were banned now, or rather weapons Miss Goodwitch had not sanctioned. There would be no forfeiting and there was no way Yang was going to get distracted by Jaune Arc pulling a fast one.

Weiss still didn't feel confident in leaving the arena without some kind of humiliation befalling their team.

"Don't fall for any of his tricks," Blake warned, snapping her book shut. "Keep your wits about you."

"I'm right here, you know." Jaune gave Blake a flat look. "Also, shouldn't a teammate be impartial in a situation like this? Where's my advice?"

"Use your head. Preferably on Yang's fist."

Yang snorted, while even Weiss struggled to conceal her little smile. Things certainly had changed since their little field trip, though the heiress still wasn't sure exactly where their team lay. Jaune had taken steps to protect Yang, which was a good thing – a great thing, even.

A complicated thing, however, and one that didn't really answer anything. Why had he helped Yang? Because he cared, because he had been in the right place at the right time, responsibility – a mere whim?

 _Because it was Yang?_

It didn't help that he refused to acknowledge it. Weiss had given up bringing the matter up, since his response was pretty much the same as remembering Blake's name. Complete denial. She could ask, Ruby had asked – Yang was _constantly_ asking – and yet Jaune would just raise his brow and play stupid, asking what they were even talking about.

Yang claimed he was just shy. Maybe she was right.

At this point Weiss was willing to accept any excuse. So long as their team started actually acting like one then she would cheer him on even if he had saved Yang just so he could have a virgin sacrifice for some evil ritual. As long as Team needs-a-new-name started to gain some respect among the student body, it was all okay with her. In fact, as loathe as she was to admit it... Weiss actually felt a little proud of him. Perhaps even more so because he didn't try to take advantage of it, or use it as an excuse to get out of work.

And speaking of…

"You _will_ actually fight properly against Yang, won't you?" Weiss asked, fixing a suspicious look on her partner. Why she was even asking, she had no idea. You took whatever Jaune said with at least an SDC freight container of salt… that was something she had come to realise early into their partnership.

"Miss Goodwitch said I would have to," Jaune replied.

Weiss didn't miss the fact he hadn't exactly said _yes_ in that statement. Her headache quickly evolved from mild pain to Jaune Arc. It was a new category, just below migraine. If he could read her mind, then its name was _definitely_ a coincidence.

"You're not going to do anything…" Yang winced, " _creepy_ to me, are you?"

"I… am not sure what you're implying."

"You wouldn't use some nefarious weapon against your sweet daughter, who you love beyond all others, would you?"

"Probably."

Yang blinked. "Probably you would, or you probably wouldn't?"

"Hmm," Jaune tapped his chin, "it's definitely one of those."

Weiss closed her eyes and counted to ten. Then, just for good measure, she counted to ten once more. What would Winter have done in this situation, she wondered. Her older sister would no doubt have taken Jaune aside, drilled obedience into him with stern discipline and sharp words. She would have set out just how important duty was, the chain of command, authority…

Somehow Weiss didn't see any of that actually working. What was worse, he would probably try and flirt with Winter too!

"Just do your best," Weiss sighed as they finally arrived at the combat hall. "Both of you."

Some of the other teams burst out in muffled conversation as they passed, eyes following the near infamous team as they walked by. Weiss kept her eyes firmly ahead, their destination set as she saw that irritating – but compared to Jaune, wonderful – child waving her arm at them. Any port in a storm was a welcome one, and for all how Ruby Rose's constant peppiness grated on Weiss' nerves, she was at least a friendly face.

"Last lesson of the day," Pyrrha smiled at them all, as Ruby rushed up to natter into Jaune's ear. That was another thing which had changed, or two things rather. Ruby now seemed closer than ever to Weiss' partner, not exactly a bad thing. But Pyrrha also seemed in a better mood, more willing to give him a chance. He still didn't talk with the champion, in fact it almost felt like he avoided her for some reason. But even so, just having that peace made it easier for Weiss to talk to Pyrrha. "You look haggard."

"Can you blame me?" Weiss sighed.

"I'm sure it will be fine."

Weiss raised one brow.

"Well I mean, I'm sure it won't be _that_ bad."

The other brow rose to meet it.

"I'm trying to make you feel better," Pyrrha sighed.

"I appreciate the thought," Weiss patted the girl's arm. "But we both know this is going to be catastrophic."

"It might not be," a masculine voice interrupted, drawing Weiss' attention to Lie Ren. He hadn't looked like much to Weiss at first, but the boy's quiet and polite nature was actually quite easy to get used to. A shame he came with his polar opposite, or Weiss would have enjoyed having him on her team. "If it's against Yang, then he might take this seriously."

Ugh, not that crazed theory the underage dolt had spread. Ren seemed to notice Weiss' expression, for he smiled apologetically and didn't say anything more. It was completely silly, though she couldn't help but admit it made some small amount of sense… very small, but it was there.

Jaune had stepped in to protect Yang. He kept asking Yang to be the one to help him against Cardin, and it had been the blonde girl to show the most visceral response to Jaune being targeted. Not to mention the way Yang defended him long before anyone else had, and if Ruby was to be believed, how awkward Yang had been around him in initiation.

Blake had been as sceptical as Weiss, but neither of them had quite been able to deny it. Sure, it didn't fit with the way most people would have gone about it, but this _was_ Jaune Arc they were talking about. He took normal and threw it out of the window. Or he would have, if he had the energy. It was more like he took normal and limply let it fell off the bed.

But still... if _this_ was how Jaune Arc showed his romantic interest in Yang Xiao-Long, then he needed some serious help. Help that Ruby could provide if she was so determined, there was no way Weiss was playing matchmaker. She was already a glorified babysitter, she did _not_ need this as well.

Besides it was nonsense. The way they acted didn't make sense for two teens developing feelings for one another.

 _Unless they had history before Beacon,_ Weiss thought to herself. It would make sense and Ruby had said she didn't know every little thing about what Yang did in her free time. Yang definitely knew Arc before initiation started, so there was something. It was just figuring out what that something was.

Oh damn it, and now she'd been dragged into the conspiracy too. She didn't even care, really, other than how it might impact their team. _But if they were in relationship before, then Yang's daddy-daughter routine takes on a bit of a creepy edge. Not to mention this Coral Arc business._

No, no… this was all a minefield Weiss had no interest in stepping into. Winter had never warned her about this kind of stuff when _she_ had been team leader. Then again, if she had, then Weiss would have cried out in joy when Jaune was elected instead of her.

"Let's just watch what happens," Weiss sighed, sitting down beside Pyrrha, even as Blake sat on her other side. Yang and Jaune had already gone to get changed, along with the others who were expected to fight today. Miss Goodwitch's stern gaze skimmed over them all, no doubt looking for any absences. Weiss didn't think a single person would have dared.

"Five lien says something goes wrong," Ruby whispered past Pyrrha.

"No one is going to bet against that," Nora giggled.

 _Winter must never meet my team,_ Weiss sighed. _If she even gets wind of this then I'll be dragged back to Atlas quicker then father can make the Board of Directors cry._

The first match went without complication, not that anyone expected any. Russell from Team Cardinal faced off against some girl Weiss had never met, a close match in which he barely edged out a victory due to his aura being a little larger.

For all their animosity towards one another, Weiss didn't think he fought too badly. He was quick and strategic, just not as fast or strong as he could be. From what she could see he had talent, but had taken no steps to hone it with hard training. Her sister hated that sort of person, someone who could become something more but refused to put the effort and hard work in.

Winter would despise Weiss' partner.

The heiress clapped along with the rest of the class as the battle ended, Miss Goodwitch offering her critique and instruction on how to improve. It was only a fool who didn't listen to the woman. She never repeated herself, trusting that each and every student knew full well how her wisdom might save their lives. It was such experience that made Beacon one of the most successful and exalted schools in all of Remnant.

Which was exactly why Weiss' expression twisted so much when it was their turn.

"Miss Xiao-Long, Mr Arc," the woman called, and true to form Weiss' two teammates stepped up onto the stage. The two blondes walked towards the middle, before backing away from one another slowly, so that they faced off across the middle of the combat area. "Mr Arc," Miss Goodwitch went on. "I trust you remember the rules of this engagement?"

"Sure."

There were a few laughs in the crowd. Weiss' teeth ground together at that.

"Recite them for me."

"I cannot forfeit unless my aura enters the yellow," Jaune recited, "Nor can I invite my opponent to forfeit. There are no time-outs, nor will the match be interrupted by anyone other than yourself. Neither of us can use any weapons not previously authorised by yourself."

"Very good Mr Arc," the teacher nodded. Jaune didn't even seem bothered by having to recite the rules, though Weiss certainly noticed the way Winchester frowned. "Are you both ready?"

Yang nodded and fell into a stance, lightly bobbing on her feet with both arms held up before her face. By comparison Jaune didn't even draw his sword. That wasn't anything special, however. Weiss didn't think he had drawn his blade at the start of any fight so far.

Then again, he hadn't been forced to properly fight yet. Yang would put a stop to that right here, for better or worse.

"Begin!" the teacher shouted, dropping one arm and stepping away. Every single person watched with bated breath, though neither combatant made a move at first. Yang seemed content to watch and wait, unwilling to be lured into some trick or trap. Blake hummed appreciatively of that, no doubt pleased to see her advice was being heeded. Weiss wasn't sure who she was supposed to support, so instead stayed quiet.

Her partner didn't look like he was going to attack. And knowing him, forfeit by virtue of the battle taking too long would be something he would not shy away from. If this was going to happen then it would be Yang who needed to make the first move.

The girl seemed to realise that, frowning for a moment before edging closer, eyes wide and alert. If anything Weiss thought she looked _too_ alert. Like she fully expected Jaune to be capable of flying into action at a moment's notice.

He shifted, Yang freezing as their leader lowered himself down just a little, as though preparing to charge. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife, but as he refused to move even still, Yang finally lost patience. With a quick growl and a strong push off, she dashed forwards.

Jaune dodged.

That wasn't unusual. Only an idiot wouldn't seek to get out of the way when Yang attacked. Nor was it unusual for Yang to give chase, unwilling to give up the momentum as she sought to run her foe down. What was unusual, however, was the way Weiss suddenly found herself in their path, as Jaune vaulted over her head and Yang bore down on her.

Weiss' life flashed before her eyes. To her horror, it looked like a cheap SDC television advert, right before something grabbed her by the arm and dragged her aside. The bench she had been sat on was reduced to sawdust, even as other students screamed and scrambled for safety.

"Y-You saved me," Weiss gasped in thanks, looking up towards Ruby, who had pulled her aside at the last moment.

"Get back here!" Yang's scream cut into Weiss' attention as one blonde chased another. Jaune flipped back over a bench, kicking it up with one leg so that the end would have knocked the wind out of Yang had she run into it. She knocked it aside with the back of her hand, before spluttering as a plastic chair slapped into her face, launched by his other foot. She wrenched it aside with a growl, but he was already running once more, arms pumping furiously.

Weiss was surprised he could run that fast, though she supposed he had some serious motivation. He leapt atop a table, Yang's hands slamming down on it as she prepared to climb up onto it. Blake hissed in sympathy as their leader jumped with both feet on the opposite corner, propelling the table edge by Yang up and into the bottom of her chin. She staggered back, only just dodging as Jaune leapt down and landed sitting down on a chair, using both feet to kick the table at her.

"Stop!" Someone shouted, though Weiss couldn't tell who. The crowds were cheering now, shouting abuse or support – she couldn't tell. Yang howled her fury, chasing after Jaune as he fled to the other side of the room, students scrambling out of the way. He reached the metal lockers just as Yang reached him. But they weren't rocket ones, so Weiss wasn't sure what he was doing. They were just regular lockers, for storing school bags in.

"Ow," Nora winced loudly, as Yang fell back, dazed. Her aura had defended her well enough, but having a metal locker door slammed open into her face had to sting. To her credit she quickly leapt back onto her feet, but Jaune had ducked back, opening another locker door to block Yang's punch. It was dented badly, but he kicked open one further down, slapping the metal into Yang's knee. She flinched but kicked it shut, even as Jaune stepped back and used another.

It carried on like that across the whole length of the unit. Yang would take one step forward, block a locker door, duck another – only for Jaune to give ground and keep wrenching them open. Eventually he reached the end of the locker, literal steam rising off Yang's body.

Which was when she choked on a backpack.

"Hey!" Someone yelled indignantly. Yang caught the second and threw it aside, but took a face full of a third, the fabric moulding around her face. One in each arm, Jaune used other people's bags like bolas, launching one after another. Yang started to pluck them out of the air, catching and throwing them aside as fast as he could launch them, each time taking one inexorable step closer, and then another. The gap was closing.

Reduced to his last schoolbag, Jaune went on the offensive. He swung it like a club, though using the chord handle to do so. Yang caught it with ease, wrenching it aside and throwing a punch towards him.

She hit air.

Weiss groaned as she saw him crawling between her legs, having fell to the floor the moment the swinging bag had obscured her vision. Yang tried to turn, only to cry out and stumble as her legs became tangled in him.

She didn't hit the floor. Neither of them did. Instead, they floated into the air, every person going deathly silent as the personification of misfortune stomped forward.

"Never in my entire career," Glynda Goodwitch _hissed_ , "have I seen two people decry what it means to be Hunters so much!" Weiss winced… she wasn't the only one. Yang seemed to wilt as the battle frenzy faded from her eyes. The expression that took over was equal parts contrition and fear, and for good reason. "You irresponsible, foolish… _children_! What do you have to say for yourselves?"

"I sought to even the battlefie-" Jaune began.

"Enough, Mr Arc." Miss Goodwitch closed her eyes. "I believe I have had more than enough of you for today… for my entire life. You will be going straight to the Headmaster after this lesson. I will escort you there myself."

Oh gods, this was worse than Weiss could have ever imagined.

"And you, Miss Xiao-Long? Would you care to explain just what you were thinking?"

"I-I…" Yang stammered, face red. "I'm sorry… I didn't think-"

"You did not!" the teacher agreed. "Had this been real combat your actions might have meant the death of those in the area. What if the students here had been nothing more than untrained civilians? You do _not_ take a battle into an area filled with unarmed people. In that case it would be _far_ more preferable to let a human opponent escape." She shook the blonde girl, and Weiss couldn't help but notice the horrified look on Yang's face. "Our first duty is to protect! Not to satisfy our lust for battle at the cost of those around us!"

Yang didn't say anything. She looked crushed, filled with guilt. Her good mood was ruined, that was for sure. Some of the other students whispered among themselves, but Teams Jazzberry and Rubine suffered along with their friend, waiting in stilted silence.

"This lesson is over," the teacher shook her head. "I believe you have learned yours, Miss Xiao-Long. Do _not_ make this mistake again." Yang was let go, and the girl scurried over to Weiss and Blake. Blake touched her partner's arm, but it was clear she didn't know what to say. Weiss didn't either.

Ruby rushed up to hug her, and although Yang didn't return it, it seemed to calm her shaking just a little.

"You are coming with me," Miss Goodwitch scowled, levitating Jaune behind her as she stormed from the room. The blond waved at Weiss as the door slammed shut.

Not a single student dared leave, just on the off chance she might come back.

"So…" Pyrrha tried. Six faces turned to look at her, but she trailed off uselessly, quailing under their expressions. Her arm fell, the girl glancing away with a cough.

 _Yeah_ , Weiss thought, _exactly how I feel…_

* * *

Well that was interesting, Jaune couldn't help but feel. It wasn't every day one got to travel by the Glynda express. Sometimes he had half-wondered if she could use that in the bedroom, and what it might feel like. This lifetime certainly wouldn't be his chance to find out, if the way she had glared as she left him with the Headmaster was any indication.

She could have frozen the Grimm Dragon solid with that look. But then that would put Ruby out of a job, wouldn't it?

"Mr Arc," the headmaster greeted, gently lifting a mug of coffee to his lips and taking a short sip. A stalling tactic, used to create tension or fear. To mask the man's silence in an action that could excuse him. It was meant to make Jaune sweat.

It made him thirsty, but that was about it.

"Ozpin." Jaune nodded back pleasantly.

The older man sighed. It looked like he had been working on something when Glynda had stormed through the door. Though with the cameras Jaune knew he kept around the Academy, the idea that he had not known they were approaching was definitely nonsense. Another move to make Jaune feel guilty, that he had intruded on work?

"You have been making life awfully difficult for Miss Goodwitch," Ozpin said, beginning the lecture.

"Nice office you have." Jaune said.

"A few individual cases might be overlooked," the man went on, "but you seem to have made it something of a persistent mission to get on her nerves."

Jaune ran a finger along the mahogany desk, "I really like this desk."

"Mr Arc…"

"I wonder if you've ever bent a student over it."

"Do you understand the situation you are in, Mr Arc?"

Jaune looked at Ozpin.

"I hope that's not a proposition headmaster," Jaune said. "I don't swing that way."

"Your performance in class is middling at best." Any other man might have reacted in anger. Ozpin simply raised one eyebrow but ignored Jaune's words. "You score persistently low in tests and assignments, though your homework is of a higher quality. I take it your team helps you with that."

"Odd, isn't it?" Jaune asked. "How I might perform poorly in something I have never in this life studied."

Ozpin sighed, "We might overlook that, if your combat skills were better, but it seems that you have made something of a mockery of those in Miss Goodwitch's lessons. Unauthorised weapons, abstract ways of avoiding fighting at all…"

"You'd almost think I didn't know better," Jaune kept his voice even. "Forgive me for doing what I have to in order to even have a _chance_ against people who have been training for this for over seven years. I don't exactly have the advantages they do. Some people here have had semblances for longer than I've even _known_ about aura."

The headmaster leaned back with a sigh. Jaune wondered how he would find his way out of that one. He wasn't from Signal, Sanctum or whatever other prep schools there were. _I'm not ready,_ Jaune tried to force the message into the man's mind, _get the hint already_.

"And yet we both know that isn't strictly true, don't we?" The headmaster gently tapped an interface on his desk. It took a monumental amount of effort for Jaune to keep his face calm as a scene appeared.

It was a familiar one.

It ought to be, considering that it had happened only a week or so ago, when Jaune had been forced to defend himself after that idiot Cardin had launched him into the forest. The recording showed him decimate Grimm with ease, Crocea Mors rising and falling like silver streaks of lightning. Ozpin froze the scene. It had to be a coincidence, but the look on the man's face said it was just incredible timing. The image had stopped on Jaune smiling.

Bloody Cardin Winchester...

"Any man can fight for his life," Jaune shrugged, trying to remain as calm as he could. "I killed a Beowolf before I even had aura. Desperation can make you do things. That doesn't make me skilled. Just lucky."

"An interesting amount of luck you have then, Mr Arc. You must be a very lucky man."

 _I'm the unluckiest you've ever met._

"I've also heard that your relations among Team Jazzberry are… less than ideal."

"They all want to be Hunters." Jaune left it unsaid that he did not. Ozpin got the message.

"If you but give them the chance, you might find that there is more to those young ladies than you realise. Teams form bonds that can last decades, they become family."

"I already have a family," Jaune interrupted. "Besides, it's not like I've refused to interact with my teammates. We just have different views on things. I guess that's the difference between a Hunter and a civilian. They're nice girls."

Maybe he was being too obvious, constantly referring to that difference. Ozpin surely caught onto it, but there was little the man could do. For all intents and purposes Jaune _was_ a civilian. No amount of creative wordplay could change that.

"The first semester is coming to a close in a little over a week," the headmaster said. "There will be a short holiday, only a week, but lessons will resume after that."

"I'm looking forward to visiting my family."

"You will not be able to." The silver-haired man nodded down to Jaune's legs, making the younger man scowl.

"Then I'll look forward to them coming to Vale to visit me. Unless that is to be denied to me as well?"

"I do not wish for you to see me as your enemy Mr Arc," the man sighed and stood up, turning and walking away. Ozpin stood against the window, looking outside. Jaune remained seated. "I can understand why you are frustrated with me, but it is not my desire to rob you of what happiness you might have. What I did, I did to ensure Miss Xiao-Long could attend this academy."

The best lie was one with truth mixed into it. Jaune knew that, even as he knew the headmaster was a master of it. Jaune didn't doubt that his presence here had been to protect Yang, he knew that. But that didn't mean Ozpin didn't also want him as well. In any other repeat it wouldn't have been a problem.

It was this time.

"My Deputy has repeatedly told me that she believes you are not ready for the responsibilities of being a Hunter."

Good old Glynda, you could always trust her.

"I could have shown her this video," the headmaster continued, "and it would surely have changed her mind. Your theory work can be improved and some leniency is to be expected there, considering your lack of an education."

Jaune didn't take the bait. Ozpin wanted him to ask why, to ask why the older man had not shared that video. A clock ticked loudly across the room, before the man sighed and pushed on.

"I did not, however, show her. With the potential you have, you could do such good in the world, Mr Arc. You could protect people, save them, lead them. But I will _not_ gamble the lives of innocent people by _forcing_ someone to be a person they have no wish to be. I would very much like it if you would give this life a chance, embrace the opportunity before you of your own volition."

"I have," Jaune lied, and he knew the man saw it. Jaune could see it in the subtle was his shoulders dropped, even if no one else would have. "I'm not cut out to be a Hunter, I think that's clear."

"Perhaps it is." The Headmaster turned back around. He looked older than he ever had, and Jaune felt a small sense of guilt. He didn't hate Ozpin, for all the things he had done. Yes he had been tortured once or twice on this man's approval, but Jaune had been killed so many times by others. Ozpin was an ally. Never a friend, but someone Jaune had always tried to work with, one way or another. He was someone Jaune respected, as crazy as that sounded.

 _I'll save everyone next time,_ Jaune promised. _But I can't this time. I need more time._

"I am going to ask you to continue studying here until the end of this semester," the man finally said, eyes meeting Jaune's. "During this time I would encourage you to interact with your team, to give this life a try – even if it is for such a short time. If nothing changes…" he sighed, "then you need not return after the holiday."

That was it. Jaune didn't know what to think. His heart fell, but at the same time his mind sang with victory. Yes, he would be abandoning his teammates to their death, but they were all going to die anyway. It didn't matter if he was here or not, but this way would let him live for longer, get a fantastic reset and save them all.

"Will I be going to a prison cell?" Jaune asked, remembering their original deal.

"You will not. Contrary to what you might believe, to what it might even look like. I do not wish to see such a young man incarcerated. Despite how he acts, Nicholas was one of my favourite students."

"A good teacher wouldn't have favourites," Jaune said.

"No," Ozpin sighed and turned away once more. "A good teacher wouldn't."

Jaune waited for the man to say more, but as seconds turned into a minute, he realised there really was little else to say. Jaune had won; for all that it didn't bring him any joy. It was just something that had to be done, nothing more.

"Are we done here?" Jaune asked.

"If there is no improvement by the end of this semester then we are, yes. But Mr Arc… should you decide that you have changed your mind." Jaune could have rejected that would ever happen, but instead he let Ozpin continue. "Should you find it within yourself to embrace your team and this life, then I have asked Glynda to keep an open mind. Even the smallest improvement, just a _sign_ that you could be a person that others could rely on to protect them. It would be enough to assure your place here with us."

An olive branch, though one Jaune had no desire to grasp. That didn't mean he would be so rude as to reject it out of hand. Ozpin was simply doing what he thought was best. Jaune could respect that.

"I'll keep that in mind headmaster. Is there anything else you wished to speak of?"

"I suppose there is not. You are quite the difficult person to talk to, Mr Arc, and I do not mean that in a negative way. You know your way around words."

"I learned from the best," Jaune pushed his chair back and stood, making his way over to the elevator. The headmaster hadn't even turned to regard him, still looking out over Beacon.

"I would have liked to meet the man who taught you," the old man sighed, as the elevator doors slid shut. _You already have,_ Jaune slumped back against the wall. Ozpin met him every time he looked in the mirror.

…

Jaune sighed.

He had done it. There was this weekend, the next week and then just the weekend after. That was nine days, or just five school days in which he had to keep a low profile and not do anything that might inspire the teachers. If he just continued as he had been until now then he would be free of Beacon, free of Cinder and her conspiracy, before it could even begin.

He had to tell his family the good news, though that could come later. _Best make sure that is private. If my team found out then they might try to help me avoid this._ That thought brought a small smile to his face, even though it went against everything he wanted. They wouldn't understand… couldn't understand. He would have to explain his curse and what it did, as he had tried so many times before. It just didn't work. Passwords, hidden knowledge, things only they would know… nobody accepted such an outlandishly stupid claim. Not in a world where semblances existed that might explain them away.

It didn't matter… so long as nothing happened he would be free of Beacon and finally able to work on what was really important. The elevator dinged, Jaune stepping out with a light smile.

It faded a second later.

"Still with us?" an unfriendly voice taunted. Jaune sighed as he turned to see Cardin Winchester leaning against a nearby wall. It was obvious he'd been waiting for Jaune to come out of the office, though for once he was without his team. "How much trouble did you get in this time? I figured you'd be expelled… pity you weren't."

Jaune rolled his eyes. He was in too good a mood to deal with this idiot.

"Didn't Yang tell you not to bother me anymore?" Jaune asked. "Do I really need to go and have her wipe the floor with you _again_?"

"You would," the teen snorted. He was still in his uniform, but the way Cardin puffed his chest out, he looked just as bulky as when he wore his armour. "Only a coward hides behind girls Arc. Why don't you face me once and for all?"

" _And yet we both know that isn't strictly true, don't we?"_ Ozpin's words hit Jaune like a freight train, blue eyes snapping to Cardin's grinning face. The video; that blasted video that had nearly ruined Jaune more than anything else might have. If Cardin hadn't caused that, then Jaune might have already been out of Beacon.

If Cardin tried something like that again… if Jaune was forced to defend himself and showed off more of his skills?

"Where you going?" Cardin taunted as Jaune stomped past, walking into an empty classroom next to where the taller boy stood. Cardin followed, of course he did. The idiot couldn't do anything but take advantage of a perceived weakness. Jaune preyed on that. The door slammed shut behind Cardin, the brute laughing as he strode forward and grabbed Jaune by the shoulder. Jaune's eyes flickered about the room. Unused, there were no cameras. Ozpin likely felt he didn't need any… not this close to his office.

Cardin could not be allowed to ruin things.

"Stopped running?" the fool laughed.

Words were for the weak.

Jaune spun and slapped the hand away, noticing how Cardin's eyes widened momentarily before Jaune delivered a punishing blow up and under the boy's rib cage. Air exploded from his lungs, spittle flying from his lips as he bent forward. Jaune didn't stop there. Grabbing Cardin by the neck he stepped past and took the other person with him, throwing him to the floor.

Cardin struck the tiles hard, gasping for breath as he tried to push himself up with two hands. Jaune kicked one of them away, watching the brute collapse once more.

The smaller teen stepped slowly around him. A boy… that was what Cardin was. A child playing at being a man, someone who still thought the world worked on some stupid schoolyard system. That the big and the strong were somehow filled with power, while the smaller people knew their place. Somebody else would have taken him to task in time, but if until then he was going to continue causing trouble, then Jaune would do it himself.

"You bas-" Jaune cut the boy's words off by pressing a foot into the back of his head, grinding his lips down into marble. Humiliation wouldn't do. Yang had embarrassed the idiot time and time again, and yet he still continued. Pain would be the only solution to Winchester's little attitude problem.

With a sigh, Jaune leaned down and took a fistful of the other man's coarse hair, dragging him up by it and slamming him down onto a nearby desk. Cardin threw a hand backwards, trying to strike his attacker, but Jaune caught it with ease, bending it behind his back in a way that threatened to tear the joint from its socket.

Cardin Winchester went still, his heavy breath all that could be heard in the room. Jaune's was quiet and controlled. This was no great task for him.

"I've had enough of this," Jaune said, voice even and soft, whispered into Cardin's ear. "You are going to stay away from me for now on."

"Why, yo-" Jaune wrenched the head back and slammed it back down, snapping off the words as Cardin groaned in pain.

"Wrong answer. Try again."

"I'll kill you," Cardin spat.

"You would never be able to," Jaune sighed and lifted him up, Cardin tried to throw another punch but flinched as Jaune caught it in one hand. With a twist and a pull, he wrapped the arm over Cardin's throat, pushing down on it so that the boy was cutting off his own air supply. His skin started to turn blue. "I, on the other hand, could kill you very easily right now."

Jaune made sure to look directly into Cardin's eyes as he said that, showing the other teen the depths of his empty, cold orbs. What the other boy saw there, Jaune didn't know. But it must have terrified him, for his eyes widened and he froze in place, giving up entirely. The rebellion in Cardin's eyes was gone, replaced with something else entirely, but Jaune kept the pressure on for a few seconds longer, regardless. Enough to make the teen's eyes start to roll up, enough that his struggles slowly weakened.

Cardin gasped and fell to his knees as Jaune released him. He did not rise. Nor did he make any motion that could have been seen as aggressive.

"Remember this," Jaune said. "Remember that today, right now, I could have ended your life. Remember that the next time you push me, I might not feel so forgiving."

Cardin wheezed for breath but kept his eyes fixed on the floor.

"Do you understand me, Cardin?"

He nodded frantically. At any other time, it might have been enough, but right now Jaune needed more. With one hand he reached down to grip the top of Cardin's hair. The boy flinched and closed his eyes, but he still made no move to stop Jaune. He'd given up.

Good.

"Stay away from me." Jaune said. "Don't get in my way and we won't need to have a repeat of this, got it?"

"Y-Yes… I understand…"

Jaune nodded, pushing the head aside roughly, enough that Cardin nearly fell over once more. It was a little more direct than he was used to, but necessary. If Cardin put him in another spot where Ozpin could get that kind of evidence… Jaune would make what happened here look like child's play.

"Hm?" Something caught Jaune's eye, a blur of movement that had him looking over towards the classroom door. It was still shut; he would have heard anyone enter. _I'm getting paranoid,_ he realised, _but best to move on before someone stumbles across us._ He spared one final glance for Cardin as he backed out of the room. Broken, afraid and shaking. It wasn't the way he wanted to leave someone who had become a friend more than a few times. This was for the best, however, for Cardin as much as anyone else.

It wasn't just his team's lives who relied on him going back and fixing things. Jaune would have to make it up to the guy in the next life.

For now, as he pushed open the door and strolled outside, he had to tell his family the good news.

* * *

Yellow eyes watched as Jaune walked down the corridor, hands in his pockets and whistling a light tune. It was light and happy, at odds with the scene that remained in the classroom. Blake Belladonna shook like a leaf, pressed into an alcove just out of sight. Her teeth pressed together, but it felt like she could feel those rattling as well.

She had been a fool.

All this time something about her teammate had put her off. Some niggling doubt in the back of her mind that had made her feel on edge. At the time she'd attributed it to the fear that he might reveal her secret, either through malice or by accident. She'd been afraid of what that might mean for her – or so she'd thought.

Now she knew better. After seeing what she had just seen, peeking in through the window on the door… she knew what she had truly been afraid of.

" _I, on the other hand, could kill you very easily right now."_ Blake had watched him lean down on Winchester's throat, she had seen the action, but also the expression on Jaune Arc's face. He hadn't looked angry, he hadn't looked upset, malicious or even like he enjoyed what he was doing.

He looked bored. No, that wasn't the right word… he had looked unaffected. As though threatening the life of another was no great deal, nothing to be concerned over. Winchester had folded upon meeting those eyes, and Blake could not blame him.

They made her shake even now, when she knew he was far away.

So much for her plan to confront him over what trouble he'd gotten Yang into. She had meant to talk to him, explain why Yang was upset and ask him to apologise… but now? Blake wasn't sure if she dared face him, let alone demand an apology.

Blake ran a hand down her face, breathing between her fingers in an attempt to calm her frayed nerves. She wasn't as successful as she might have hoped, but it was enough for her shoulders to relax a little.

The laziness, the indolence, the complete disregard for what others said – his apathy too. In a strange way, it made a little more sense now. Once upon a time Blake had wondered just why he indulged Weiss' constant pushing. He complained about it, but never snapped or got angry. What's more, if he had been cowed by Weiss then he would have done what she wanted.

Instead he resisted at every turn, needling the proud girl but otherwise never making her stop. Was that because he found her efforts amusing? Did he never look intimidated because he knew Weiss could never be a threat to him? No, that didn't make sense… his performance in spars was paltry still, even if he did have an instinctive grasp on things. His fitness too… he _was_ less fit than they were.

Did he see this all as a game? Was that why he attended Beacon, why he refused to take part in training but otherwise continued to have a presence at the prestigious school?

Jaune had put up with Winchester's bullying for weeks now. He had been locked into a rocket locker and stranded among the Grimm. He had been covered in sap and attacked by wasps, which no doubt left him with agonised stings for days. All of that, and he had not even showed his displeasure even once.

Yet now, with little more than a few muttered words, Jaune Arc had snapped. Had it been the result of frustration building up? Blake didn't think so… it should have – would have – taken more to eventually make him break, other than Winchester making a vague snipe at Jaune being punished. No… from what Blake could see, Jaune had finally decided to stop Cardin on nothing more than a whim, because at that moment, the blonde had finally become bored with the bullying. What else could it be? Clearly he didn't consider Cardin an actual threat to his safety. From what she had just seen he could have ended it at any time.

Would he turn on Weiss as well, on nothing more than a whim? Would he save Yang next time, or had he only done so at Forever Fall because he felt like it? Would he reveal Blake's secret, when he finally became bored of his games over her name?

Blake's last life had been destroyed by someone she had once thought she could trust implicitly. Jaune wasn't even that. She didn't trust him at all, and worse, he had reason upon reason to dislike her - and perhaps he was already showing them. Or maybe he was waiting for the right moment.

Would this new life of hers end the same way as her old one had?

Blake kept her eyes to herself as she returned to their dorm. He was there, of course, but when Blake arrived it was to see him being told off by Weiss. He sat on the edge of his bed, pouting slightly as the diminutive girl went on about responsibility and how he shouldn't have gotten Yang in trouble. Blake's partner chipped in occasionally, still apparently a little out of it from that afternoon, but cheering up now that she had Weiss on her side.

Normally it would have made Blake smile, if only in amusement at how quickly Yang could flick from one emotion to another, or how ironic it was that Weiss Schnee of all people could fall into a team mother sort of role. Yang often teased about it, but in some ways Blake thought it looked less like Jaune and Weiss were the parents, and more how Weiss was a single mother to three adopted children.

But right now, after what she had just seen, Blake could not laugh. All she could do was watch his eyes from across the room, watch him as he made vague and silly excuses.

The words were there, as were the expressions. He would laugh and smirk, pout and frown, all overdone and dramatic, in a manner perfectly designed to make it clear he wasn't feeling _any_ remorse for what he had done, or Weiss' lecture. It was a typical scene for them, though one Blake hadn't paid as much attention to as she should have. Because now she made sure to watch his eyes as he talked back to the girl.

They never changed. Whether he smiled, laughed, frowned or spoke – no matter what he was doing and how the skin around them might crinkle or flex. His eyes remained the same, flat, even and lifeless. Blake wasn't sure how she could have missed it, but now that she had noticed she couldn't take her eyes off him.

Sleep did not come easy that night. And for once, it was not because of Yang's snoring.

* * *

Weiss was excited.

She knew she shouldn't be, such emotions weren't suitable for a Schnee. That was what her father used to say. Winter had taken her aside when she was younger and helped the impressionable girl understand things better. Such emotions weren't suitable for a Schnee to show publically… they made it look like they were immature or prone to rash decisions. A Schnee was no less human than anyone else, yet they could not afford to be seen as such.

Weiss had probably failed this morning, but Winter was not around and she couldn't help it. The Vytal Festival was coming to Vale.

"Isn't this incredible?" she asked, feeling Winter's stern look even over the thousands of miles between them. "Look at all the preparation that is being undertaken, look at the streamers and decorations. They've even started to import flowers from Vacuo and Mistral, just to make the tourists feel more at home!"

"Looks nice," Yang yawned.

"Hm…" Blake wasn't looking.

Jaune was picking his nose.

Truly her team was the worst. It was a Saturday, they were out in Vale and the sun was shining. One might have forgiven Weiss for assuming her team would have been in better spirits. "What's wrong with you all?" Weiss stopped and placed both hands on her hips. "You've all been near silent since you woke up."

Yang flinched, "Huh… sorry, just distracted.

"Didn't sleep so well," Blake said with a small shrug.

Jaune worked his finger even higher. No doubt he was searching for his brain.

Sometimes Weiss wanted to just freeze them all into a solid block of ice. That or put herself in for counselling, because she was going to need it after spending four years with these people. Yesterday had been difficult enough, what with dealing with Yang, who had taken her dressing down by Miss Goodwitch far too personally. It had taken Weiss a good hour or so to calm her down, the girl's melodramatics coming to an end only when Weiss had lost her patience and slapped some sense into the girl with some well-placed words. Yang had made a mistake sure, but that was why they were at Beacon. Mistakes were the best way of learning and this one hadn't even hurt anyone. Better to mess up now and learn from it, then do it later and suffer the consequences.

Yang had started to cheer up after that thankfully, but she was clearly still a little disappointed in herself. That was fine. It would make sure she didn't make the same mistake next time.

But Blake? Argh, that girl was a nightmare to try and understand. One moment she'd run off talking about how she was going to find Jaune and make him apologise. But then Jaune had returned on his own, with Blake appearing a good ten minutes later. The black-haired girl hadn't said anything since and had gone to bed pretty early. Which was why the whole `no sleep` nonsense was just that.

 _I'm not paid enough for this…_

As for Jaune… well, actually he was acting pretty much normal. He barely paid attention and otherwise annoyed her to the point that she wanted to drag his finger from his nose and slap him with it. It was perfectly normal behaviour for him.

"You didn't all have to come to Vale with me if you didn't want to," Weiss sighed. "I just thought it might be nice to see all the different cultural influences combined in one place."

"Really?" Jaune asked, apparently having found enlightenment or whatever else was trapped up there. He wiped his finger on his jeans, making Weiss twitch violently. "I thought you just wanted to spy on the competition."

Erk…

"N-No!" Curse her stammer, since when did he actually pay attention to her, let alone become familiar enough to read into her motives. "What makes you think that?"

"Most likely the fact we're at the docks," Yang laughed, "and not the market place or main streets."

"It was fairly obvious," Blake had a tiny smile on her face.

"W-Well you're all wrong," Weiss spun around with a huff. "I suppose it's only natural that such cynical people as you would lump me in wi-"

"There's one of the competitors," Jaune interrupted.

"Where!?" Weiss' hands slammed down on the railing as she stared at the ship. Yang mumbled something, but Weiss was too busy straining to spot one of the foreign teams. She couldn't see anything. Other than some figures on the main deck who appeared to be chasing after something. It looked like they were running after a person, someone who was able to vault over the side of the ship, landing in a roll before jogging away with ease.

"Stop that stowaway!" One of the guards atop the ship yelled. As might have been expected, nobody did. Had Weiss been closer she might have tried, but no typical member of the public was going to feel confident enough to tackle someone like that. There was no telling how dangerous they might be.

"There's your competition," Yang said, distracting Weiss at the exact moment that the blonde teen sprinted by them. By the time Weiss had turned back around, he had already rushed past and was disappearing into the crowds. Weiss stomped one foot angrily.

"We have to follow him!"

"Do we though?" Jaune sighed, only to go ignored as Weiss grabbed his arm and dragged him after her. Apart from being a criminal, this guy was also a potential combatant in the Vytal Festival, which meant she needed to determine just why he was breaking his way onto a ship of all things. Something like that could have damaged the reputation of Hunters everywhere!

He was fast, however. Far faster than the four of them, especially since he seemed more than willing to duck dangerously in and out of crowds, while Weiss didn't want to knock anyone down. There was a close call at one point, where she might have even run into a strange-looking, orange-haired girl.

Her partner pushed her aside at the last second, giving Weiss just the space she needed to avoid the girl and shout a quick apology. The odd girl shouted a hello back, but Weiss had already rushed off at that point.

She came to a stop at the next intersection with a heavy pant. Drat. He'd gotten away. Yang and Blake caught up a second later, while Jaune was bringing up the rear as usual. Weiss sighed, accepting that the blond faunus had managed to elude them this time. _I'll make sure to give him a piece of my mind if he does turn out to be a competitor._

"Hm, what's happened over there?" Weiss' gaze turned to Yang, who had pointed out some disturbance across the road. There was a small crowd of people outside what looked to be a trashed and broken storefront. The glass was smashed, some of the shards still littering the pavement outside. Bright, plastic tape cordoned it off, while random passers-by hovered on the outside, eager for gossip.

Weiss shared a look with Blake and Yang, before the three of them also headed over to take a look. Jaune followed.

Jamie's Dust, that was what the sign above the smashed window depicted. It didn't take a genius to figure out what Jamie was selling. Weiss' frown deepened. Attacks and robberies like this were fairly common, and also a big problem for their family. Dust was a valuable commodity, untraceable, easy to transport and most of all expensive. In some criminal circles it was as much a currency as lien. And of course, even though this hadn't been stolen from her family directly, every dust outlet hit was a bad thing for the SDC. Sure, Jamie might claim insurance and use that to buy more off of them, but he might also close down his store, robbing the SDC of a client.

"-ite Fang," one of the officers on site said, catching their team's attention. "They've been hitting dust stores left, right and centre."

"This city is going to the dogs," the other one grinned, "literally, in some cases."

"Saw the footage too, you'll never guess who I caught with them." The first officer leaned in to whisper something into the other's ear. Weiss strained to hear, but was denied. Thankfully the younger officer indulged her.

"Torchwi-!?"

"Shhh…" The older one slammed his hand over the young man's mouth, nodding over to the civilians nearby. Weiss didn't care to listen for anymore. She had heard enough.

Torchwick and the White Fang, just what her family didn't need. Those blasted criminals had been a thorn in their side for so long and now they were hitting the Vytal Festival as well? It made sense, she couldn't say otherwise. The amount of lien and dust that would be flowing through the city at such a time would be phenomenal. Not to mention the increased crowds in the streets, all the celebrations and revelry. It didn't take a genius to see it would be a prime opportunity to get away with some high-scale theft.

She would have to send a message to Winter later. Her older sister would ensure it got back to their father and the SDC Director of Security.

Weiss wasn't quite ready to speak directly with her father. Not yet.

"I guess the festival brings good and bad," Yang said once they were away from the commotion. "We shouldn't let it bother us."

Good advice as far as Weiss was concerned. She was about to say as much, but for someone else beating her to it.

"It doesn't make sense…" Blake said.

"Hm?" Yang turned to her partner with an inquisitive look.

"The White Fang would never work with Roman Torchwick. They must have been mistaken."

"Why?" Weiss asked with a shrug, "They're all criminals. I don't see why they wouldn't work together."

"The White Fang aren't criminals," Blake denied, "and they would never work with someone like Roman Torchwick. He's a monster."

Weiss scoffed, "I'd rather Torchwick than the White Fang. At least he just wants money and not the destruction of the human race."

"The White Fang aren't like that," the girl's yellow eyes glared at Weiss. Enough so that she took a step back in alarm. "That's just the media painting them as deranged terrorists. All they want is equality for faunus."

"Funny way of showing it."

"I suppose a Schnee would think that."

"What was that?"

"Guys," Yang stepped between them with an awkward laugh. "Why are we even arguing about this?"

"Ask your partner," Weiss said, glaring past the blonde, even as Blake glowered back. "All I did was point out that two criminal groups might be working together. Basically just what the detectives at the crime scene said."

"And I said they had to be wrong," Blake nearly growled. "They're just assuming without even knowing for sure."

"Didn't they say they had video evidence?"

Blake rolled her eyes, "As though anyone couldn't wear a mask to fake it. There's plenty of people who hate faunus. Torchwick might have done it just to get suspicion off himself."

"Why? He's already the most wanted man in Vale _and_ Atlas. It's a little late for him to be worrying about his image." Really, why was Blake so adamant about this? It was just a bunch of criminals. It was their job as Hunters to step in and stop people like that.

"You're just determined to make them the bad people in this. If the SDC didn't treat their faunus workers so poorly, then the White Fang wouldn't be so angry. All they want is equality."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "Inequality existed long before our company," she said. "We've just become the scapegoat because we're kind enough to even hire faunus at all. Would you rather we stopped entirely, and contributed to the faunus unemployment problem in Atlas?"

"I'd rather you actually paid them properly," Blake snapped, "and stopped treating faunus like cheap labour you can throw away!"

It was the final straw.

"And _I'd_ rather the White Fang stopped _killing_ my family and friends!" Weiss shouted back, loud enough that not only did a few people turn to look at her, but Blake stepped back in shock. "But I suppose I don't get that either, do I?"

Schnee's didn't have friends, they had acquaintances, colleagues and people who were used to them. That was how most people thought of them, cold and calculating, uncaring and pragmatic. Weiss wasn't so blind or deaf that she couldn't hear the maid's whispered words. Well they were right. The Schnee's didn't have friends.

Because friends became targets, friends became risks and people that could be taken advantage of.

Weiss _had_ friends.

Once upon a time…

* * *

 _What a bust,_ Yang thought as she watched her two friends continue to argue. The general consensus had been to give up on Vale once Yang had stepped in and pointed out just how loudly the two of them were arguing. They'd started to gather a crowd bigger than the robbery earlier, and that wasn't something Yang had been keen on.

The journey back had been in awkward silence, punctuated only be Yang's desperate attempts to spark a friendly conversation, each of which dissolved into silence the moment Weiss and Blake ended up looking at one another. Yang's efforts to engage her leader instead were met with her being ignored. What a day…

And, of course, once they'd made it back to their room, the gloves had come off. Now the blonde sat on her bed, head propped up by one hand beneath her chin, as she listened to Weiss and Blake yet again argue.

"I'm not saying the White Fang are blameless," Blake strode back and forth with arms crossed. Yang had never seen her partner so animated before. She just wished it was something other than pure rage. "But you can't just assume that all faunus are degenerates based on the actions of a misunderstood minority."

"Misunderstood?" Weiss laughed. A single bark of laughter, that seemed to have Blake's teeth grinding together. "It's a terrorist organisation Blake. I don't think you can get more misunderstood than that. There are plenty of people who are unhappy about their situation, but not many who decide bombing trains or promoting murder as a solution."

Point to Weiss on that one, at least from Yang's point of view. She'd seen the news reels.

"Well maybe they're going about it the wrong way," Blake winced, "but that doesn't change the fact that there's a problem to start with. The White Fang used to be a peaceful group. Clearly that approach wasn't working."

"Oh they must have tried so hard… how long did it take to go from peaceful to violent, four years? It takes longer than that to change the minds of people and Governments."

Blake leaned back with a single, artfully raised eyebrow. "Or maybe they noticed the changes happening in Atlas," she sniped. "Changes that meant lower wages and safety laws for faunus. Changes promoted and lobbied for by _your_ father's company."

Ouch, Yang felt that one, even from where she was sat - and that was definitely a point for Blake. Weiss recoiled, like she'd been slapped across the face. Even Yang had heard about the horrifying treatment faunus went through in the Schnee dust mines… it was true someone had to do it, but you'd really have expected such backbreaking labour to be well-paid and have plenty of safety nets for the workers. Even with what little information the Government didn't suppress, Yang knew it wasn't.

"We're not talking about my family. I'm fully awar-" Weiss shook her head, "It's just not the point. The White Fang are terrorists and murderers and I'm not getting into an argument with you about that. I don't care if you're a faunus sympathiser. That doesn't bother me and I'll even praise you for it, but you don't get to say a bunch of monsters are misunderstood!"

"Faunus sympathiser?" Blake sighed, "Congratulations on making the term sound dirty and foolish. They're not a completely different race, Weiss. Faunus are people, just like everyone else."

"Guys, _please_ …" Yang cut in, "It's the weekend. Can't we just agree to disagree and move on?"

Blake and Weiss turned to look at her, and Yang struggled to keep her face neutral. It was a pretty explosive situation and she didn't want to get involved in it. She would have gone off and spent some time with Ruby, if she wasn't worried what might happen in her absence. Blake and Weiss were both so proud, not to mention stubborn. Yang sighed.

"Well what do you think?" Blake asked, missing the point entirely and now dumping all over Yang as well as Weiss.

"I think it was a lovely day we could have spent in Vale."

"No." Weiss interrupted. "I would like to hear your thoughts as well."

 _I think I want to strangle you both right now,_ Yang thought. But with the two of them ganging up on her like this, she'd need to give some response.

"I think I don't know," Yang rolled her eyes but pushed on when it looked like they both might interrupt. "I've never been personally affected or involved with the White Fang, so I have no idea what to think." Yang turned to Blake, "On the one hand I can imagine how painful it must be to be targeted by someone like that. And I don't think it is right, either. Weiss isn't her father, nor is she the SDC. If the White Fang has ever done anything to harm her then it's completely disgusting."

Blake wilted under Yang's patented big sister stare. "I didn't say Weiss deserved it…" she whispered.

"On the other hand!" Yang spun back to Weiss before she could crow something to ruin everything. "Blake is right when she says there's probably a good reason they've been targeting the SDC. And besides, you can't just assume every single faunus is a member of the White Fang."

Weiss sighed, but didn't argue.

"Now can we put this behind us and start acting like a team again?" Yang sighed, "My entire Saturday has gone up in smoke. If you take Sunday I swear there will be vengeance."

That seemed to do the trick, if the way in which Blake and Weiss looked away was any sign. The tension in the room was still present, but muted. Hopefully the rest of the afternoon and a good night's sleep would get rid of it entirely.

"You've been pretty quiet about this," Weiss turned to her partner, who true to the heiress' words hadn't said much for the entire day. Yang thought she'd caught a few brief flashes of irritation from him, but if they had annoyed him as much as they had her, then he had reined it in. Maybe the fact that he had been stood, leaning against the wall with crossed arms, should have been a clue.

Yang didn't miss the way Blake flinched as Jaune turned to look at the two of them.

"We've all shared our thoughts," Weiss continued, "What about you?"

"I don't thi-" Blake tried to interrupt nervously, but to Yang's surprise it was her partner who was cut off.

"I think they're scum."

The clock on the wall of their dorm ticked ominously.

"P-Pardon?" Blake choked, eyes wide. Yang winced, already wishing Weiss could have just kept silent and not asked the guy.

"Did I stutter?" Jaune asked, with more emotion in his voice then Yang thought she had ever heard. No, she could remember one time when he had sounded like that. In the club, when he had told her to fuck off. When he had fought and held his own against her. He had been truly angry then. She had almost forgotten all about it. "The White Fang are monsters disguised as people."

"They're-"

"They're misunderstood," he agreed, drawing a relieved sigh. It didn't last. "But only because people believe them to be human _or_ faunus. In truth, they are worse than Grimm… at least those are mindless when they attack and kill innocent people. The White Fang know exactly what they're doing. They have no excuse."

Yang stood up, quickly rushing over to stand between Jaune and Blake. Her partner looked startled and more than a little frightened, and with the way their leader was acting, Yang could understand why. The emotion in his voice, the sheer _visceral_ tone of it… this wasn't the lazy man they were used to.

"Hey now," Yang laughed as she placed two hands on her leader's chest, trying to occupy his vision. He liked her, or at least considered her a friend, so she figured he might let her distract him.

He didn't. Instead, he stared over the top of her head, using his height to his advantage.

"You can claim they're innocent, say that their reasons are just or that they just want equality. But that doesn't change the fact that they will lie, they will steal – and if they get the chance – they will _slaughter_ untold innocent people."

"That's not true!" Blake shouted.

"IT IS THE TRUTH!" Yang's eyes clenched shut as he _roared_. She could feel his chest heave against the palms of her hand, even as the resultant silence seemed to drown out all other noise. As purple eyes cracked open, the first thing she saw was the pure _hatred_ in his normally calm eyes.

Yang wanted to swallow but found she couldn't. Behind her, she heard Blake take a step back, even as she saw Weiss from the corner of her eye, pale eyes wide, mouth open.

"Deny it all you want," he whispered. "You can hold onto your silly beliefs that they are redeemable, that they are being led astray or that somehow this is all a stupid mistake. That doesn't change the truth, however. Lying to yourself never does."

There was no real change in the atmosphere. He didn't step back, break eye contact or change the way he spoke… but Yang could feel him take a deep breath, then release it in a silent sigh.

"But then you already know that, don't you Blake?"

He had used her name. That should have been a sign for teasing or celebration, but such thoughts couldn't be further from any of their minds. Yang heard Blake's breath catch, saw Weiss' face crinkle in confusion. Yang didn't know what to say or do… how could she? She didn't have any personal experience about the issue at hand, as the three of them so obviously did.

"I'm going out," Jaune said. He stepped back and turned away, grabbing his uniform jacket from a chair. "I think I'll find somewhere else to sleep tonight."

Yang flinched when the door slammed shut, even as his departure brought a little temperature back to the room. For the longest time, no one spoke. The only sound that of the ticking clock and their breathing.

"What did he mean?" Weiss' eyes were narrowed, but her voice almost trembled. "What did he mean when he said you knew?" Yang turned in time to see her partner's wide eyes. Yellow… such an unusual colour. Inhuman, almost.

Blake didn't answer. Instead, she took a frightened step back.

Towards the door…

* * *

 _Jaune's hands were tied. The blood had long since stopped rushing to them, leaving his fingers numb and lifeless as he was dragged bodily across the concrete floor. The skin of his face burned as it skimmed across stone, before he was thrown forward, landing with a gasp._

" _Jaune…" the words were quiet, uncertain._

 _Jaune forced himself to look up, into a pair of eyes filled with pain, but also concern. They were yellow, almost glinting in the low light. He supposed no one other than he needed it, but they'd made sure there was a little – just so he could watch._

" _Hey, Blake…" he coughed. Gods but his voice was raspy, a result of the lack of water he'd had, along with the beatings that left his chest black and blue._

 _It was good to see her. It felt like it had been years._

" _Silence!" A boot slammed down into the back of his head, driving Jaune's face down into the concrete with enough force to break some of his teeth._

" _Jaune!" Blake cried as he spat blood. "Stop it, stop this!" There was a loud slap, followed by a sharp gasp. Jaune wanted nothing more than to leap up and bite out the throat of whomever had struck her._

 _He would have, had his legs and arms not been broken._

" _Blake, Blake, Blake…" a familiar voice sighed, as a figure knelt down between the two of them, cutting his friend off from view. "You have no idea how much it hurts me to do this Blake. How much it hurts me to see you like this."_

" _Adam…" Blake's voice was a mixture of hope, anger and grief. Hope that her old friend might help them, anger at what he had become._

 _Grief at the knowledge that he would never help her._

" _I trained you Blake," the red-haired man growled, "I made you what you are, I crafted the White Fang into what they are now. And why? Because it was what `you` wanted."_

" _I didn't want this," Blake snapped. "I didn't want us to become murderers and terrorists Adam. I never said we should use methods like killing innocent people!"_

" _You wanted equality Blake."_

" _This isn't equality. The people hate you. I can see why!"_

 _The man hissed. For someone who wore a mask, Adam had always been easy to read. Anger and hatred, that was all that made him. Jaune's shoulders shifted, trying to move his arms – but the pain that rocketed up them had him biting his lip to keep from screaming. The White Fang hadn't been gentle… nor had they been swift._

" _Nothing worth having in life is easily achieved," Adam stood, stepping to the side. Blake's eyes didn't follow him. Instead those golden orbs fixed onto Jaune, imparting some message as she stared into his eyes. It was enough to have him squirming once more, despite the pain – despite the damage it did. "There are always sacrifices that need to be made, Blake. History may remember me as a monster, but I like to believe it will tell of a faunus who was willing to do what had to be done. Maybe that is foolish; maybe it is the destiny of those who lead to be alone. I used to think you would be the one who would stand beside me. You said you would."_

" _That was before you changed." Blake said, never looking away from Jaune. "That was before you became someone who would torture another person for no other reason than jealousy."_

" _Do not belittle what I had to do!" Adam reached down to grab Blake by the chin, cruelly twisting her head up to look at him. "I loved you Blake, I love you now! You were the best of us, you helped to ground me, make me believe there was still good in this world."_

 _There was a rasp of steel as Adam's blade was drawn, but the man crouched down, placing the handle before Blake's face._

" _Take this," he said, "Take it and end him. And I swear Blake, I swear that you will have a place with us. Some might call you a traitor, but I shall change their minds. We will change everyone's minds. All you have to do is kill him."_

 _Kill him… kill me, Jaune realised. It was a good deal. Such a good deal. But his heart was heavy even as Blake's eyes slipped from the hilt to Jaune._

" _No."_

 _He had known she would say that. She had known too, Jaune could see it in her expressive eyes. Eyes that looked on Jaune with such emotion._

" _Very well," Adam growled. "Know that I never wanted to do this." The hilt was reversed, taken in a firm grip as the blade moved beneath Blake's neck. She didn't resist it, she was only slightly less broken than Jaune._

" _Do it Blake," Jaune whispered desperately, "Don't worry about me. Kill me."_

 _He would reset, the world would go back. She wouldn't have to die – he wouldn't have to watch her die._

 _There were tears in her eyes._

" _I can't," she whispered brokenly. "I'm sorry Jaune, but I can't…"_

 _Because she loved him… because after their teams had slowly been killed, they only had each other. Jaune howled his rage as the blade was slowly drawn to the left, Blake wincing only the slightest bit as crimson spilled._ _She kept staring into his eyes as well. Her face split in a pained smile, her eyes gentle, before even those began to dim, her head dipping as strength left her body. Jaune hyperventilated, forced to watch as his lover slowly perished. Just like everyone else._

" _It didn't have to be this way Blake," Adam whispered._

" _I'll kill you…"_

" _Hm?" Adam turned to look down on Jaune. "You do realise this is your fault." The masked man said, "You are the one who forced me to kill her."_

" _And I'll kill you in return," Jaune swore. "I will make you scream in anger, in rage and in pain." Jaune was hoisted up by the other White Fang members, suspended between them with his broken and swollen feet dangling above the floor._

 _Adam looked him up and down, "You'll forgive me if I don't take that threat seriously."_

" _I swear it on everything," Jaune grit his teeth. "I swear it on my team, I swear it on my family. I swear on Blake's life that I will end yours, Taurus."_

 _No matter how long it took._

" _Give him to the rookies," Adam sighed, not even listening to Jaune. "Tie him to a training pole and make them kill him. It's about time they became bloodied. Better if they freeze up here rather than in the field."_

" _What about Belladonna?" One of them asked, nodding down to the girl at their feet. Her eyes were open, but there was no longer the glow in them that Jaune loved._

 _Adam lifted his blade into the air, mouth a flat line._

" _What about her?" he asked, as the blade whistled down._

Jaune reared up, one hand grasped before him as the sheets fell down his bare chest. His lungs fought for air, his breath coming out in harsh pants. The room was dark, illuminated by nothing more than the dim, red light of some dust-powered clock. With a trembling hand Jaune reached up to touch his eyes.

The fingers came away dry, not a touch of moisture on them. That sounded about right…

"Mmmm…" there was a muted grumble from beside him, as a figure gently turned over, one arm coming to rest atop his stomach, directly over the ugly scar that remained there. A woman, he couldn't really remember her name. Only an image of platinum blonde hair, heated whispers and a soft, comforting body in which to lose himself.

No doubt she would die as well, when Beacon fell.

Jaune laid back down, letting the girl snuggle up against him for warmth. With his other hand he drew the covers back up, enough that they covered her shoulders even if it left his own cold and bare. She might die, but she wouldn't die because of him. Nor would she suffer because of him. She would probably never even speak to him again. That was how all these little flings went. That was how he liked it.

It hurt less.

* * *

 **One step forwards, two steps back. Or maybe that should be three steps to the side? Jaune slips a little, or rather is it other people tripping him up? Either way, his goal is closer than ever but will it be so easily achieved?  
**

 **All he has to do is stay out of trouble for a week, just one more week.**

 **Can't be too hard, right?**

 **I'm glad so many people are enjoying this by the way, but one of the main complaints I get is pacing and how each chapter seems to go over more than one day in places. There's not much I can do about that while still aiming towards 15k words. I also do pay attention to reviews, and the many people suggesting this needs to be uploaded faster or more often.**

 **Short answer: No... just no.**

 **Long answer: While I am aware that faster uploads would be better for you and everyone else, plus it would let the pacing be less of an issue because there isn't a 14 day wait, I do want to say that this is hard. Writing this much, as often as I do, along with my other stories... it is not easy. I can do it, I have proved I can I hope. But it takes time and effort. Not this time, Fate is the hardest without compromise. Even doing this one extra time a month would take monumental effort.**

 **I appreciate how much you love it, and how it might "improve pacing" I have to be realistic. Most people have to wait 6-9 weeks for an update of a story. Surely 14 days is not so bad?**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 2nd September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) coeur**


	14. Chapter 14

**Wow, I'd like to thank everyone for the support last chapter. It meant a lot to me. I didn't actually intend for my AN to spark that kind of response, nor to feel like a cry for help or something. I love doing what I do, and the fact that people support me to do more means I can keep doing what I love. So I am totally happy with doing all these stories like this, please don't think I'm losing my mind or getting stressed out at this.**

 **But thank you still – it means a lot to me (and every author) that you take a little time to let us know you appreciate our work. Even more so for those who leave criticisms and their thoughts in a manner we can understand. It helps me improve a lot. (Anyone who read OGT will see how much I had to take from reviewers to learn what I needed).**

 **Anyway, I don't want to waffle here, so here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Chapter 14 – All that is gold does not glitter**

* * *

Jaune sat against a wall in the middle of a corridor, strumming notes on his guitar. The lilting melody, more a soft tragedy than anything else, soothed him more than he dared admit. Sleep had finally come, free of nightmares the previous night. It often did when he had something warm beside him. Now with a ruffled shirt, the top two buttons undone and a bruise or two down his neck, Jaune ignored passers-by who whispered and flushed at the implication of his presence.

He'd never been one to worry about a walk of shame. Not when he still wasn't sure what scene would await him upon arriving back at his dorm.

His left hand worked further down the neck of the instrument, fingers stretching into familiar shapes, the metal strings biting into skin. He'd have liked to have said the risk was calculated, that those hasty words had been spoken in an effort to prevent Blake's pointless little episode. She ran away time after time, never once finding the answers she wanted. He hadn't for once thought words would stop her, but when silence wouldn't either, was it not worth the attempt?

A tired chuckle slipped from between his lips. That was what he'd have liked to say, but for the truth that he'd lost control. Just like he had the day before, where he'd taken more pleasure than was strictly necessary in the act of putting Cardin down. Life after life, year after year… after a while, the sensations became dull and muted. What had once been enjoyable had been reduced to nothing more than tired motions.

Blake's tantrum was not a new experience. It happened every single time, no matter what he tried. That was why the guitar was novel, he supposed. It was because he had not played it for what felt like decades, or maybe even centuries. That was why his family was so new and exciting as well, as cruel as that sounded. But the day to day life of Beacon was not new, nor was it nearly as joyful. To think, some people complained about being in school for four or more years. They should try that many centuries.

So yes, perhaps it had been understandable that the frustration would mount up, festering beneath the surface, hiding under those dopey expressions and lazy smiles. For all that much in life became boring, adrenaline and anger never did – nor did the grief or rage. Hating the White Fang was a part of him now, as was enjoying the thrill of battle. Yang had mentioned it once, that overpowering drug that lived within your own body. It was one of the few things that could get him truly excited these days, beyond new experiences, that was. _And isn't there something to say about me relating peaceful times with my family to the thrill of life or death combat,_ he laughed, shaking his head.

"Jaune!" a voice called, and without missing a single note he looked up and down the corridor to where Yang and Weiss approached. They looked worried, and it didn't take him long to guess why. A soft sigh escaped him. So Blake hadn't taken his words to heart. She knew what Adam was like. It had been a vain hope, but forcing her confession a little earlier… it couldn't have hurt to try.

"Morning," he said, strumming a little louder and slipping into a tune more befitting a romantic ballad. "Were you worried about me? That's so sweet."

"Where's Blake?" Yang snapped.

"Hmm?" he slipped his hand higher, playing the chorus, "Wasn't she with you?"

The notes stopped entirely, tight fingers wrapping around his own and pinning them to the strings. Jaune looked up in time to catch a flash of scarlet in the blonde's eyes, before they faded back to purple. Yang wasn't in the mood to play games it seemed.

"Where is she?" Yang repeated.

"How should I know?" Jaune said, making sure she could see that he wasn't messing around either. The girl sighed and let go of his hand, allowing him to shake his fingers a little before beginning the melody once more. "Does it look like she's my child or something?" their expressions didn't budge. "I spent the night in someone else's room." He didn't miss the grimace both girls showed, "So I'm afraid I have no idea what happened from the last time I saw you."

"Blake left," Weiss said, stepping forward with a complex expression. The girl's flight often stemmed from Weiss' words and actions, so Jaune supposed it made sense she considered herself to blame. It ought to have been a little easier for her this time, however, since it was he who had pushed Blake over the edge. "She…" Weiss looked around before whispering, "-she told us her heritage… and what she used to be, before running away."

"We thought she might come back," Yang said. "Or that she'd maybe gone to talk with you or something. But it's been already ten in the morning and hasn't showed up."

"Her scroll is turned off as well." Weiss added.

Jaune hummed, strumming lightly on the strings as he let his eyes drift shut. Typical Blake, always so stubborn and unrelenting. That had been one of the things he liked about her, because wasn't it the same for himself – the man who lived his life over and over again with just one single goal? But of course she wouldn't listen to them. She just _had_ to see the truth for herself.

"And what do you want me to do about it?" Jaune asked.

"Help us look for her," Yang grinned. "She can't have gone far, I'm sure she's still in Vale. If we comb the streets, ask around and see if anyone's seen he-"

"Go right ahead. I'll wait here."

"P-Pardon?" Yang was still smiling, though even to him it looked strained and weak. Weiss seemed suddenly nervous too, looking between the two of them with an anxious expression. Yang laughed, "I thought for a second that you said you wouldn't help us find our teammate."

The situation was delicate, Jaune was more adept at sensing danger than most, but even an amateur would have been able to read the threat in Yang's words. A lesser person might have been cowed.

"That's what I said."

Fingers curled into his collar, dragging Jaune up so that his face was almost touching hers.

"Try again," Yang hissed.

"No." Calm, collected, the exact opposite of the emotions that warred across his old friend's face. With a scowl she tossed him back, Jaune wincing as his ass impacted the hard floor. He kept a safe hold of his guitar, cradling it against his stomach.

"Blake needs help!" Yang shouted, loud enough for just about anyone to hear. "She's out there on her own, doing god knows what, and you just want to sit here and… and play guitar and whore around?"

"Hey now, Yang," he chastised, "I'll have you know I don't charge for my services."

"Blake-"

"Will be absolutely fine."

Neither of them was impressed at that, in fact they looked like they thought him insane. Jaune rubbed his forehead, his head hurt – a migraine building behind his eyes. It seemed to spike when he'd said that, but he ignored it was practiced ease. She would be fine, it was true, not that they could know it. Every repeat, every time, the two of them would rush out into Vale in search of Blake, and every single time they would never find her. About the only thing they would achieve was wasting their own time and that wasn't something he was keen on joining in with. Besides, Blake always made it out in the end.

"So you're not going to help us?" Yang asked, fists clenched at her side as she glared down at him. It didn't look like she shared his confidence in her partner, which was a little sad when he thought of it like that. Then again, she didn't have the benefit of foreknowledge either, so he'd forgive her for being worried.

"We could report her absence to the teachers," Jaune offered, "They'd be better able to search for her."

"And have her arrested?" Yang hissed, quieter this time. Ozpin wouldn't have arrested Blake, but then again, how could Jaune explain that to either of them without raising more questions? "No, we have to do this on our own – as a team."

And there was that troubling word again, so casually dropped from her lips.

If Jaune got involved in Blake's little soiree at the docks, then he was fairly sure Ozpin would count that as being more than enough to secure his presence in Beacon. It was hard to think of something more worthy of proof than fighting a dangerous criminal while he's surrounded by armed terrorists. Even if he stuck with Yang and Weiss, where they would have arrived late, Jaune wasn't willing to risk it. Visiting Vale should not have ended with him meeting everyone, Weiss' concert should not have resulted in him winning that prize…

If there was something pushing him towards those events, then going with Yang and Weiss seemed like a bad idea.

"You two go look for her then," Jaune said. "I'll stay in our dorm in case she comes back."

"You-" Yang shook her head, scowling at him. "You know what, _fine_. Stay here. We'll go find our teammate on our own."

"Sounds good," Jaune watched Yang's face fall, before she became angry once more. If she were hoping to guilt him into it then she'd be disappointed. His head hurt too much for such emotions. "Good luck."

Yang's mouth opened and closed a few times, before eventually she huffed and spun on the spot, storming away. Weiss watched him silently for a few seconds, and Jaune raised one eyebrow to ask if she wanted to say something. She shook her head as well, however, following after Yang.

He sighed, strumming a few strings. The music sounded flat, however, and with a sigh he stopped. They were disappointed in him… well that wasn't anything new. It frustrated and hurt, to see those looks on the faces of his best friends, who he had died for so many times. But again, they didn't know - it wasn't their fault.

"Damn it Blake," Jaune sighed, finally letting the guitar slump against him. "You really are more trouble than you're worth sometimes."

* * *

"Sorry, not seen 'er," the elderly man said. Weiss didn't think he'd looked at the picture very hard, but if the shopkeeper wasn't willing to look at a photo then he probably wouldn't have remembered actually seeing Blake either. "You want t' buy anything?"

"No, thank you," Weiss forced out a polite smile as she nodded and left the store. She heard him mumble something behind her but she slammed the door before she could turn back and give him a piece of her mind. Yang stood outside, creating a pocket of empty space around her through the sheer power of her glower. "No luck," Weiss called, "he hasn't seen anything."

"Same as the last ten," Yang spat. "Come on. We can keep trying."

"Yeah…" If Yang heard Weiss' reluctance then she didn't comment on it, which was likely for the best. The blonde had been in a furious mood ever since Beacon – and that didn't look to be changing anytime soon. _What a mess_ , Weiss thought to herself. Here she was, wandering around Vale on a hot Saturday at noon, looking for – but kind of hoping she didn't find – their missing teammate.

And if Yang found out how she really felt, then sparks would surely fly.

 _It's not that I don't want to find Blake,_ she quickly assured herself. She didn't want anything bad to happen to Blake, and spending the night alone in the city wasn't a good thing at all. But at the same time Weiss wasn't sure what would happen if they did find her.

Blake was a faunus. No, that didn't really bother her. Blake was a member of the White Fang – the very organisation that had made it their life goal to eradicate the Schnee family from the face of Remnant. Someone who could have so easily killed her had been sleeping not two metres away. Weiss was a proud girl in most situations, but that thought made her shiver. _I came to Beacon to escape these things… do they have to follow me, even here?_

"I can't believe him," Yang growled – for what must have been the tenth time in as many minutes. And of course there was _that_ kettle of fish as well. They'd been in Vale for three hours now and if Weiss had thought Yang's temper would have cooled, then she'd been quickly disabused of such a notion.

"I know," Weiss said, more because she'd heard what was no doubt coming so many times already.

"It's just… I can't believe how he wouldn't… I thought he cared!"

"I _know,_ Yang," Weiss sighed. Gods, how she knew. For a second Yang look at her, and Weiss thought she'd made her frustrations a little too obvious, but the girl quickly turned back to ranting about their leader. Weiss wiped an imaginary bit of sweat from her brow, making a quick note not to get Yang any angrier than she already was.

All they had to do was find Blake, decide what it was they even wanted to do with her… then do it, she supposed. Maybe the time it took would give Weiss the opportunity to figure out how she felt about her frie- her teammate.

Maybe it would give her the time she needed to figure out how she felt about her partner too, and wasn't that a statement loaded with implications? Except no, her partner didn't make her heart race or skin go warm. He made her heart race in the sense that her blood boiled, pumping around her body even faster as she sometimes wanted to encase him in ice.

In fact, her whole team was a mess – and this seemed to be proof of that. She was currently afraid of Yang, she didn't know if she could trust Blake, and didn't even _understand_ Jaune. Sure, she'd never been the most social of people, but _come on_ , this was ridiculous. Pyrrha's team was so _simple_ by comparison. Two childhood friends, a championship fighter and a young girl – the biggest drama of which being that Ren and Nora probably liked one another but didn't know how to express it. Right now Weiss would have _killed_ to be on Ruby's team.

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

"Hm?" Weiss asked, trying to pretend she hadn't been zoned out.

"Blake." Yang shook her head, "I'm just… what if she got into trouble, or what if she had to sleep rough in an alleyway and was attacked?"

"Then there'll be some unconscious mugger in an alleyway," Weiss scoffed, before her eyes widened at the terrified expression on Yang's face. Okay, the blonde really was worried. Weiss sighed as she walked over to touch the girl's arm. "Yang, she'll be absolutely fine. Leaving aside the fact that Blake's a trained huntress, she's also… her life before… she probably knows her way around the darker elements of a city then we do!"

"Both Jaune and you know about the White Fang," Yang slumped onto a nearby bench, and after a moment's caution to check for any muck, Weiss sat beside her. "You had to deal with them when you were younger and… I guess it was obvious from his voice. I just… to me they're just a name."

"You've not actually seen what they're capable of – or been affected by their handiwork," Weiss nodded, and she had to admit that Jaune's reaction had been on her mind too. It was something she couldn't get out of her head, particularly the tone of his voice, and the way he'd seemed to tower over them all.

"I want to defend Blake. But I want to do it because she's my partner and friend. She's someone who never cared about whether I was popular or not, or how strong I was or what I wanted to do. She puts up with my puns, even if she looks like she wants to strangle me. I enjoy being around her! This isn't about the White Fang… what she's done in the past doesn't even matter to me." Yang trailed off, but Weiss could infer the rest. _But it does to the two of you,_ Yang wanted to add.

"The White Fang are a terrorist group," Weiss said slowly, trying to pick out the right words to explain how she felt without alienating Yang or dooming Blake. "I won't say that some of what Blake said wasn't true. But it's not the whole truth. There's more to anti-faunus sentiment then the SDC, and the White Fang existed long before we started hiring faunus. Before Blake and I were even born, to be honest. I suppose by the time we were both old enough to know the world around us, the Fang and my family were already at war."

"Did Blake ever do anything to you?" Yang asked, and the question made Weiss wince.

"I've never met her before Beacon, I promise. Look Yang," Weiss sighed heavily, "I am trying to think on this reasonably, and I _am_ trying to find where she is. I just don't know what I want to say or do if we find her."

Yang's face fell into her hands, though she was too strong to cry.

"It just feels like I'm the only one on the team that actually wants to save it," she said. "Jaune doesn't care, or doesn't care about Blake because of what she is. You're not sure if you want to have Blake on the team anymore and I'm just stuck in the middle. I _like_ Blake, I _like_ our team."

"I like it too," Weiss said – and it was something of a surprise to admit it as the truth. "I hate how confusing it is, but I can't say I hate the team nearly as much as I thought I would."

"Gee thanks…"

"And that's why I'm out here," Weiss went on, "because I'm willing to swallow my pride, force back my distrust and confront her, if it means we can maybe get our team back together."

"For Team Jazzberry?" Yang smiled, holding a fist out.

"Yes," Weiss smiled shakily and reached out to shake Yang's fist - it must have been some bizarre custom from Patch. "For Team... for Team Jazzberry."

"It's not that bad of a name."

"It really is…" Weiss sighed, "But you know, there's more than just the two of us on the team. It's all well and good for us to agree to hear Blake out, but what about Jaune?" The reminder made Yang scowl and toss her head angrily. Weiss coughed out some blonde strands that had slapped into her face.

"I was kinda thinking we wouldn't even tell him. If he doesn't care about her then he shouldn't care when she comes back, right?"

To Weiss' disgust she had to admit that might work. Jaune was lazy and apathetic at the best of times, and if Blake vanished he'd probably shrug and get on with life. If she returned he'd do the same, usually without the slightest hitch. But that was how he was usually… a factor which had been thrown out of the window the moment he'd opened his mouth the previous night.

"Jaune's had experience with the White Fang," Weiss said, a statement which made Yang's shoulders slump. "And judging from how he acted, they weren't good."

"I was hoping to ignore that," Yang admitted, "It's just… I'm not sure what to do about it."

"Without knowing more, I'm not sure there is anything we can do." Weiss frowned into the palm of her hand, "Did you notice that he called Blake out specifically? He not only knew she was a faunus, but also that she had been part of the Fang before. Unlike me, whatever experience he had, Blake was a part of it."

Which made things all kinds of complicated.

Had Jaune been a part of the White Fang too? No, that was silly… she'd seen him in various stages of undress, much to her horror, and he didn't have any animal parts that would have defined him. He could have been part-faunus, but that wouldn't have been enough for the White Fang as it was today. From what she knew, the old White Fang used to have a lot of human members, supporters and protestors who agreed with their aims. But when it had become more militant, they'd started to purge the ranks – sometimes violently. Even if Jaune was half-faunus, he'd have been hard-pressed to prove it to them before they attacked.

Plus, the way he'd talked about them showed a level of emotion she wasn't used to hearing from him. His interactions with them… they had been just as visceral as her own. Had Jaune lost someone he loved as well?

Was that why he acted as he did, like nothing in the world mattered anymore?

"It was the first time he called her by name," Yang sighed. "I used to think it was just a joke he was playing. Do you… do you think it was his way of refusing to acknowledge her, because he knew the truth?"

Weiss didn't know what to think, and her silence said it. Yang's point was an interesting one, and something she hadn't considered. That could complicate matters, if it meant he hated her as much as that made it seem. Even if he was just passive-aggressive, he might use this opportunity to have her removed from Beacon.

And would that be such a problem, when it was a terrorist they were talking about?

 _That's something I can decide later._

They searched for another hour or two; it was hard to keep track of the time. Yang and her would enter various buildings and shops, showing people the few pictures of Blake they'd taken on their scrolls. Once or twice there were near cases, where people thought they might have, maybe, if the light was right, or if they weren't imagining it, have possible seen her. Inevitably those leads ran dry, and Weiss began to wonder what they were hoping to achieve at all. Unless someone literally said, `oh yeah, she's right behind you` then they wouldn't be able to track her down.

But she didn't dare express those concerns to Yang, even if the blonde must have already known. In reality, all they were doing was wandering around in the vague hopes of bumping into their errant teammate. And it seemed like luck was not on their side.

"It's getting on," Weiss said, making Yang spin to glare at her. "It's five in the afternoon and we need to stop for some food."

"I can keep going."

"You can, but you'll be hungry and distracted." That made Yang growl, though she did stop in her path. No doubt she recognised the truth in Weiss' words. "We can head back to Beacon, grab a meal and check in to see if Blake hasn't returned." Weiss didn't think she would have. Surely someone would have sent them a message if it were so, but it didn't hurt to hope.

"Okay…" Yang sighed. "You're right. Maybe she's gotten it out of her system and come home anyway."

"Yeah," Weiss said, without a shred of confidence. "Maybe she has."

* * *

"So you're…" the blond faunus looked left and right to make sure no one was listening, but Blake had already chosen a table far away from any other customers, "White Fang?"

"Ex-White Fang," Blake frowned. "I left before Beacon and I don't intend to go back."

 _Then where do you intend to go?_ Her treacherous mind whispered. _Back to Beacon, where half your team hates your guts? Or are we running away… again?_ Blake resisted the urge to shake her head. She wasn't going to start talking to herself in the middle of a café and if Sun wanted to treat her to food, who was she to argue? Her stomach growled hungrily, and she could just imagine the delicious food that could have been hers at Beacon.

She could have gone back too. She was a student there and it wasn't as though she had officially quit. All she had to do was sneak in, avoid her team – and probably Ruby's team too – and grab some food.

But she didn't dare take the risk. Too terrified of running into her team, of seeing Yang's pain, Weiss' condemnation. Or those empty blue eyes, which seemed to look straight through her. Those eyes that seemed to say he knew her every thought, and that he placed judgement upon her.

"Won't your team worry?" Sun asked, and Blake realised she'd missed his last comment.

"Yang might. That's my partner, the blonde. But I don't think Weiss would trust me anymore and…"

"And?" Sun prodded, when she trailed off uselessly.

"I don't think my team leader ever trusted me."

"Ouch," Sun winced. "Doesn't sound like a good leader if he can't trust the team. See, I didn't get on with the guys when we first met, but once I gave them a chance they were pretty cool. Now we're tight."

"He has good reason to hate me though, Sun." she said softly. So many good reasons. "For one, he knew I was a White Fang operative from the very start."

Why he hadn't said or done something she didn't know. If he hated her so much then he'd had plenty of opportunities to ruin her, but he'd instead settled for little snipes and hints, along with his annoying habit of forgetting her name. It just didn't make _sense_. He either hated her or he didn't, but if he didn't then why mention what he had the last night? And if he did hate her, why not tell everyone sooner? It made her head hurt, it made her sick with worry.

Sun pointed a fork at her, "You sure that's enough to make him hate you?"

"We met when my partner was about to blow up a train with his family on."

Sun blinked, the fork and piece of cake on it still held suspended between them. She'd tried to say it casually, but Sun's reaction said it all really.

"Well…" he coughed awkwardly, "I guess that would do it."

"My… my partner at the time was the one who wanted to do that," she said, "but I couldn't go through with it. That was the moment I decided to quit."

Blake wanted to tell him they weren't always like that, or how they'd once fought a peaceful battle for equality, but the words felt empty. They had once, sure. But when Adam had pressed for more immediate results, she had been one of his greatest supporters. Peaceful hadn't worked, it didn't get results… violence did.

She'd been so naïve back then, just a small child who didn't realise what real violence was. By the time she had found out, it had been too late.

"When things first became violent I thought it meant self-defence. Or that we'd break into mining camps to rescue faunus, fighting out way out. I imagined it would be a revolution or some honourable battle we could be proud of."

Sun tried to smile but it looked weak.

"Instead we weren't defending anything, nor were we mounting daring rescues. We didn't attack SDC convoys to secure money to help the faunus, we attacked to secure prisoners we could use as bargaining chips. And as everyone knows, Atlas doesn't negotiate with terrorists." And as the world had soon come to learn, Adam did not make idle threats.

"So you left."

"So I left."

"Well that's good enough, isn't it?" Sun laughed, as she spooned some cake into her mouth. "You can't keep beating yourself up about what happened in the past. Thing is, you want to change and make a difference now."

"I guess…" If only the world were so simple a place. The desire to right the wrongs she'd done before, it was an admirable thing, but did it redeem her for what she'd done? If a serial killer suddenly found their conscience and dedicated their life to helping orphans, did those good deeds wash away the bad? Blake wasn't sure. "But the thing is, this argument all came about as a result of rumours that the White Fang have been working with Torchwick. Something I know they wouldn't do."

" _Deny it all you want,"_ Jaune's words from the previous evening came back to her, making her wince. She would prove him wrong as well. She had to. It was the only way she would be able to go back and face them.

"And if they are?" Sun asked, leaning forward on one elbow.

She wanted to say they wouldn't, to proclaim that the situation wouldn't come up. But _he_ had told her to stop lying to herself, and maybe he was right. Had she been running away, just like she always did – except this time, running from the truth? No more... she wouldn't run away anymore. Not if it meant giving Jaune Arc the satisfaction of being right.

"If they are," she took a breath, releasing it as her eyes narrowed. "Then I'll stop them myself."

The monkey faunus sighed, rubbing one hand across his face as he leaned back in the seat. His tail came up, a mug held in it as he took a quick sip.

"I guess I'm coming with you then."

* * *

"I'm doing _fine_ ," Lavender raised her eyes towards the sky, as though to ask for divine patience from his constant badgering. Jaune would have been more willing to put up with it if he'd actually spoken to her at all that week. "I'm red because it's a hot day. I haven't been wearing myself out."

"I never said that," Jaune said. "I just asked why you look so tired."

"Like you do every time you see me looking the slightest bit out of breath, big brother." Only a year or so younger than him and already so sassy, where had he gone wrong? "I take it you didn't call just to accuse me of not looking after myself."

There was a warning there as well, one that he would not be silly enough to fall into.

"Is my little sister accusing her favourite brother of such horrible things?" Jaune swooned, one hand held to his forehead. "Why I just wanted to talk with my beautiful sister."

"Such flattery," Lavender fluttered her eyelashes at him, "it makes me think you're about to tell me you've done something wrong. Oh god, you've gotten someone pregnant haven't you?"

"Your brother knows how to put on a condom," Jaune deadpanned, enjoying the way her face twisted in disgust. "He's had enough practice."

"Too much information Jaune, please…"

Jaune laughed at the colour of her skin, normally paler than was usually healthy, but looking a little green to boot. She tried to frown at him, but she just wasn't built for it and the gesture came out more like a cute pout.

"I do have some good news though," Jaune smiled, "unless Sapphire already ruined the surprise?"

"She did. Or rather Amber overheard her telling mum and dad about it and quickly ran around the house screaming about how you're being expelled. It was quite the odd experience." Ha, the little brat. So much for any hopes of keeping it a secret, but he supposed there was no harm. "Sapphire said it depends on you not doing anything to ruin it?"

"Pretty much. So long as I don't do anything to make myself stand out I should be free of Beacon come next weekend."

"Convenient timing," Lavender smiled, "since we're all coming down to Vale to see you."

That little snippet had his eyes going wide. "You are?" he asked, "Why?"

"To see you of course, silly," she giggled, one hand across her lips. "Did you think we'd leave you alone in Vale on your school holidays?"

He did, and it must have shown on his face for she gave him a disappointed smile.

"You're a stupid older brother," she sighed, "but I suppose you're mine so I'll have to put up with it. Things aren't the same here without you, Jaune. We've all been excited to see you again, so of course we would want to come and visit."

His breath came out in one great sigh, shoulders relaxing as he felt warmth flow through him. Such unconditional love, he was still getting used to it – even after spending the last two years with them. All it took was some unexpected words and he would freeze up.

"It's going to be Amber's birthday as well, so make sure you get her something nice."

"I will."

"Something _other_ than you saying that you managed your expulsion… you can't cheat your way out of it."

"I won't! Such little faith you have." Lavender leaned forward, narrowing one eye as she stared at him. For such a frail girl she sure knew how to put the pressure on, likely because she knew no one would retaliate in kind for fear of hurting her. Jaune's head perked up as he heard the door to the room slam open, two figures pushing their way in.

"Sorry, I've got to go. I'll see you later?"

"You'll see me next week," she smiled. "Love you."

"You too." The screen flashed black as he put it away, standing to address his teammates. "Any luck?"

"None," Weiss said, shaking her head as she flopped down onto her bed. Yang looked like she wanted to say something but took one look at him and clamped her jaw shut. She was still angry, of course. He hadn't expected any less.

"I take it that wasn't Blake?" Yang asked needlessly, glaring at him.

"I haven't heard from her," he said.

"Well thanks for not getting distracted or anything," Yang spat sarcastically, leaving the room and slamming the door behind her. He wished he could tell her Blake would be okay, but she had no reason to believe it as anything other than a vacant attempt to cheer her up. Jaune winced again as his head throbbed with pain. Those painkillers he'd taken hadn't done anything to help.

"We've just come for some food," Weiss said. "Yang's… still upset."

"I can tell." he grunted, still rubbing his temples to try and massage the pain away.

Weiss tried for a smile, but shrugged when it never properly came out.

"Who were you talking to?"

"My sister. We're making plans for the end of semester." No need to tell Weiss what those plans were. She had enough to worry about. It didn't really matter anyway. Weiss hummed, making it clear she was just making conversation to distract herself.

For a few minutes there was no other sound in the room, other than the ticking of a clock on the nearby wall and the dull beat in his own head.

"You should come with us," Weiss said, not quite meeting his eyes.

"What good would that do? Do you even know what you'll do if you find her?" he asked, making the girl wince lightly. That was the ultimate irony in a sense, wasn't it? Weiss was still angry at Blake, still betrayed and upset – yet despite it all she continued to search for her. The young girl had no idea what she would do or whether she would be able to forgive the faunus. But the irony was, Jaune did.

Jaune knew she'd forgive Blake, that she would welcome her back and become one of the girl's closest and most trusted friends.

Yang and Blake had always been best friends, but that seemed to be on an emotional level, with the two teasing and baiting one another. Blake and Weiss were closer in a different way, an intellectual one – of two people who could associate and talk with one another about sensitive issues. Weiss gave Blake an outlet from Yang's puns and carefree attitude, while Blake gave Weiss the same from Ruby.

"I was angry when she admitted it," Weiss sighed. "Unbelievably angry. I couldn't even think, or maybe that was all I could think about. It didn't matter what her reasons were or what made her decide to leave them, only that she'd lied to me all this time." She turned to him, "Do you think she had good reason to?"

"Everyone has reasons," Jaune shrugged. "Some are good, some bad and others don't even make sense. But we all have reasons to do what we do."

"Even you?"

He shrugged, "I'm no different."

 _You just wouldn't ever be able to understand mine._

"I never used to hate the White Fang," Weiss said, lying back a little on her bed so that her head rested on the pillow. "Our family had faunus maids and servants who were well-paid and happy. Father only got rid of them after the first problems occurred, and even then only because one of the butlers let the White Fang in." She laughed softly, "I remember being so upset because I used to love the woman who was my nanny, and they were taking her away as well. She didn't do anything wrong. I think she would have died before letting anyone hurt me."

It would have been so easy to hate her father, Jaune thought. But like he had said, there were reasons for everything. If the man feared for the life of his daughter, was any decision to be considered too drastic?

"It never got better though. If anything, the firings made it worse because people took it as a sign that we hated all faunus. The mines are low-paid work and it's dangerous, I know. But we don't put our job adverts for _just_ faunus. It's just that faunus are the only ones desperate enough for the work… because they can't get jobs anywhere else in Atlas. I know that's no excuse, but we're not targeting them on purpose. What kind of business do you imagine would purposefully try and kill their workforce? Why would anyone think we would?"

"People look for someone to blame." Jaune ignored her as she looked towards him in surprise. "Humans, faunus, we all need something to hate when it comes down to it, to blame all our little problems on. A single company is easier to hate than an entire Government, or worse, a culture."

"That doesn't make sense."

"I told you, some people's reasons don't seem to make sense." He shrugged, "All that matters is that it makes sense to them."

"Why do you think Blake ran away?" Weiss asked. Jaune spared a glance for her, now propped up on one elbow and looking at him. He felt tired already, though maybe that was the stress talking. His nerves were on edge too, with only a week left until his freedom. If fate, or whatever it was, was to get in the way… then it would happen soon.

He didn't need to answer her. In fact, part of him wondered if he would be better off staying silent, but the way she'd asked it… it wasn't like Weiss to ask others for help or advice. This must have been weighing on her even heavier than he'd first thought. Jaune's eyes softened a little, as he decided to give her just a little bit of advice. She would make the right decision, like she always did, but maybe he could help her along a little.

"Who knows?" he shrugged. He knew. "Maybe it's because she thought everyone would turn on her."

"Yang wouldn't have," Weiss sighed. "And I don't think you would have, either."

"Oh?" Jaune glanced over to her.

"It's too much effort for you to bother," she said – and the sarcasm in her voice made him laugh lightly. She was right, in a roundabout way. He would never forgive Blake, for there had never been anything to forgive. Why bother making a fuss out of something you weren't upset about? "But I guess it doesn't matter what we think. Because Blake thought she had to run… her reasons were enough for her."

Weiss sounded so sad, likely because she'd been unable to list herself in those who would have forgiven their missing teammate. Weiss knew, or at least she thought she knew, that Blake would never trust her. With a sigh, Jaune braced his shoulders and went for the distraction.

"If I knew making some crap like this up would be enough to keep you quiet I'd have done it a long time ago."

"What was that?" She was sitting up and levelling a glare at him in a flash. Jaune hid his smile, pleased despite himself to see her a little livelier. "I never said I was taking your advice to heart. Goodness knows you have to be the worst example of human empathy I've ever seen."

"Someone lacking empathy struggles to understand the emotions of others, right? I think you're pretty angry right now – did I get it right?"

Weiss didn't answer, or at least not in the vocal sense. Instead, a pillow bounced off his face as she huffed and rolled over, presenting her back to him. He thought about pointing out that the way she was laying made her skirt ride up, but he shook his head and turned over, granting his partner some privacy instead.

"I'm not going to give up on her."

"Hm?" Jaune heard the girl roll over once more, but he remained as he was.

"I'm not going to give up on Blake that easily."

"I never expected you to."

"I'm going to find her… then I'm going to force the answers out of her!"

Jaune blinked. Okay, not quite as lovey-dovey as he'd imagined. Maybe the whole forgiveness thing had been more of a last minute thing from Weiss in the other lifetimes. Not that it mattered, it always played out the same.

Team RWBY always came back together.

"Ugh…" A lance of pain burned through his skull, making him grip his head in both hands. "Just… just a headache, ignore me. What were you asking?"

"Won't you come with us?" she repeated. "You say you don't know why Blake left either. Why not try and find the answer?" Jaune wanted to sigh, but his head was pounding too much and he instead just grunted.

"For someone to want an answer there has to be a question they want to ask. There's nothing I feel I need to ask her." He already knew her reasons, what more was there?

"Why do you hate the White Fang so?" she asked.

Jaune sighed, bringing his arms up over his head, both to block the bright light from his eyes but also in a vague attempt to ignore the question. He could feel those pale eyes boring into the back of his head though.

"Who says I have any particular reason to dislike them?"

"You," she said. "Last night."

"I said they were scum, along with a few other things. Most people tend to have a poor opinion of terrorists, it's hardly anything special."

Weiss laughed, "Anything that can get a reaction like that out of you is definitely special. About the only emotion I've been able to squeeze out of you is various stages of distress at training."

"Do you want more?" he asked, grinning. The pain had started to dull a little, into what was just a normal, ignorable headache. "I could go for wildly in love, if that helps. Maybe call you Snow Angel."

The sound she made might have been something between a cough, a shout and someone trying to swallow a watermelon whole. It wasn't something he'd ever heard from her before and he desperately wished he could see the look on her face.

"Call me something like that and I'll show you real distress," she growled. "I can't imagine how annoying you would be if you acted like some lovesick fool."

"Who knows? Maybe I'd try my hardest and do everything you say in an attempt to impress you. I might even appear outside your door to serenade you."

Weiss snorted in quite the unladylike manner, "That doesn't sound like you at all."

"Yeah…" Jaune smiled sadly. He hadn't been like that for so long now, enough time that he could only vaguely remember that he'd once harboured such feelings for the girl. That and the niggling reminder in his head that he'd been absolutely insufferable about it, to the point that he'd somehow been able to miss Pyrrha's rather blatant attempts at catching his attention.

And how he could fail to spot her feelings, he had no idea. _I must have been a complete wreck back then._

Still, it was sad to imagine how much he'd changed, though perhaps that was inevitable. Nothing stayed the same, or so it was for normal people. It felt somehow stranger for him, since he'd changed so much over the repeats, while everyone he knew remained the same. Of course they wouldn't change; to them it was only ever a year or two.

"Is our team really so annoying to you?"

The question caught him by surprise, so lost in thought as he was. But it was an opportunity nonetheless. Weiss was the last bastion of support he had.

"Yes." Jaune said. He couldn't see her, and that was perhaps for the best, she might have seen the deceit in his eyes. "Blake's a terrorist, Yang's a violent psychopath and you nag me all the time. I'd have to be an absolute masochist to like being here."

"Do you hate us that much?"

 _Don't sound so sad about it..._ Jaune flinched behind his arms.

"I do." he said.

It came out in a quiet breath, leaving nothing but the beating of his heart in his ears. He wondered what she would do. Would she shout and yell at him, accuse him of being a monster? He'd deserve it all, but it had to be done. The cut had to be clean so that they wouldn't be in agony when he left. If this was how bad they were when Blake vanished for two days, he couldn't let his expulsion cripple them.

"Liar."

Jaune froze. The tone of Weiss' voice, it wasn't angry or accusatory, more disappointed. He turned over in the bed to look at her, in time to see the frustrated look she gave him.

"You're such a liar Jaune Arc. If you truly didn't care then you wouldn't do half the things you do. You wouldn't have stepped in to have Yang help Velvet."

"I only did that because I couldn't be bothered to listen to all of you whining!"

"You also wouldn't have put up with Ruby. She's enough to annoy even Yang some times, yet you act like an indulgent big brother willing to listen to her no matter how bad she is."

"She's just a ki-"

"And you wouldn't have tried to help Yang at Forever Fall. You wouldn't have sat here and listened to me now – or accepted any of the training I forced you through. And you definitely wouldn't have helped Blake like you did."

"Helped _her_?" he laughed, trying to force as much scorn into his voice as possible. "Are we even talking about the same person? I don't think I've done much to help someone stuck out on her own in Vale."

He expected Weiss to give in, that she would bristle in anger – but instead she grinned like a shark.

"You didn't stay for Blake's confession," Weiss continued, never once looking away from him. "You left before she said what she had done, yet you haven't once been lost when I talk about her being a terrorist. You knew from the start exactly what she was, from the very first day you met her. You either knew, or Blake somehow felt comfortable enough to tell you."

And she definitely didn't need to narrow those down, since the chances Blake would have confided in him were pretty low. Jaune managed to hide his wince only because of experience but even then he was kicking himself inside. That was always the problem with time travel, remembering what was specific to this life and not the last, or any number of times before.

Weiss had involved him so casually in conversation that he hadn't even thought to consider what he should or shouldn't know. He was only lucky it wasn't something that could have ruined him.

"I knew she was in the White Fang," Jaune admitted. "But I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"You didn't tell anyone," Weiss pointed out. "You didn't tell us about it."

"It wasn't my secret to tell."

"Strange," the white-haired girl smiled, "that you would show so much respect to someone you apparently hate. If I disliked someone half as much as you claim to, I'd have run straight to the headmaster."

Jaune clamped his mouth shut. If she was determined to twist his words then he wouldn't give her any. Perhaps he'd already given her too many. She'd always been sharp, sharper than him – even with all his extra years. He was a fighter, someone who acted on instinct. He'd gotten better after all this time, but it seemed he still wasn't on her level.

"If it were me in trouble then, would you also refuse to help?"

"What?" Jaune asked, frowning slightly as the girl stared at him. "Where's all this coming from?"

"It's a simple question. It should be easy to answer if you feel like you do. If I was in trouble, would you leave me to suffer?"

That wasn't fair – it wasn't the same thing and he didn't know what to say. Blake wasn't in trouble, or at least not in trouble she wouldn't get out of. Jaune also had other things holding him back, like Ozpin's offer which still lay on the table. If he explained all of that then Weiss might have understood, but it would have led to other questions as well. Inevitably they would have been just as difficult to answer – like why he wanted to leave Beacon at all.

And here came his headache again, back like a sun burning the front of his brain.

To his infinite relief the opening of their door saved him from having to reply. Yang pushed her way back into the room, throwing something towards the two of them. Jaune caught it automatically, looking down at the assorted packets of food on the bed.

"This isn't what I meant by stopping for dinner," Weiss sighed, but he heard her tear open a packet and start to eat regardless. Jaune turned his over, noticing that they were field rations that Beacon made for students going on long missions or treks.

"I've already eaten," he said. The dried food was full of calories and very nutritious. It tasted like it too, in the horrible way only the healthiest of foods could. It was like eating cardboard with sand strewn over the top. Right now it was the last thing he wanted, since he felt more like bashing his head against a wall to make the pain stop.

"Great," Yang said, "Then you'll be full and ready to help us out in Vale. Ruby and Pyrrha say they've kept an eye out in Beacon but she hasn't been seen."

"You're going out again?" Jaune turned to the clock on the wall, "It's past seven."

"We'll have an easier time with less people on the streets as it gets darker. It'll give us an advantage."

"There's that troubling word again. You keep saying _us_ and _we_ , when I think you mean Weiss and you."

Yang didn't scowl, nor did she get angry at him. That was the first sign, and one Jaune didn't miss as he sat up on his bed. He'd spend enough time being friends with the girl to know how volatile her temper could be, not to mention spotting the signs of it. There was always a calm before the storm with Yang – and you'd have to be a fool to miss it.

"Nope," she said, echoing her sister, though he supposed that conversation hadn't happened this time. "You've had most of the day to yourself. Now you're coming out with us to find Blake."

"You weren't able to find a thing all day," he tried to be reasonable about it, but the way her skin darkened told him she thought he was rubbing her nose in it. "If she doesn't want to be found then she won't be. How can two people – or even three – be expected to find a single girl across all of Vale?"

"We have to _try_! I'm sorry if we can't all be like you and not give a shit, but my partner is out there and she needs our help!" Weiss winced as Yang's volume increased, or maybe it was the curse, Jaune wasn't sure. Yang usually had a pretty good grip on her mouth, usually for Ruby's benefit, but it slipped when she got really pissed.

"You don't know she nee-"

"You don't know she doesn't!" Yang roared. Weiss flinched and looked away, while Jaune weathered the storm as best he could. Heat rolled off her in waves, threatening to smother him. For a moment he wondered if they might actually come to blows.

But it winked out a second later.

" _Please_ , Jaune…" and the soft tone of her voice made him _wish_ she had punched him. "If you care for us even the slightest – even if you don't get on with Blake – then please… all I'm asking is a little of your time, the slightest bit of help."

Her eyes bore into his, her lilac irises filled with such emotion that it made him want to die. He could, couldn't he… it wouldn't be that much of a risk, would it? He wanted so badly to get rid of the pain she felt. Yang had always been such a close friend, to see her like this was agonising.

" _Even the smallest improvement, just a sign that you could be a person that others could rely on to protect them. It would be enough to assure your place here with us."_

Jaune swallowed the guilt, the resentment and the desire to help his friend.

"I can't."

"Can't?" Yang laughed, though there was no mirth in it. "Or won't?"

The pattern of his sheets was the only thing he could see.

"Okay," she said. "Well… I guess that's how it is. Not sure what I expected really. I mean… you don't even want to be here."

"What!?" Weiss gasped.

"I know it's my fault too," Yang ignored her, "but I guess I sort of figured I could make it up, or that we could make it work. I was wrong… I get that. It's just…" Yang sighed, pushing her hair back. "I thought for a minute that things might actually be working out. We were laughing, you hung out with us and you even helped me the other week when Cardin tried to throw sap at me."

He felt sick. Anger he was prepared for. It would have been easier to deal with. But the sheer amount of _disappointment_ in her voice made his stomach roil. His headache had become worse, like waves crashing against a shore within his mind. He thought for a moment that he might pass out.

"I guess you tried, which is more than I'd have expected. So yeah, thanks for giving us a go." Yang turned away, walking to the door. She didn't turn as she pulled it open, nor did she look back as she spoke, "But if you hate us that much… then you don't need to pretend anymore."

Jaune and Weiss were left alone in the room, though from the way she slowly climbed to her feet he knew it would soon only be him. Perhaps it would be better that way. The room already felt suffocating, and that was just with the two of them.

"What did she mean you don't want to be here?"

"You should catch up with her," he dodged the question. "If you don't catch up then she'll think you're siding with me."

Weiss looked like she wanted to argue. She looked at him, then back to the door – before letting out a quick curse and rushing after the other girl. He wanted to say she made the right choice choosing Yang over him, but it still hurt.

"Well I messed that up…" he sighed. Gods but he felt so tired, so utterly and thoroughly exhausted. How could it be that this was harder than dying? It didn't make sense that putting himself through this could hurt worse than fighting a losing battle, of watching another lifetime slip away. Death and loss he was used to… but this felt like the first time in so long in which he'd actually disgusted the people he cared about.

Or maybe that was it. Maybe it was so hard because it had been so long since he'd been anything other than their best friend. Someone they could trust on to watch their backs, a teammate they could rely on. He was a far cry from that now.

But if he changed his tune, if he had agreed to help them… even if Ozpin didn't take it as a sign and still let him leave, it would just end with Yang, Weiss and Blake hunting him down. They'd travel all the way to Ansel if they had to, just to try and bring him back. He was sure of it. That was just the kind of people they were, utterly loyal to the people they loved. And so… he could not let them love him.

That necessity didn't make it hurt any less, however.

And of course, they still wouldn't find Blake. She would come back and this whole situation would be over and done with, but they weren't likely to forget that he'd stood back and refused to join in. Even if Blake didn't let it bother her, it was clear Yang would never see him the same.

"My damned head," Jaune groaned, gripping his skull with both hands.

Something was wrong.

He knew it.

* * *

"He didn't mean it like that," Weiss tried to catch up with the blonde, who was pushing ahead with reckless abandon. "Did you see him? He looks like he's sick!"

"Don't," Yang choked, and it was the croaky sound of her voice that made Weiss wince. Like she was fighting back tears that she refused to shed. "Just… just don't make excuses, Weiss." At any other time Weiss would have stopped, would have listened. She liked to think she'd grown though, in her short time with the team.

At the very least she'd grown enough that she refused to leave Yang to be upset alone.

"I think he does care," Weiss pushed on. "I… I don't think he fully means what he says, or at least not as he says it." It sounded weak even to her, but it wasn't something she could easily explain. "He has to have his reasons!"

"And _what_ ," Yang barked a bitter laugh, "would those be?"

Weiss winced, "I don't know. But that doesn't mean they're not important – or at least to him." And here she was, throwing his words back in Yang's face, even though she had barely understood them herself. If Yang knew where the wisdom had come from she'd have never taken it. All the better that Weiss wasn't going to mention it. "We have no idea what history he has with the White Fang… it might not be that he hates Blake. Maybe he's just afraid of what will happen if he sees her again."

" _You_ have every right to be afraid of what might happen," Yang said, still not turning around to face her. Weiss made no effort to look at her face, worried that she might see tears and feel even worse. "Yet here you are, willing to at least try – even if you're not sure what will happen."

"That's me, though," Weiss whispered. "This is Jaune. We're not the same person; we're going to act in different ways."

"What do you think then?" Yang asked, turning at last to face her. The blonde girl's cheeks were clear, but her eyes were rimmed red. She looked so proud that Weiss tried to pretend she didn't see it. It was hard though, since the mere sight made her eyes want to water as well. "What do you think he feels about us all?"

That threw her for a moment. In some ways Weiss wasn't sure what kind of person her partner was. After what he'd said, she would trust he had a reason for his actions. But that didn't mean it made any more sense. Was his reason good or bad – and who for? In some strange way, some indiscernible manner, he almost reminded Weiss of her father. Not in the way he looked or acted, at least most of the time, but in the way he held himself back.

She knew her father cared about her. He always had, but that same caring had taken turns that she didn't agree with. He hadn't wanted her to attend Beacon. Instead he had wanted her to work within the company, to do something she hated… and he hadn't been afraid to try and force the issue. But that wasn't because he didn't care about her. In truth, it was because he perhaps cared too much, enough that he would be willing to limit and try to control her life, just to keep her safe.

She didn't think that was Jaune's reason here, or that he somehow refused to go with them because he wanted to discourage them from wandering Vale after dark. But that didn't mean he was just being lazy either.

" _I knew about her being in the White Fang,"_ he had said, _"It wasn't my secret to tell."_

But if he hated the White Fang, and if he was angry at Blake… then why worry over spilling such a secret at all? Why respect her enough to keep it?

"I don't know," Weiss admitted at last. "But one thing I do know is that Jaune is definitely lazy."

"What's your point?" Yang sighed, shoulders slumped.

"Well if he was truly lazy. If he really was completely apathetic and didn't care either way... then wouldn't he have agreed to come with us?" Yang spared her an odd look so Weiss hurried to explain. "What I mean is, surely the _easier_ option is just to come with us – or to agree but not put any effort in? And if he really didn't care either way about us or Blake, then he would just pick the path of least resistance. A person like that wouldn't start an argument, because that's too much effort."

That seemed to make Yang pause. It didn't last for long, however, as a great sigh tore itself from the taller girl's lungs, her entire frame seeming to shrink an inch or two.

"I'm just tired," she said slowly, and the exhaustion in it made Weiss's forehead crease with worry. "One moment he cares, the next he doesn't, and even then it's never clear what he thinks or wants. It's my fault he's here and I've been trying so hard Weiss, so _hard_ to make it work."

And Weiss still didn't know what she meant by that. Yang's fault he was here? Where? At Beacon – or this team in particular, and why would that matter either way? He was a student like them. He signed up, passed the tests and got in – just like the rest of them. She didn't ask though. Not when Yang looked stressed enough already.

"I've been back and forth so much," the blonde went on. "One moment I'm scared, the next I'm thrilled because it looks like he really cares, then I'm back into the dumps again, then excited once more. I can't keep doing this Weiss."

"I know Yang," Weiss said, wanting to help but not knowing how. "We can fix this though, give me a chance to talk to him – after we find Blake. I can make it work, I swear."

"I don't know Weiss." Yang tried to smile, but it came out a grimace. "I'm not a yo-yo and being yanked back and forth is making me feel sick to my stomach. It hurts too, since I'm never sure if he hates or likes me. Hell, just the other day Ruby was telling me how she thinks he's in love with me. Do you know how confusing all that is?"

"I do," Weiss said, thinking instantly of not just her father but also her sister, two people who also didn't make it clear how they felt. It was easier for Weiss, though, if only because of how busy they were but the fact that she didn't have to share a room with the two.

"I don't want to be the one who gives up," the blonde said, "but this… did you know Ruby's only my half-sister?"

"I didn't," Weiss said. She had half-expected it, since they looked so different, but the two were close enough that it never bothered Weiss. But if Yang wanted to talk then Weiss would listen. The girl looked like she needed it.

"My dad used to be married to my mum and had me." The despondent tone of Yang's voice told the heiress the tale wasn't going to be a happy one, and Yang didn't waste any time buttering her up. "She left soon after I was born."

"Why did she leave?"

"No idea." Yang laughed bitterly. "I didn't even get to meet her and she never gave a reason. Just lived with dad, gave birth to me and decided she didn't like it anymore. I never even got to see her, never received so much as a letter."

"I'm sorry…"

"Thing is," Yang went on, "I got over that, or I thought I did. But I've always wanted to know why and kept trying to find out, to hunt her down and demand an answer. I guess it's like you and Blake. I'm pretty sure the answer's going to piss me off, but I can't go on forever not knowing."

"And Jaune reminds you of her," Weiss sighed.

"Weird, I know. I didn't even know her, so how could he be like her? But after Summer, our other mother, went and got killed… I guess I started feeling like I had to know where I stand with people."

Abandonment issues, Weiss didn't say. It was fairly clear, however, and from the uncomfortable look on her face, Yang knew it too. For a girl who kept losing people, Weiss supposed it made sense that she would stick to anything that's stable. Was that why she was so desperately closed to Ruby? _And of course Jaune would be the absolute worst person to be near Yang… since we can't tell how he feels._

"I think I understand," Weiss sighed, reaching out to touch Yang's arm. "What do you want to do?"

"I want to find Blake," Yang sighed. "I want to just get everyone together and see what happens. See if we can't force a final answer out of him. Out of both of them."

"And if either of them refuses?"

"Then…" Yang's face was agonised. "Then I'll quit. I can't keep doing this Weiss. I can't."

Would their team even survive? Weiss wasn't sure.

But she wasn't willing to give up just yet.

* * *

Jaune hadn't even gotten two hours to himself. He'd left the room almost as soon as they had, eager to escape the oppressing atmosphere and any reminder of the lifelong friends who weren't his friends. He hadn't been in the mood for anything. Not guitar, not training – not even sex. Instead he'd wandered aimlessly around the academy, steadfastly ignoring anyone who tried to engage him in conversation. No one had tried, perhaps because of how he'd staggered by, as though drunk. Occasionally he'd stopped to hold his head, the dangerous hum within rising to a crescendo as it threatened to overwhelm him.

He'd never had a headache so bad before… not once.

But eventually he found a place to crash, and crash he did – slumping into a corner with heavy breath. No one would find him there, or so he'd thought. And when he awoke in the morning, a night's sleep would surely have gotten rid of the pain.

That was where Ruby found him, knees drawn up to his chest, head resting atop them in the corner of some dark classroom. He heard her before he saw her. The rapid staccato of what could only be her boots and semblance combined audible down the corridor, before the door was wrenched open.

"I'm not in the mood, Ruby," Jaune growled, loud enough to make her flinch. The pain was throbbing behind his eyes, the pulsing sensation throbbing away. Even her brightly coloured clothes seemed to hurt him. His fingers came to his nose reflexively, coming away red.

For a moment he thought his harsh words might have been enough, as her face twisted with indecision and she seemed to gnaw on her lower lip. But she took a step forward.

"Yang is really upset." the small girl whispered. She was so quiet, yet in the silence of the room her words reached him without difficulty. His jaw ached as he grit hit teeth. _Tell me something I don't know Ruby. You've always been a master of the obvious._

"Did she put you up to this? I'd have thought Yang cared enough about you not to throw you into the firing line."

"Yang didn't put me up to anything," Ruby said and sat down beside him. Her shoulders were stiff, as though she wasn't sure if he wouldn't knock her aside or something. He tried to tone down on how angry he felt. She didn't deserve his rage. None of them did – only two people had any right to be hated: Cinder… and himself. "I overheard her in the corridors," Ruby admitted with a sheepish expression. "I didn't mean to but… a-anyway, that's not important. She said how…" Ruby stammered, and there seemed to be a quiver to her voice, "she said how she might quit Beacon."

"She won't." Jaune said confidently. He knew she wouldn't because that had never happened before. Yang stayed at Beacon until the end.

"I wish I could share your confidence," Ruby mumbled – and it wasn't just her unusual choice of words that made him pause, but the way she said them. Was Ruby…? Well, it made sense that she would be angry at him as well. "Yang was really upset Jaune. This Blake thing has really hurt her – and it's worse because she thinks she is the only one who actually wants Blake back."

The accusation was clear, and if it weren't for the pain he felt he might have mentioned it. Instead he just sat there with laboured breathing, trying to gather himself and think.

"Weiss wants her back," Jaune said, and once more Ruby gave him a strange look. "I know how my partner thinks, Ruby. Trust me in that, even if it's the only thing you can trust me in."

"I do trust you," she said.

Jaune snorted. She had tried to hide it but he could hear the hesitation there.

"They'll find Blake and bring her back," he said. "And when they do, Weiss and Yang will welcome her with open arms. They're not going to let a pair of cat ears get between them."

Ruby gave him a small smile and a nod. Even if she wasn't sure what was going on, it was clear she still took him at his word. She would see, either way. It would work out. It always did. Blake always did this – she always ran, the stupid, _stupid_ girl. And she always got out of it alive, that was a given. But that was because Ruby was always there to rescue her, and on those rare times when Ruby wasn't a member of the team… Jaune made sure to conveniently find a reason to drag her along to the docks. Or handle it himself. Or someone else would go and stop her; Weiss, Yang or Pyrrha.

"But even if they come back together… things won't be the same, will they?"

"Things change," Jaune grunted as he pinched his nose and looked towards the ceiling. She meant how things wouldn't be the same between Yang and him; it was always fairly obvious with Ruby. "You won't have to worry about it for too long." She shot him a worried look. "Holidays are coming up soon. Things will calm down after that, you'll see."

"I guess," Ruby smiled, and he felt a stab of guilt for what he truly meant. Things certainly would change. There wouldn't be any more arguments between Team Jazzberry for one, because they would be down their leader. "So are you going to hide here until it's all over?"

"I'm not hiding," Jaune said. It was a lie and they both knew it. He wasn't hiding from Yang though, but rather trying to hide from his own emotions. "It's just comfortable here."

"Hmm…" Ruby pushed herself back up, apparently having found out whatever it was she wanted. Jaune wasn't sure if he'd passed her test or not, likely not considering how he wasn't going to be moved to do anything. "I should go then," she said. "You… don't look very good, and I have to meet up with Pyrrha in the library."

What…?

"Aren't you going out into Vale?" Jaune asked, staring at her through one eye, the other scrunched shut as he massaged his temples. Why was his brain hurting so much? It was like something was screaming to get out. It was already getting on late; shouldn't she have already been dragged out by Yang to help look?

"Eh?" Ruby tilted her head to the side. The innocent expression was at odds with the agony he felt. "No… why would I?"

"What about the docks?" Jaune rushed, the pounding in his head seemed to reach its climax. Like static growing louder. For a second he thought it might knock him out. His vision swam but he fought past it to ask, "What about Penny?"

"Who?" Ruby asked, before her eyes lit up and she let out a sigh. "Jaune, her name's _Blake_ , not Penny." The small girl sighed, apparently not noticing how his mouth fell open. "Besides, my team wants to go over homework together and Yang's asked us to keep an eye out if Blake comes back her- Jaune!? Jaune, where are y-?" He didn't hear anymore. The door slammed shut behind him but he was already briskly walking down the corridor, heart hammering in his chest. Ruby hadn't met Penny. None of them had, now that he thought about it. What was more; Ruby wasn't a member of Team RWBY. There _was_ no Team RWBY.

That had happened before – _of course it had_. He'd tried so many different teams, done so many different things. He knew how they worked. He could go through the motions almost automatically. He had been for the last few decades, doing the same thing over and over, just changing little things to see what it changed.

And that was the problem. It was just one of those little things he'd gotten used to doing, almost without thinking about it. Like his training before Beacon, like running away from his family or throwing himself in front of every little attack that might have threatened his friends. It was as instinctual as breathing, which was what had made trying _not_ to do it so hard. If Ruby wasn't on the team to save Blake then he'd always done little things to make sure someone else _was_. But this time he'd done something he had never tried before. He'd done n _othing_. He hadn't thought to put any plans in place, because he'd been so focused on forcing himself not to act like he always did. He'd just assumed it would go how it always did.

How it always did when he was actively trying...

Men and women shouted in shock and surprise as his power-walk broke into a mad dash, insults were hurled as he knocked students aside, but he didn't stop for any of them. A teacher shouted for him to stop, but he ignored it, barrelling through anyone that dared stand in his path, heart hammering in his chest. The pain in his head was gone, replaced now with perfect clarity - and a crushing weight on his chest.

He'd fucked up.

And Blake was going to pay the price.

* * *

Blake cried out in agony as her back struck hard granite, bouncing and skittering across it until she came to an agonised halt. Sun screamed her name, or he might have, she couldn't even tell. Her heart beat in her ears and it felt like she was concussed. One hand pressed down in an effort to push herself up but a booted foot cruelly kicked it away, sending her falling to the ground so that her cheek slammed into it.

Sun went down – and didn't get back up. Torchwick, that hated man, looked down on him and laughed, as though seeing someone defeated defending another was the most hilarious thing. Blake tried to reach for her weapon, but a faunus in a familiar uniform kicked it away. She looked up towards him, not recognising the face she could see under the mask.

He sneered down at her, the unknown dog faunus, with eyes filled with hate. Why did he hate them so, when they were the same? Were these new recruits, savage fools who cared for nothing but bloodshed?

Or was this how they'd always been… and she had just never noticed?

 _He_ had been right… as much as it agonised her to admit it. They had become scum. Or they had always been scum, she didn't even know anymore. It all hurt too much, outside and in.

"Well, well, kitty-kat," Torchwick laughed, strolling towards her. The White Fang laughed at the derogatory jibe, even though it should have made them furious. By this point she couldn't say she recognised them all, working with not only a human but one as racist as this. "Didn't anyone ever tell you it's dangerous to be outside after bedtime?"

She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her. No matter what she said, no matter what foul curse she uttered, he would probably enjoy it.

 _Sorry Yang,_ she whispered to herself. _I guess I won't be proving him wrong anytime soon… guess I won't be coming back at all._

And Sun was going to die for her mistake as well. Would that she could die twice in his place. It seemed too steep a price to pay for just wanting to help her. Blake tried to gather herself, to cast one last clone in a desperate attempt to retrieve Sun and escape. Her aura was already so weak, though. Poorly rested and recovered after having so little food and sleep. It hadn't been full when she engaged Torchwick, and after a firm beating it was just about empty.

"No words?" he asked, and she locked her teeth together. "Shame kid, but you know… I can get behind a girl who knows when to shut her trap."

He lifted his cane to point towards her, the hollow end a damning reminder.

"Nighty-night, kiddo." Blake clenched her eyes shut. There was a click, followed by a loud explosion.

And a rush of heat.

* * *

 **This turned out to be a very difficult chapter for me, mainly for pacing reasons. Originally this was about 3-4k longer, but College Fool and I clashed (meh, over-dramatic, more like we slouched and chatted) over what to include. I wanted to include more, he suggested against it. I decided to take that advice this time and see where it goes. So I went and cut around 3k, rejigged and changed a lot and came to this.**

 **I thought as a kind of add-on to last chapter's AN about pacing, that I might actually explain a little decision making here to show you what i mean – it's spoiler-free. This chapter is obviously very much about the fracturing of Team JBWY, and that deserves a chapter to actually happen, to show it taking place and the fallout of it. In a shorter story where chapters are 5k or so, I'd have just left it at that – as a single chapter of them searching in vain while all blaming themselves. But the chapters are long… so I asked myself, what do I do? Do I play it as though there is two chapters? And write what I planned – but then go further as well? This is what I did at first, but despite the "length" suggesting it was like two chapters, it still felt super rushed.**

 **And that's because if you both start and finish an issue (like this) in one chapter, it feels like it's being trivialised. It would be like writing a romance with a big break-up in the middle – obviously it's meant to be a scary moment and a big deal – but if you have them break up, make up and get together again in the same chapter? That feels like it's got no consequence. There's no time for the readers to get used to it, no time to let the characters fester or experience it. Ultimately that's what I decided here, even if it means the chapter is a little shorter than usual and also lacks action. The Team's problems – the effect it has on them… it needs to be profound enough, big enough, to be an issue. Which means it needs a chapter to itself, and not to be included as a mere intro to a big climax. In that case the readers would just remember and enjoy the climax, without coming to understand how difficult the lead-up is for the characters.  
**

 **As a writer I know and appreciate that, but that's the trick question sort of… in a book you can turn the page to get more. Here you have to wait, and that makes things different, maybe... I'm not making excuses here as in the end I think the right choice was made, sort of… in fact, actually, I think the right choice would be to have had this as one chapter like this, but condense it to just 7k words or so and say "Short chapter today, sorry." In that way it would have the same effect but not seem to drag on. But I guess I felt like that might disappoint people and so pushed for more words. But is length for the sake of length really the right answer? I probably don't need an answer to that, lel – we all know it isn't. (I'm still going to stick to 15k chapters though, even if it's not the _perfect_ choice. Rather than balk at how hard it is, I want to see if I can find a way to get around it.)  
**

 **Anyway, I'm sure some will be disappointed that the docks isn't happening right now – but rest assured, it will happen next chapter and it will be big. The bigger the black moment, the bigger the climax. If this feels like a filler to anyone then all I'd like to say is that it isn't, this** _ **had**_ **to happen. There** _ **has**_ **to be this huge emotional break-up to make the story work. But hey, don't feel like you have to take my word on it. You'll see next time, I hope.  
**

 **After all, "All that is gold does not glitter."**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 16th September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	15. Chapter 15

**Another fortnight, another chapter. For those who may not have noticed, Stress Relief came to an end last Monday – and a new fic was released to replace it. You can find it, titled "The Entertainer" on my profile. I'm quite proud of Stress Relief, even if it attracted flames and a little bile.  
**

 **I hope you enjoy this chapter. Cover art for this chapter provided by `a Stuck at Home Tome` from the Professor Arc Forums.  
**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Chapter 15 – A Handful of Dust**

* * *

Jaune knew all about mistakes. He'd gotten into Beacon through a mistake, he'd become leader of Team JNPR by mistake, he had made more mistakes than most - and died from just as many. Early on in the repeats there had been so many mistakes as he desperately tried to change the timeline without any clear plan. People had died... lessons had been learned. But Jaune had never knowingly allowed a friend of his to die. Until now, that was.

He'd fucked up... and Blake was going to pay the price.

Plans and contingencies slammed into his mind, the tired organ running at 150% as he tried to remember every little aspect he could, what he would normally have done to keep Blake alive. The police were out, they were too slow to react and he didn't have the time for it – they would notice as soon as the first explosions went off anyway. Yang and Weiss had no reason to trust him and he couldn't take the chance they wouldn't follow his lead. The teachers…? They would need to discuss, decide if he was telling the truth and what to do. They would ask how he knew, and when he couldn't give an answer they might think it a cruel hoax.

It was already too late. Blake might not even have that time. His stomach rolled as he realised he couldn't remember what time she would die… because she _hadn't_ ever died there. He or Ruby had always saved her. He'd always been there in time.

The Academy doors burst open as he tripped outside, landing in a clumsy roll before looking around. This late at night the plaza was deserted, with only a few artificial lights for illumination, most of those leading towards the Bullhead docks. He followed them, breath heavy in his throat as he pushed his muscles on. If only he knew the co-ordinates for the docks he could have used his locker, but why would he have thought to learn those in advance?

"Bullheads are offline for the night," the man stood by the vehicles said, not even looking up from his scroll. He didn't see the fist that struck the side of his head, knocking him out. Jaune caught the man before he could fall, laying him down gently and running his hands around the inside of his uniform. The ID card he pulled forth labelled the man as a guard. It wouldn't be like the pilots would have still have been there if the Bullheads were down for the night. Jaune threw it atop his victim's chest with a curse, stalking over to the nearest Bullhead as he hefted his weapon.

The hilt of Crocea Mors shattered the passenger-side window with ease, the alarm blaring as Jaune ran his arm around the frame, knocking out any loose glass. His aura was enough for the shards that littered the seat as he pulled himself in, rolling under the dash and jamming his sword into the underside of the control panel. Wires and electronics fell down, dangling above him – and it was the work of a second to cut the alarm.

He hadn't spent a year or so serving under Roman Torchwick for nothing. With the amount of running they'd done, it made sense his getaway driver would have to know how to secure a vehicle, and there was nothing better to use than a Bullhead. Already he could feel his headache fall away, slipping into the back of his mind as he fell back into a routine he was used to, that of a soldier preparing for a personal war.

He would have considered being careful about the hot wiring but there just wasn't the time. The alarm was off but Beacon had a security desk and cameras that weren't going to miss the fact that it had sounded in the first place. The docks were the most obvious point for an enemy to land, after all, and as such were often under intense scrutiny.

"Come on…" Jaune whispered as he fiddled with wires, wincing as some dust fell in his eyes. There were hundreds of various coloured wires all twisted and locked together to make it less cluttered. Such was the effort anyway, in truth it was still a mess that would have taken an engineer hours to dig through. Jaune knew Bullheads, however, as much as he hated them. And as he cut two wires, peeled back the insulation and held them together, he was rewarded with the stuttering sound of an engine coming to life. That and the electricity which burned his fingers, but he ignored that, gritting his teeth as he wound the loose metal together, joining the wires. The engine continued as he sat back up and pushed some glass from the seat, strapping himself in.

There was a commotion over by the school, and Jaune sighed as his fingers danced over a cockpit _covered_ in glowing buttons and dials. Lights flickered on outside, the clamps holding the craft to the ground disengaged. He could hear the shouting now, pilots and crew sprinting across the grass towards him.

He hummed as he reached up to flick open the flight computer, inputting the commands for a manual override. The flight stick fell back into his hands, loose for a second before the system came to life and it became responsive in his grip. The cockpit shook as the engine noise became louder, the Bullhead hovering upwards as the lift finally reached the levels necessary to move its considerable bulk.

Down below he could hear people cursing but it was muted by the violent humming of the powerful motors. He pushed the stick to the right, tapping a dial for the port thrusters, making the ship tilt to the right. As it did, the vehicle's window looked out over the main tower of Beacon, of which Jaune could imagine Ozpin standing inside, watching. He couldn't see anything, but somehow it seemed impossible that the man would miss this.

" _Just a sign that you could be a person that others could rely on to protect them."_

Jaune couldn't help but think he should have been panicking, that the thought of his plans falling to pieces around his ears should have left him short of breath. His breathing was even, however, his heart rate falling to a normal level. There was no stress or pain, no doubt or panic. This was a situation he'd been in a thousand times before. The risk of losing someone, lives at stake… he was more used to that then he was anything else. His mind was clear, for what felt like the first time in weeks.

This was what he lived for. His face expressionless, mind empty and eyes focused. Logically, coldly, he considered the scenario. He could give up and let her die. She was going to die anyway, eventually. He should stop and let Torchwick kill her.

Just how she should have let Adam kill him when they had been captured... how she could have lived on if she had but sacrificed him.

" _I can't."_ Golden eyes, black hair and an expression filled with emotion. _"I'm sorry Jaune, but I can't."_

The stick was slammed forward, engines roaring angrily as Beacon disappeared behind him.

 _You're supposed to be leaving this behind you,_ his mind whispered. _Remember the plan, they're going to die anyway – what different does it make if she dies now or later?_ Jaune paid it no heed, eyes flickering over familiar flight controls. It was all instinct now, a routine he'd gotten used to.

The headset fit snugly over his head, already pre-set to the frequencies of Vale. An influx of radio chatter filtered into his ears as he kept the ship hurtling over the Emerald Forest towards the spires of the neon-lit city.

" _Three unidentified signals over Docks Sector 2-4B, designation Infil 1 through 3, all attempts to hail have been met with silence. Authorities have been alerted."_ A feminine voice reported. _"All airborne craft are advised to avoid the area, along with Sectors 2-4A, C and 2-3B."_

They were already there. It didn't tell him enough, only that events were happening as they always did. The Bullhead rattled as he pushed the engines harder, knowing they would overheat if he tried to keep it up indefinitely. Jaune could already feel his body being pushed back into the seat, as the G-force took effect on his body. The shattered window hardly helped, with the wind whistling in at extreme speeds.

" _Beacon aircraft approaching Sector 16F. Be advised you are entering Vale airspace at restricted speeds. Please slow your approach."_

A few taps on the flight computer showed he was coming up on the mentioned area, which meant they'd managed to spot him.

" _Beacon aircraft, do you copy? Please reduce speed and submit entry codes for Vale airspace."_

He had no good answer to that so remained silent. In the background he could still make out the radio chatter discussing the unidentified craft at the docks, which as of yet hadn't opened fire or made any overtly aggressive motions. They didn't have to, since it would be Torchwick who would kill Blake.

His left hand came off the computer to rest on the coolant drive, injecting ice dust into the motors in a controlled burst that plunged the temperature of the engines. The craft shook and rattled angrily, the shift in temperature stressing the metal to the point where it began to flex. Atlas engineering kicked in soon enough, however, ensuring that the bucket of nuts and bolts remained in one piece, now with an engine re-heating from a safer temperature.

" _Beacon aircraft you are illegally entering Vale airspace. Submit codes and reduce you speed immediately!"_ There was a pregnant pause punctuated only by the roar of his engine, before he heard the woman curse. " _We have unauthorised aircraft entering Vale – new designation Infil4. Be aware. Divert all flights in path projecting… Infil4 is headed to Sector 2-4B. Alerting authorities. Advisory, deploy more forces to Sector 2-4B._ "

Good.

The buildings of Vale sped by beneath him, nothing more than grey blurs as he cut a trail above the city, careful to avoid any of the taller buildings by a generous margin. At the speeds he was travelling, let alone the height, it was impossible to see the people on the streets – but he could imagine how they might look up in shock, wincing at the orange trail he left behind, not to mention the noise.

The ocean began to appear ahead, or more specifically the buildings gave way to sparser industrial areas, with squat warehouses and factories. Further ahead, the navigational computer alerted him to the presence of three other aircraft. They weren't showing up on signal, however, which likely meant they'd scrambled it and had chosen a different radio frequency. That meant they wouldn't have heard his approach over the chatter, either.

" _Infil4, you are ordered to reduce speed immediately or face consequences. You are granted amnesty to touch down in Sector 2-4B where you will be apprehended peacefully."_

"Copy that," Jaune spoke – and if it weren't for his nerves he might have smiled at how shocked the sudden silence sounded.

" _I-Infil4, copy? You will touch down and cease breach of Vale airspace?"_

Jaune's fingers flew over the touchscreen computer, months of gruelling training under Torchwick coming to mind as protocols and safeguards were overridden. The computer seemed to fight him every step of the way, before giving in with a silent ding. A holographic panel projected onto the air before him, suspended between his face and the window like a sheet of film. There was a green circle in the middle and a tactical map. Three shapes were highlighted in neon green, text scrolling beside them.

"In a manner of speaking," Jaune agreed, flipping the top of the flight stick open and revealing an angry red button.

" _INFIL4 HAS ENGAGED WEAPONS SYSTEMS!"  
_

* * *

The cane in Roman's hand jerked once, the vibrations travelling up his arm as his muscles adjusted to better take the recoil. The girl had her eyes closed, having given up entirely. That was fine with him. Even a monster such as he didn't get any real joy out of seeing the fear in their eyes.

The red dust round struck her face, passing straight through it and impacting the ground a few metres behind her in a fiery explosion.

The criminal sighed, shaking his head as he brought Melodic Cudgel up to rest against his shoulder.

"You know, I gave you an easy way out," he said, tapping one foot on the ground. "But you just couldn't take it, could you?"

The girl glared back up at him from her position laid flat on the ground. The headless clone faded away, just like the irritating others she'd used before. Except that this time she didn't seem to have enough juice left to actually effect an escape.

"Silent, moody and a pain in the ass to get rid of," he sighed. "All you need is a stupid hairstyle and you'd remind me of someone I know." Not that he'd say that around Neo, since he preferred his balls where they were.

With a roll of his eyes he strode forwards, watching her arms with narrowed eyes, before he stepped up to place his foot directly in the centre of her chest. He wasn't going to waste any more time here. If she could pull a clone and get out from under his foot he'd be surprised. Just for good measure he placed the tip of his cane directly beneath her nose.

"Stay still this time." Golden eyes glared up at him as if it were all his fault. _Hey kid, you're the one who decided to come out here and mess with us. I'm not the one who forced you to stick your nose in._ He sighed. Leaving bodies was the mark of an amateur. Then again, leaving witnesses was worse.

 _Sorry kid,_ he thought, _wrong place, wrong time. It's nothing personal._

His finger squeezed the trigger – but the explosion that sounded was not his.

"What the-?" the incredible roar split the air apart, like some terrible thunder barking in rapid succession. Heat splashed over them a second later as one of the Bullheads he'd picked out for the heist was _scythed_ apart in a merciless hail of fire. The engines and tanks ignited in an instant, the craft and all inside engulfed in a fiery explosion that even he doubted he could have survived.

The force of it knocked the White Fang to their knees, and although he was made of sterner stuff, he still staggered a few steps, whipping a hand across his eyes to stop any dust being blown in.

A streak of silver sped by, metal screaming angrily as a Bullhead switched from flight to hover mode, wings and engines nearly buckling under the stress. Even as it turned, even as whatever idiot piloted it nearly _tore_ it to pieces, the guns whirred to life once more.

"Scatter!" Roman screamed, not giving nearly as many shits about the White Fang as he did himself, but the more people running about, the harder it would be for the bastard to pick a proper target. The criminal grabbed his lapel in one hand as he ducked behind a dust container – and he definitely didn't miss the irony of using the most volatile substance on Remnant as cover. "Get that bastard out of the sky!" he shouted into his collar and the electronic device sewn in there.

"We're trying!" one of the pilots shouted back, and Roman managed to feel stupid for all of a second – as though the stupid animals would have somehow not noticed one of their buddies going up in fire. They were dumb and useless, but not _that_ stupid.

This wasn't normal… Roman knew that because he wasn't an idiot either. When you spent most of your time being hunted down by Vale and Atlas, you picked up a sudden desire to know a lot about how those two Kingdoms went about hunting their enemies. Vale was a pretty peaceful city; hence it was his stomping ground. The authorities asked questions first, gave warnings second and then opened fire pretty much never. At least, they didn't if you didn't shoot first. That made dealing with them fairly easy, since letting yourself be captured then having Neo break you out was a damn sight easier than risking your life in a fire fight. A couple were corrupt too, so he knew which ones he could slip a little lien to in order to make them look the other way.

Either way, Roman knew his way around the VPD, which was why he knew this wasn't them. They definitely wouldn't have just up and incinerated a single suspicious Bullhead – and definitely not over the bloody docks themselves. The wreckage had already hurtled to the ground, tearing aside metal containers and igniting the contents in what was quickly becoming a rather incredible inferno. _Yeah and I bet no one's going to notice that,_ he growled. Within the hour the flames would be bigger than the warehouses themselves and already the glow must have been visible for a mile. There went any hopes of getting through this little shit storm without attracting any attention. Cinder wasn't going to be pleased.

"We're engaging!" One of the animals shouted, and the crook grinned as he watched the two remaining craft speed after the first. Roman glanced back to where he'd run from, in time to see the stupid cat trying to crawl over to the monkey. One arm after the other, she dragged herself across the floor.

"Oh for…" Roman sighed and pulled his hat down over his fringe, puffing angrily on a cigar. Cinder was already going to be _pissed_ , and with one Bullhead down he wasn't going to be carting away nearly as much dust as he needed to. Someone had to pay for that. "Here kitty, kitty, kitty!" He called, gritting his teeth as he strode out across the open ground, wincing at every explosion or rattle of automatic fire above him. The faunus' head turned to see him, eyes glinting in the dark like topaz. He could see how wide they were, her legs scrabbling in an attempt to stand up. He hadn't signed up for killing kids, but when those same kids were willing to hold a blade to his throat and cause _this_ kind of trouble, then maybe it was time to make an exception.

"Stay back!" the girl hissed. She'd reached her downed friend and seemed to be trying to stand up to defend him, but for her legs which were clearly still not strong enough. He watched her golden eyes, glinting in the dark, glance towards her weapon, but it was a good twenty feet away. "You won't get away with this," she added. Roman rolled his eyes at it… damn but he hated the last word bravado so many people spouted.

"You're probably right," he shrugged. "I've got one bird down and the other two distracted by some asshat rather than picking up any dust. VPD's en route and I'll be running away with my tail between my legs." He took a long drag of his cigar, letting it burn down a little before flicking it towards her. The ash bounced off her forehead, making the girl cough lightly. "But the thing is kid… at the end of the day I'll still be alive and free to have another crack at it."

Roman cocked a smile, tipping his hat towards her.

"You won't."

Another explosion washed over them, but this time he was able to keep his eyes open, wincing as the heat struck from behind. A brief glance upwards showed two craft in flames, drifting down to the ground. A mid-air collision, that or a ram – he couldn't tell. He kept half an eye on one as it fell, spinning and wheeling through the air towards a nearby warehouse. The renowned thief didn't miss the figure that leapt out of it, nor did he miss how it landed in a crouch some distance away, sprinting towards them.

Hunters, every time. No one else would have even tried to a trick like that, but air insertion using aura to effect a landing was pretty much standard operating procedure, especially since landing a Bullhead in the middle of a Grimm attack was usually impossible. The warehouse didn't so much go up in flames as explode violently. The metal vehicle crashed through the roof, hitting something and igniting in one go, causing wreckage and girders to fly in every direction, as well as knock the injured girl before him down.

Roman tsked and stepped back, twisting his weapon to the approaching target. A split-second decision in the limited time he had, a choice between a helpless and injured brat or an unknown threat barrelling towards him. Not a difficult choice. The dust round impacted the ground before the figure, exploding in a fireball that was flung directly into the assailant's face. Roman wasn't a man who had gotten to where he was by taking chances, and Hunters were good at dodging head-on attacks. The smoke, not to mention the concrete kicked up by the blast, would ensure the bastard came out at least a little bloodied.

The smoke from the blast seemed to bulge outwards, Roman cursing as he twisted Melodic Cudgel up to block a silver blade that struck from within. Most people struck to disable, but the force behind the strike had Roman quickly pushing the back of his free hand against the metal cane to reinforce his defence. Green eyes narrowed as the smoke cleared to reveal his opponent, meeting a pair of furious blue eyes and a furious snarl.

"Get away from her!" The figure roared, pulling back and swinging with both hands to bring the sword down atop Roman's head. Melodic Cudgel came up again, this time taking no chances as he took the blow on both hands. His feet scraped across the gravel as he let himself be forced back, better that then taking the blow directly. That also gave him a chance to take a good look at the latest guy who needed to die.

Blonde hair and blue eyes, with dried blood and soot matted across his face and hair. The _Hunter_ couldn't have been more than another bloody student, and young at that. The kid was breathing heavily, but those eyes were focused and clear.

"You kids just keep crawling out of the woodwork, don't you?" Roman growled and straightened his cap, twirling Melodic Cudgel to point at the teen. He was out of ammo, but there was no way the kid knew that. "Now why don't we- whoah!" Roman fell back in shock, deflecting one attack before wincing as a knee struck the side of his thigh. He threw a punch in return, knocking the kid's face to the side, before ducking the blade.

His attempt to gain some much needed space was thwarted when the blond pushed forward, slamming his shoulder into Roman's chest and driving the two of them back so that they slammed into a metal container. So close, neither of them could use their weapons, but fighting dirty was a skill Roman had mastered years ago. The handle of Melodic Cudgel came down, slamming into the brat's hair and making his grip loosen. Roman kicked a knee up at the same time, roughly aiming for the face as he pushed away. Something cracked and a grunt of pain issued from his opponent, who backed away only long enough to grip his sword and spin violently. Roman ducked with a hiss, glancing up as the edge sheared through the container, spilling dust down atop him.

With a frown he leapt forward and up, slamming the top of his head into the kid's jaw and sending him staggering back. Even then the blasted sword kept him from taking advantage of it, weaving wildly before his foe to discourage any pursuit. He wished he'd brought a gun along with, though aura would probably have prevented that from doing too much.

Still, this was _not_ going as he'd planned it. Roman spat out a thick wad of blood, probing a loose tooth with his tongue. Brutal and rushed, the Hunters of today would have watched their fight in shock and horror. They focused too much on their weapons, on technique and flashy moves as opposed to the old reliable truth of cold, hard violence. That was why he watched this same brat with cautious eyes… those strikes hadn't been to disable or wound, like most students getting used to their regulated spars and mock fights. Every attack had been clearly intended to be lethal, with not a shred of hesitation behind them.

The blond smiled, teeth stained red. He looked like shit. Roman figured he probably looked much the same, coat and face covered in grime, blood and dirt. Damn but he'd kill for the chance to take a smoke. His fingers tightened on the handle of his weapon. Time was running out and what the kid had in spunk, he seemed to lack in any clear technique or staying power. The first blast, not to mention his little trip in the Bullhead, seemed to have placed a strain on him while Roman was still fresh, not to mention the better fighter.

Both figures dashed forward, only to curse as the ground before them was kicked up.

* * *

Blake didn't know when she'd stopped breathing. She knew that she'd stopped, for her lungs burned for breath and it took her a few laboured gasps to keep the darkness at the edge of her vision from creeping in. She had no right to be alive and yet the pain, not to mention the heat from the fire and the cold from the wind told her that she was.

But that truth, as visceral as it was, did nothing for the shock and confusion that ran through her.

"J-Jaune…?"

He didn't hear her, of course he didn't. But she wasn't sure she wanted him to, either, because it couldn't have been him! The clothing and body were there, as was the weapon, but the face was that of someone else entirely, and not only because of the blood, grime and dirt that was crusted across it. It was the expression he wore, along with the emotion behind it that left her frozen. His eyes were like chips of ice, his face carved from granite... he didn't see her or anyone else, but instead focused only on the enemy before him.

And then he was gone, the weakest member of their team engaging a dangerous criminal in one on one combat to try and save _her_ life.

"Sun," Blake whispered, using both hands to try and shake the unconscious faunus to life. "Wake up, come on… I need you to help me." He groaned a little but didn't move. Blake wanted to swear but instead flinched as she heard the sound of metal on metal. Torchwick was crouched by a container, just having dodged her leader's attack before he launched up to head-butt Jaune in the face. Both looked furious, both looked worse for wear.

How was Jaune fighting Torchwick better than Sun and she had? And the Bullhead, the flames and the explosions! No, more than that, how had he found her, how had he known what was going on, _why_ had he come at all?

Those thoughts were torn from her head a second later as a smoking Bullhead passed overhead, cannons whirring ominously. Blake gasped as she threw herself over the downed faunus, as useless as the gesture might have been against anti-personnel fire. It was hard to tell if the noise she heard was the guns themselves or the sound of concrete being torn asunder.

"Stop you fools!" She heard Torchwick scream, voice barely audible over the noise. As she looked up it was to find the area covered in some and dust, with bright embers flickering on the wind from the burning warehouse behind her. The shots had torn the ground up and reduced it to dust, which had formed a large smokescreen. "Damn animals – don't fire when I'm down here. I don't care what you meant, get down here and help me. _On foot_ you morons!" Over the ringing in her ears, she could just about make out the sound of a steel door being opened, and what was no doubt several White Fang members hitting the ground.

"Come on," she whispered urgently. "Sun please…" She didn't want to be responsible for his death. Not like this, not when she was too weak to do anything to protect him. He was an innocent, someone who had just come along to look out for her. She flinched at the sound of footsteps rushing her way, and though a second later the smoke parted to reveal her teammate, it didn't fill her with immediate relief.

She still had no idea why he was there.

"Get up," he didn't give her an explanation either, instead grabbing her wrist in a vice-like grip and dragging Blake to her feet. She winced at how tight he held her, not to mention the pain in her legs, but didn't dare argue. There was no time for it.

"Sun's hurt," she said. If he wondered at the other person he didn't show it, not even speaking as he bent down to lift the faunus up and over one shoulder. He grunted at the weight, squaring himself a little before grabbing her wrist once more and dragging her into the smoke. "M-My weapon," she croaked, stumbling slightly as she tried to keep up with the fierce pace he was setting. Her legs were too weak, however, and she fell to her knees – only to gasp as he kept going, dragging her bodily along the ground even as her skin protested at the rough treatment. "Jaune, please!"

"Get up!" he repeated, pausing only long enough to give her a tug so strong it nearly dislocated her shoulder, or maybe that was just how weak she felt. Tears prickled at the corner of her eyes, though she voiced no complaint. It was the emotional strain more than anything. In a situation like this she knew the necessity of his rough treatment, but the constant flicking back and forth between doomed and alive was wearing away at her emotions. "What did you think this would achieve?"

Blake blinked, fighting back the itching in her eyes caused by the smoke to look at him. He dragged her around the back of a container, crouching down to lay Sun against it while she massaged her wrist.

"Or is it that you didn't think at all?" Jaune asked. No, he wasn't asking, rather he was telling her. "You're so damned _stupid_. What did you think was going to happen when you got here?"

"I had to make sure it was the White Fang," she tried to say. His eyes cut her off half-way.

" _Of course_ it was them," he snarled. "Do you pay _no_ attention to the news?"

"I do, but they're biased, the White Fan-"

"They're biased?" he laughed quietly, peeking out from behind the crate. "That's ironic coming from you! The whole world has to be wrong because _Blake Belladonna_ knows better. Is that right?"

"No, I-"

"You thought you could change their minds, convince them of the error of their ways – are you that naïve?"

"No!"

"Then what!?" Jaune held his arms wide, inviting her to offer explanation, but all she could feel was the buzzing in her head, the exhaustion in her muscles and the pain in her body. She fell to her knees, refusing to look at him.

"I don't know…" she exclaimed. "I don't know why I did it!" She did, but… it was hazy, hard to understand. She had to, and yet she'd claimed to have left it all behind, but at the same time if Adam… if they were… it was her responsibility. Or was it? "What does it matter if I did anyway?"

"What does it matter?" he seethed, and she wilted at the burning anger in his eyes. "Do you have _any_ idea what we- what Yang and Weiss would feel if you died here? If you ran away and never came back? Are you that selfish?"

She couldn't answer that… how could she? Of course she hadn't thought of that… she hadn't _thought_ she might die at all, so why even worry about what pain it might have caused them. But now, with the realisation of how close she had come, the mere mention of it was enough to make her hands shake. Yang would… Weiss would have… she didn't know. They were angry at her, Weiss hated the White Fang. But she had always somehow intended to come back, maybe after she proved that Weiss was wrong, that the White Fang weren't behind this. All of this had been one desperate attempt to validate herself, to show her team that she wasn't wrong, that she wasn't a criminal.

And much like the docks themselves, that goal was going up in flames right before her eyes.

"I didn't want to hurt them," she whispered.

Jaune laughed.

"Well good fucking job on that." Blake winced and refused to meet his eyes. She'd never heard him swear, even when his life had been on the edge of Adam's blade, the man before her had remained calm and aloof – sarcastic, even. "And you just had to involve me too, didn't you?" he whispered, and she wondered if the words were even meant for her ears. "You are _so_ not worth the effort."

Blake's nails bit into her palm, eyes scrunched shut.

"Why you?" She managed to grit out.

"Hm?"

"Why are you here?" Her eyes snapped open, glaring up at the man she hated most in Beacon. He towered over her at the best of times, but it was even worse with how slouched she was. It made her feel weak, and the critical expression on his face – like a father scolding their child – didn't make it any better. "Why did you come to help me? Why do you even here - why are you acting like you care about me or the team!?"

Silence descended between them, punctuated only by the heavy rise and fall of her chest, the ragged quality of her breath as she shook with anger. She didn't understand… nothing made sense. Why _him_?

"Am I interrupting something?" a familiar voice taunted. Blake's eyes widened in horror as the two of them stared to the left, where the arrogant criminal stood, cane twirling nonchalantly around the finger of one hand. There was a roguish smile on his face, though the bruised on his skin diminished the effect somewhat. "I wouldn't have considered this the best place for sexual tension, but what do I know."

Several guns were levelled at them, Blake collapsing to her knees to try and cover Sun's form. Jaune snorted. "You're going to shoot?" he asked, not at all sounding as worried as he should. "That's one way to commit suicide, I suppose." Torchwick laughed, though Blake detected an irritated edge to it.

"You overestimate the intelligence of the animals I'm working with. I doubt they've even realised what they're going to hit if they miss." Blake's eyes traced behind them, only just realising that they were stood against an open storage container, dust spilled out onto the floor. A stray bullet, even a single match, and they would be blown all the way to Atlas. She hadn't noticed because it had been behind her, but the White Fang had no such excuse.

It was galling to see the White Fang, the people she'd once been a part of, lower their weapons uncertainly. Had they truly not noticed… was this the quality of people Adam accepted now? Pride aside, the true cruelty was in how stupid they were. It meant they were fresh, untrained and lacking in experience. Yet Adam had sent them on a deadly mission. Clearly he didn't care if they lived or died.

"Kill them," Roman ordered, turning away with a sigh. "But for the love of dust, _be_ careful about it…"

The uniformed faunus stepped forward, some drawing bladed weapons and clubs, while others simply turned their rifles around, content to use them to bludgeon them to death. Blake tried to find her own weapon, only to realise it had been left behind when Sun and she had been defeated. A shadow stepped before her, blocking the White Fang from view.

"Jaune?"

"Make a break for it when you have a chance," he said, voice too low to be picked up by anyone but her.

"Are you insane?" she hissed back, "You can't fight all these people, not and Torchwick at the same time."

"I won't have to if you run," he flourished his sword in one hand, looking more comfortable with it than she recalled in any of their training sessions. "I'll follow once you're out of the way. Retreat is our best option."

She couldn't argue with that. Not now that she knew just how poorly she measured up to someone like Roman Torchwick. Her fingers gripped the edge of Sun's shirt, shaking him once more but giving up when he remained unconscious. She would need to drag him away as well. Blake nodded, not that her teammate was looking back at her.

The White Fang moved closer, forming a semi-circle to better pin them against the container. It looked like they intended to attack at the same time, seven on one in what would surely mean the end of Jaune from every angle. He was surrounded and outnumbered, cut off from help. It was a doomed situation and they knew it… which was why they were probably caught off-guard when Jaune roared and charged forward.

The unfortunate victim recoiled in shock, apparently not having gotten the message that _they_ were on the defence, and so unprepared when Jaune slammed the hilt of his weapon into their skull. The dog faunus went down like a puppet with its strings cut, only for Jaune to catch him half-way and bodily throw him into another. The second dropped his weapon to catch his friend, which proved to be a mistake when Jaune backhanded him across the face a second later. He didn't stop to finish off the downed opponent, instead charging another before they could recover and swarm him. With their focus on the blonde, not to mention those grunts on the wings now trying to flank him, Blake took the chance she had to start dragging Sun aside, wincing at the sound his skin being dragged across the gravel made.

"And where do you think _you're_ going?" Blake's vision swam as a metal cane smashed into the side of her face, flipping her over and onto her stomach as she clutched her cheek. Torchwick stepped over Sun's form, not at all smirking – but rather snarling down at her, his white coat tarnished and muddied. "I've had it just about up to here with you brats. So if you think you're getting out of this you've got another thing coming."

She scrabbled desperately for anything that could be used as a weapon, even going so far as to scrape together stones off the ground and throw them at his eyes. Torchwick took it with a growl, wiping his face as he raised his cane above him. This close he wasn't going to shoot… he was going to beat her to death with a metal cane.

"Blake, _run_!" Jaune yelled. Would that she could have, but with Torchwick before her and her aura still so low, it looked like her days of running away were finally done for. She just hoped that Sun would be spared… and maybe that Jaune could get away as well. They didn't deserve to die because of her… "Get up and run!" he shouted again.

"I can't…" Blake whispered, tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry Jaune, but I can't."

* * *

" _I can't…"_

The words hit him like a hammer. Sound muted, the roar of flames became nothing more than a dull buzz, static building inside his head. Something struck him from behind but he didn't even notice it. He couldn't move.

" _I'm sorry Jaune, but I can't."_

The world shook, he felt sick. No, it was he who was shaking. He could see her, laid on the floor with him above her, red hair, a mask – no, there was no mask, the hair wasn't right. A weapon rose. She was going to die. It wasn't a katana.

It wasn't red.

It didn't matter...

Because the film that descended over his vision was.

* * *

It sounded like the scream of some wounded animal. Roman cringed as he heard it, instincts kicking in as he turned away from the defenceless girl before him. He hadn't lived as long as he had by ignoring his gut, the girl could be dealt with at his leisure. Experience told him the bigger threat was behind.

Sadly, it was rarely wrong.

Roman hadn't turned in time to see who screamed, but he knew it was the blond because the death scream of the White Fang soldier impaled the end of his sword made wasn't nearly so terrifying. The grey and white uniformed grunt was pinned against a cargo container, blood running down the riveted metal to pool beneath him. The sound the blade made as it was drawn free was terrifying, akin to the noise of a sharp knife run across a whetstone. The dead man fell, collapsing on the floor. The other animals hesitated. That was a mistake. You didn't hesitate in a situation like that.

The beast fell upon them, hacking and tearing with reckless abandon – no skill, just pure rage that saw him tear through flesh and bone with ease, as counter-attacks fell on his arms and body. Little nicks and cuts drew blood but staggered him not a bit. The lone human in the group didn't even concern himself with the injuries, killing any faunus that stood in his path but otherwise focused on his true target. It was like looking at a berserker from the legends - except that this time it looked right back at him.

"Fuck my life." Roman growled, turning around and trying to load a round into his cane. It would kill all the White Fang there, but that was a sacrifice he was more than willing to make to avoid dealing with _that_. The handle snapped back, the cane raising up as he spent roughly zero seconds aiming. Didn't take much to hit the broad side of a barn after all, and the resultant explosion of dust heralded his success.

The girl behind him choked back tears. Whether that was from the loss of her teammate or the White Fang themselves, Roman neither knew nor cared. All he knew was that he wanted was to get back to the safe house, crack open that bottle he'd been saving, and otherwise think about how he was going to explain this to Cinder come the morning.

"Rarghhh!" Or not, as it turned out. Roman sighed as he blocked the thrust that would have taken his head clear off his shoulders.

"Aren't you dead yet?" Roman taunted, spinning on the spot and delivering a palm strike directly into the guy's stomach. The insane teenager grunted as it hit, before Roman was forced to curse himself as he clumsily ducked below another swing. He took a step back, flicking Melodic Cudgel out to the side to divert a follow-up thrust – only to cry out in shock as the bitch behind him wrapped her arms around his knees. Green eyes widened in panic as the blond tackled him, sword raised over his head. The look in those blue eyes was simple.

It was murder. No words, no surrender, just cold blooded murder to a degree that would have made Neo wet. Roman drew his weapon back across his face, barely catching the teen's wrists before the sword could come down and end his life. The teen strained against him, trying to add his weight to the weapon and force it down. Roman swore, kicking with both legs and sending the girl falling back with a sharp cry of pain.

Bad idea if the kid's snarl was any sign. He let go of the sword, Roman twisting his head at the last second so that the falling weapon struck his cheek but didn't carve his face open. Having taken his eye off the guy for a second though, he was unprepared for his own weapon to be wrenched out of his hands and tossed aside. A fist struck his cheek, driving his head back into the concrete as his vision swam.

Another landed, and then a third – before memories of his fights as a street rat came back and he blocked the next, twisting the blonde's arm and flipping them over so that he was on top. Blood seeped from his lip, which he spat into blue eyes as he gripped that straw hair with both hands. With a heave he drew the head up, slamming it back down with a grunt. There was a sickening crack as it hit the ground. A fist buffeted his cheek but he ignored it. That was what a fight was, a _real_ fight and not those little artsy displays the hunters liked. It was about causing as much pain as you could to make the other guy give up. First one to give up died – and if you wanted to live then you had to get used to ignoring the pain.

Roman had gotten good at that, back when he'd been weak enough for others to take advantage of. He'd gotten good enough to grow into someone people feared. Fingers pressed into his cheek, a knee struck his back, but he kept lifting and slamming the blonde's head down, trying to crack open the skull and end it once and for all. A thumb pushed into his eye socket, finally breaking his grip as he slapped the hand aside and glared down on the battered teen.

"Why won't you die!?" he snarled, standing up just long enough to grab his opponent by the collar and throw him into the wall of a nearby cargo container. The blonde hit it with a loud thump, clanging down the side and landing on his face. Even then, the kid laughed loudly - as though his words had somehow been funny. The sound of it made Roman's spine shiver... he was insane, crazy - that was the only explanation.

He started to push himself up too, blonde hair matted with grime but slowly rising.

No… enough of this… this _shit_. This had to be the worst day he'd had in years. Roman wiped his mouth free of blood as he limped over to his weapon, placing a foot beneath it and kicking it up into his hand. He actually had to _lean_ on it when he turned back around, the weapon reduced to a mere walking stick as he staggered back to his foe. With his free hand he reached into his pocket, pulling out a wad of crushed and ruined cigars. Oh that was just the last straw. One had survived, which he clenched between his teeth and lit.

He'd have liked to say he knelt down, but it was too late to start lying to himself. He half-crouched, half-collapsed atop the bastard, ignoring the punch that hit his chest as he rolled the body over. Melodic Cudgel pressed down over the teen's throat, all his weight behind it as he listened to the idiot choke and gurgle. Even then, even at the end, those blue eyes were filled with nothing but anger. _I'm not dealing with them again,_ he thought with glee as he leaned up to put more pressure on the metal cane.

Fingers scrabbled against his chest and neck, the fool trying to push him off with weak blows. Nails scratched against his chin but he ignored it, trusting his aura to prevent the damage. There was no way he was letting go, not until those eyes were misted over for good. The struggles became weaker, the fists that struck him becoming weak slaps. A hand tried to push his face away, first his chin, then his cheek – before it finally grabbed the cigar in his mouth. Roman growled as it was pulled away, but he ignored it in favour of finishing this once and for all. The cigar was crushed in the blonde's fist, the ember there among the ashes.

Green eyes widened as the fool slammed it down into the dust that surrounded them.

He didn't hear anything.

There had to have been an explosion because he was no longer atop his foe, but rather flat on his back struggling to breathe. His body screamed in agony, his clothes smouldered and burned – he could even feel the heat from it. But there had been no sound, or perhaps he hadn't been able to hear it. A familiar scent appeared beside him, a worried face coming into his vision as mismatched eyes stared down at him.

"Neo," he greeted casually – or at least he tried. In truth it came out more crooked than he was. The girl's face, normally so teasing, was creased with concern. "You catch the number of the Bullhead that hit me?"

She rolled her eyes while placing an arm behind him, helping the thief to sit up. His vision swam but he could just about make out what had happened. His cigar had ignited the dust spilled on the ground, making a flame big enough to hit the container behind them, making it explode outwards. His aura had protected him from most of the damage, at least the critical damage. He would still need a few day's to recover from the minor wounds, not to mention the exhaustion. The only upside was the charred figure back in that direction, who lay face-down on the ground, not moving.

 _Good riddance,_ Roman snarled, spitting out some blood for good measure. He could understand the move. It was one born of desperation, from someone who had no hope of beating a superior opponent and so did something crazy to even the odds. He'd done that more than enough times himself, but that still didn't mean he appreciated being caught in the middle of a dust explosion.

"Do me a favour and make sure he's dead, won't you?" Roman asked, grinning despite the pain. His accomplice looked down at his injuries for a moment but seemed to accept that he'd be okay. The grin she wore turned just the wrong side of vicious as she leaned him against a forklift, drawing her blade from within her umbrella. Roman sighed, fishing through his pockets for any more smokes before letting his head fall back against the cool metal when he came up empty. What a day…

Neo pressed a foot into the side of the guy, flipping his body over as she looked down on him. Roman watched with uncharacteristic enjoyment. He didn't normally find much pleasure in murder, it was beneath him. But for this guy the exception would be happily made. Judging by the look on the girl's face he was still alive. Not for long, however, as she held her thin blade in a reverse grip and raised it high.

Melodic Cudgel almost struck the side of her head, but for Neo's preternatural grace. The tiny girl weaved beneath it, ducking back with a surprised expression which soured a moment later. Roman rolled his eyes as he realised the stupid faunus from earlier was now on her feet, looking like a stiff breeze might blow her over and wielding _his_ weapon.

"You won't kill him." she hissed. In any other situation the comment would have been comical. Neo even looked back to him, rolling her eyes in amusement, but Roman waved his hand distractedly.

"Just kill them both already." he said, "I need to forget this day ever happened." Neo shrugged but nodded, looking her new opponent up and down. The faunus held Melodic Cudgel in both hands, breathing heavily but clearly determined to give her life if she had to. That determination was convenient if nothing else. Neo ducked low, grinning wickedly as she darted forward.

An explosion of concrete stopped her. A second pushed her back, a third cracking nearby as someone tried to hit the girl. Roman felt like screaming when _yet another_ person entered the fray, a new blonde, and wasn't that becoming his most hated hair colour, except that this one had bright red eyes and seemed fresh enough to crack solid rock with her fists. Neo dodged her attack, bending backwards as the girl fired shotgun blasts from her gauntlets. Neo was no slouch, however, dodging with ease before cracking the back of her heel against the girl's head. She would have followed up with her sword but for a white light appearing beneath her.

Roman could sense his companion's silent rage as she was forced to retreat again, this time as a wall of ice cut her off from the injured party. Little Miss Schnee, and really – who else could it be, lunged past it, rapier thrusting out towards the multi-coloured girl. Neo deflected it with ease, catching the blade on her own as she prepared to counter-attack. Roman shouted a warning just in time for the girl to disengage as a familiar scythe pierced the ground where she'd once stood.

"Oh _come on_ …" Roman sighed. Neo read the situation in an instant, three new opponents – plus a few more running up behind, fire closing in and the sirens already too close for comfort. She dashed away, crouching down beside him as he felt the familiar sensation of her semblance wash over them. "Remind me to find out what we can on that guy," Roman whispered as her abilities kicked in. "Cinder's going to be pissed when she hears about this. I want to be able to give her a name and a face..."

Neo nodded. They were gone a second later.

* * *

Nothing made sense. As Blake's lungs heaved for breath, the stolen weapon feeling _far_ too heavy in her grip, and her legs about to give way, she couldn't help but wonder if the world was going to make up its mind and kill her or not already. Her heart couldn't take much more of this.

"Blake," Yang whispered, catching her at the moment her legs finally gave way. The blonde's arms were strong and warm, a far cry from her own. Or those of her other teammates.

"Jaune," she croaked back, shakily pointing towards him. Weiss and Ruby were already there, crouched down beside him and looking over his injuries. She hadn't even noticed. Her neck cracked as she looked behind her too, noting Ren and Nora helping to carry an unconscious Sun between them. The relief was almost enough to make her weep. That the two of them could have died… _literally died_ because of her… it was too much.

"It's fine," Yang tried to calm her down. "We're here now, everything is fine."

Blake felt like laughing. How was everything fine? The docks were on fire, there were explosions in the distance as it continued to spread. The only upside was that so late at night there wouldn't be anyone here, but even then, the damage was catastrophic. More than that, however, two people had nearly given their lives for her - one of them being someone who hated her.

"How did you find me?" Blake managed to ask. It wasn't the biggest question she had, but the answer to those scared her.

"Ruby contacted us," her partner said. "We were out in Vale looking for you when she got in touch to say Jaune had mentioned something about you and the docks before rushing off. We knew it was serious when Ruby said she saw Jaune _running_ anywhere."

"Yang!" the little girl admonished, appearing by their side and punching Yang in the arm. The leader of Team Rubine turned to her. "He looked really worried," she said, "I'd never seen him look like that so it scared me enough to call Yang."

"And we made our way here," Yang finished. "The fire and explosions helped point us in the right direction too."

"Torchwick," Blake rasped. In truth most of the fires had been started by Jaune but they didn't need to know that. Ruby and Yang nodded, taking her words on faith. It did sound like the kind of thing a criminal might do after all. "Why did you come though?" Blake finally asked, dreading the answer.

It was not Yang who answered, however, but rather Weiss, from her position at her partner's side.

"Because you're a part of our team," the proud girl said. "Because despite what you might think, that means something to us."

"But my past-"

"Is in the past," Weiss cut her off. "Right now, in a situation like this, I can't even bring myself to care about it. You're alive, he's alive. That's all that matters." Blake couldn't find it in herself to argue, not when all she could feel was crushing relief. "What happened to Jaune?"

"He fought Roman Torchwick," Blake answered, earning shocked looks from most of them. "He also fought against some White Fang. You were right about them working with Torchwick by the way." Weiss hummed but didn't rub her victory in. Blake supposed this wasn't the time for it. "Most of his injuries come from the dust though. An explosion caught him." She neglected to mention how Jaune had been the one to set off that explosion, in what was frankly a suicidal last-ditch attempt that could have killed him. "Quite a few explosions, actually..."

What kind of person did you have to be to consider such a course of action? Why had he, when it came to her? She thought he hated her. At the very best he didn't care about her one way or the other.

"But why was he here?" Pyrrha asked, putting words to the thoughts that were in Blake's mind. There was a problem there, however. Not in the words she said, but the way she said it… with suspicion.

"He protected me," Blake snapped – with more force than she'd really intended. More anger than she thought she had in her.

"I didn't mean it like that," Pyrrha held her hands up. "I meant how he knew you were _here_ at the docks."

"What does it matter? He saved my life and he needs medical attention. I'm not going to waste time here answering questions."

"He's alive and breathing," Weiss reported, snapping Blake's attention to her. "That's the best we can ask for right now. The fires are all around us and the police are working with fire-fighters to put out the blaze. I'm sure by now there's a Bullhead from Beacon on the way." Blake watched as the white-haired girl shifted her partner's head so that it rested on her leg, and not the hard, unforgiving ground. The action, even if it was common sense, came across as almost tender. "He's not the only one in need of medical attention."

Blake shook her head, "I'm fine. It's just exhaustion and minor injuries. Torchwick was able to defeat me with ease."

"Which is why it's so strange that Jaune was able to fight him," Weiss mumbled. Blake wanted to explain but felt too tired. She'd tell them later. Jaune hadn't been able to truly hold his own, and what fighting she'd seen from him had been brutal, cruel and unorthodox. Now that she thought about it, it looked a lot like how he fought people in Miss Goodwitch's class. He didn't play by the same rules, and that had given him the edge in this fight. "I suppose we'll find out when he recovers."

"Good luck with that," Yang snorted, "Getting anything out of him is like squeezing blood from a stone. We don't even know why he helped Blake."

Blake didn't know either, and that was what made everything so complicated. The way he acted around her, the ambivalence, the laziness – even the way he refused to call her by name. Say what you would but that wasn't a person she would have accused of caring for her in any way. It couldn't have been that she was a faunus, since he'd only helped that other faunus when he had been pressed. He scared her, and after the things she'd seen tonight – including the faunus he killed – she couldn't say that opinion had changed.

And yet she continued to breathe because of him. In the end it was Ruby who spoke, or rather giggled.

"Because you're a part of his team," the small girl said with a smile that could have rivalled the sun in its intensity. "Because despite what you might think, despite what he says and how he acts, that means something to him."

Weiss snorted, no doubt amused at having her words thrown back in her face. She didn't argue, however, she simply brushed a few locks of sweat-drenched hair away from his forehead. Yang was silent too, still supporting Blake but not looking away from the fires that raged around them. Could that be it? Could such a simplistic suggestion honestly be the truth?

It seemed foolish, especially with how much of a cynic he was. And yet there was no denying the broken and bleeding figure before her, who had faced off against a dangerous criminal for no other reason than to protect her life.

"And he does it again," Yang whispered, sounding somewhere between pleased and frustrated. "I'm seventeen and I already feel too old for this. He... he really did save your life, didn't he?" He had. And more than that, he'd risked so much. And as the Bullhead that appeared above them began to descend...

Blake made her decision.

* * *

It wasn't the rhythmic sound of a heart monitor that woke him up, nor was it the stinging pain of something in his arm. Those were sensations he experienced as he was waking, things he noticed on the slow ascent from the depths of his own mind.

No. What woke him up was the acrid scent of coffee, along with the paradoxically quiet sound of a mug clinking onto a plate. He groaned lightly, fighting the temptation to surrender to sleep once more. The lights were not bright, in stark contrast to many hospitals, but then again Beacon's resident medic was also in stark contrast to just about anyone with a PHD. It wasn't hard to recognise the Beacon infirmary. He had visited it enough times.

"Good evening, Mr Arc." A dreadfully familiar voice greeted. Jaune cracked a single eye open, trying for his best baleful glare and probably not doing a very good job of it. "Coffee?"

"I must have been very bad if you're what greets me in the afterlife."

"I suppose your sarcasm precludes the questions as to any memory damage. You have been unconscious for three days now if you are interested."

Funnily enough, he wasn't. Sure it was pertinent information to have, but considering he'd just woken up his immediate thoughts had been water, food and toilet – in no particular order.

"Your little… jaunt the other day has caused quite the stir for the people of Vale," the headmaster went on, heedless of his student's plight. "You might be interested to know that the fires were only fully put out thirty-six hours ago. Thankfully, it being both a weekend and the middle of the night, there were no casualties."

No civilian casualties, he meant. Jaune could still remember killing those White Fang members. It was a vague sensation anyway, more like a hazy memory. All he could specifically remember was a burning anger, a rage that he couldn't contain.

"I think I should add, Mr Arc, that when Miss Goodwitch mentioned you could not use unsanctioned equipment in spars, _military aircraft_ were somewhat implied in that list."

"To be fair it wasn't a spar," Jaune's sarcastic reply didn't sound quite so witty when it came out in a croaky voice.

"It wasn't," the older man admitted, "I thought I might mention it because Glynda has seen fit to add it to the list _just in case_." Jaune's expression was flat as the man laughed at what he had to assume was a joke. "I don't believe any student has caused her such problems before, Mr Arc. You ought to be proud… or afraid. Personally I would go for the latter, but it seems you're an unusual case."

"What happened?"

Ozpin's face became serious, "Naturally as the first and last people on the scene, and with the warehouses – and thus the CCTV - damaged beyond all repair, Miss Belladonna and you are the only ones with that knowledge. I have already asked your teammate for her account. She explained how you approached and landed your Bullhead on the docks, only to be fired upon by the White Fang – whose reckless aim ignited several dust containers. After fighting in her defence and holding your own against Roman Torchwick, you were injured when the Vale's most wanted decided to shoot another dust container to escape. Does this coincide with your own account?"

Jaune wasn't sure if his mouth was hanging open, but it felt like it should have been. What kind of a story was that? How injured was she that this was the best she could come up with? Jaune fell back with a sigh, trying to wave one hand.

"That's pretty much it," he said. Coming up with a different story would surely have gotten him expelled, but straight into prison.

"How convenient," Ozpin rolled his eyes, as though the lie wasn't obvious enough. "Well you might rest assured that the VPD were quick to pin the blame on Torchwick too, along with the Council, SDC and the Vale Docks themselves. And, in an effort to promote confidence in Hunters, the `victory` has been attributed to a rather rapid response by Beacon Academy."

That sounded about right. Torchwick couldn't complain about it, and the whole thing would only enhance public opinion against the man while also making the people feel safer in their homes. Criminal damage was normal, familiar and standard, crazy hunter students causing hundreds of millions of lien in damage, a little less so.

"Your team has spent much of the last three days by your side," Ozpin suddenly said, startling Jaune a little. They had? Why would they do that for someone like him? "You are surprised?" The man's smile was just a little too smug, "Perhaps I should leave it to them to explain, for I'm sure you'll be hearing from them soon enough. Needless to say they are all fine and healthy. You came out the worst by far, and even then you are only as you are thanks to the tender mercies of our resident healer."

"Are we getting to the point yet?" Jaune sighed, already knowing what was coming but wanting to confirm it anyway. Ozpin smiled into his mug, that infernally smug grin that said he had you exactly where he wanted you. And Jaune would be damned if that wasn't true in this situation. Ozpin didn't just have him in checkmate. The man was already putting the chess set back in the cupboard.

"Well I suppose we could talk about your actions," the man said. "After all, you attacked a staff member of Beacon, stole a Bullhead, invaded Vale airspace and risked your life against a superior opponent."

"I resent that," Jaune growled. "He wasn't superior… he was wearing mascara."

"Quite. Regardless, for any of these offences you should be expelled from Beacon, and perhaps arrested for one or two of them as well." The headmaster's expression turned stern, "And for one of them, you should have died. Be thankful that you did not."

 _Like it would have meant anything,_ Jaune felt like saying – only that he couldn't. He would have reset if that had happened. In a sense it would have meant nothing… but at the same time it would mean a new set of family – one that at this point he would have run away from. A mother and father in pain, sisters who felt he hated them.

He didn't want to see that.

"You will not be punished for this, however," the man sighed. "For both Glynda and I, not to mention my colleagues, consider your actions to be reckless and foolish, but ultimately undertaken with the intention of saving the life of someone under your charge. Upon learning this, even the security guard you knocked out has requested clemency on your behalf. I do not say this often, Mr Arc, but personally I am very proud of what you did."

That shouldn't have meant anything to him, but in some strange way it did. Maybe it was the constant negativity, maybe it was the self-hate he felt at what he'd put his friends through. But whatever the case, hearing someone acknowledge what he'd done _did_ make him feel better. Even if it was Ozpin.

"You will have detention every night until the semester ends, however."

"What!?" Jaune's face fell. "But you said you approved, you said everyone did – even the guard isn't going to press!"

"And the Bullhead is covered by insurance," Ozpin agreed. "However… eight hours of meetings, over a hundred cups of coffee, two sleepless nights and a press conference." The man's eyes glared out from behind his glasses. "Not to mention paperwork the likes of which I did not know existed. Rest assured, Mr Arc, you should be thankful for these detentions. Glynda expressed a desire to have you demonstrate as her opponent in her next lesson, stating that it would be a cold day in hell when you managed to cheat _her_ in the ring."

Jaune's face went pale at the thought of that. Maybe detention wasn't so bad after all… the only way he could think to beat Miss Goodwitch was to not show up, in which case he fully expected she would hunt him down like a Beowolf. Ozpin patted his arm through the bed sheets, smiling down at Jaune as he rose up.

"Either way, I have paperwork to get back to Mr Arc. Do take some time to recover and regain your strength." The grey-haired man made his way over to the door, cane clicking with each step. As he opened it, however, he paused – raising one hand as though he had just forgotten something. "Ah yes… one last thing." He smiled back. "I'll look forward to seeing you again next semester."

The door shut behind him. As did Jaune's eyes as he let out a loud sigh.

It started to open again before he could gather himself. Recognising the voices behind it Jaune clamped his eyes shut, relaxing his body as he feigned sleep. He wasn't prepared to face them yet, not before he'd managed to come up with some rather epic excuses. A whole set of feet stomped into the room, though with his eyes shut he couldn't guess how many.

"I thought he was going to wake up today," Ruby managed to somehow sound like a wounded puppy as she whined. It took more energy than he dared admit not to leap up and assure her he was okay.

"They said he _might_ ," Weiss snapped. "If he still needs rest then that is exactly what we'll give him."

"Calm down mom." Yang, of course, and he could just about hear the sound of Weiss' temper beginning to fray. "Just because dad isn't awake to take care of your needs is no excuse to take it out on us."

"Yang…"

"I mean, you're being Weiss-cold to your own daughters."

"I swear, Xiao-Long. I _will_ end you."

"I'm sure if you're frustrated you can borrow one of Blake's books. I've heard they're so good they'll make you touch your shelf."

"If you're going to argue then you might want to take it elsewhere." That was Blake, rescuing them all from death via bad pun. She sounded okay, at least uninjured, and there was no real reason for Ozpin to lie to him. "If he needs rest like Weiss says, then don't you think waking him up would be counter-productive?"

"I guess we'll leave him be," Yang said. "I brought him all this food too… can't really just leave it here."

 _Yes you can. Leave it on my bed._

"Eh, we can eat it," Ruby suggested, making Jaune's fingers twitch.

 _Remnant to Yang, Jaune to Yang… put the food down. Do not touch the food!  
_

"Sure," Yang agreed with a laugh, making him curse internally. Damn it Ruby. "Well I guess we'll give him til tonight. You girls coming?" There was a chorus of agreements from the assembled members of his team plus one, except for Blake, who he could sense was stood by his bed.

"You go ahead," the faunus girl said, "I'll catch up."

He didn't hear the reply of the others, mainly since they all said them at the same time. But he remained silent as they left, the door closing behind them with a soft click.

"They're gone now," Blake said, letting out a quiet sigh. He wondered if she expected him to say anything, but he stayed quiet, still unwilling to answer any questions. He had to think up reasons for his actions… answers for the questions they would so obviously ask. "I guess you're still asleep."

 _As always Blake, your powers of deduction are incredible._

"Maybe it'll be easier to talk like this anyway. There's a lot I should say. Or rather, a lot I think I should say. It's never that easy though, is it?"

It never got any easier either, he felt like adding. Even with all his repeats, all his foreknowledge and experience, it didn't get any easier. But a recovering person probably wouldn't have been quite so metaphysical, so he instead let out a quiet breath and stayed still.

"I guess I should start by saying sorry. You were right about the White Fang, as much as I didn't want to admit it. I'm not even sure why I was so stubborn about it. I left the moment I realised what it was like, surely that would absolve me of any guilt? And yet even so, I clung to the idea that it wasn't that bad. It was so stupid… if it wasn't that bad then I'd have never left. I don't know what I was thinking."

 _You were thinking that you didn't want the last decade of your life to have been wasted. That you didn't want the man you used to love to have been a monster all along._ There was nothing intrinsically wrong in those ideas, those desires.

"And then Sun decided to follow along, all because he has some silly crush on me." Ah, Sun Wukong... you never change. "And he nearly died for it, because of me. We would have died, both of us. If it wasn't for you."

That wasn't true… they would have survived if it wasn't for him. If it wasn't for him then they would have had Ruby as the leader of this team, a girl who would have stood by Blake the entire time. Someone who would have stopped Torchwick without setting half the warehouses on fire. She would have been a better team leader than him. She usually was, even when he was the leader of JNPR and had hundreds of years' experience at the job.

"I never trusted you," Blake continued. "Maybe it was the way you acted on that train, like you didn't even care about whatever Adam and I might do. From what I've seen now I fully expect that if we had tried something you would have detonated the bomb in Adam's hands and killed us all."

Probably…

"Then when we got to Beacon as well… you made me angry, suspicious and paranoid at the same time. You could have revealed my secret at any moment and yet you didn't, but the way you kept hinting at it… it was clear you always knew. I was scared that you would tell everyone, but at the same time scared that you might somehow take advantage of it, or me."

"I hated you when you didn't want to help Velvet. It's not that you didn't do it, because you did make Yang help her and I was thankful, but it was the fact that you acted like you only helped her on a whim, or to shut us up. I started thinking, what if he's only hiding my secret on a whim too? What if at any moment he might turn from someone who doesn't care enough to say something, into someone who wants vengeance, or just to see me squirm?"

"And then I saw you attack Cardin in that classroom…"

 _Whoops…_ Okay, he must have been slacking a little if she'd managed to sneak up on him. Blake was stealthy for sure, but he was more paranoid than even she was. He had spent so long being wary around people like Emerald and Mercury… had his mind instinctively classed Blake as not being a threat?

"I started to really panic then. You acted so differently, so angry – and you were strong too. You terrified Cardin into submission, you told him you could kill him… it reminded me of someone." She took a deep breath, as though fighting with herself. "You reminded me of Adam."

Jaune's blood ran cold.

"Let me explain," she rushed, as if sensing his emotions. "It seems so silly but… my entire life had just been turned upside down. I trusted in him to be my friend, to be my partner and leader and to look after me – and he did for so long. We were close, I… I genuinely loved him and I think he loved me too. I would have followed him to the ends of Remnant, and in many cases I did." Blake's words were rushed, spilling forth in one long confession. She broke off for a moment, struggling with something before letting out a long sigh. "And then I found out he wasn't the person I thought he was. Suddenly I realised he had lied for so long, and worse, I'd let myself fall for it. I felt betrayed, by the very person I was supposed to rely on."

"I think it was the same with you," she continued. "I saw Adam in you without ever really _seeing_ you. It was wrong of me, I admit… but I was mistrustful and biased against you from the start. I was so sure you'd be just like Adam that whenever you did something I didn't like, I started to think of what similarities that had. In some ways you're like him, but in others it was just me being paranoid and afraid. Having one or two traits similar doesn't make you the same person. That would be like saying Ren and I are the same because we're both quiet. I was so afraid and fresh from being hurt though, that I let my fear effect how I saw you. I'm sorry."

He couldn't feel angry. It hurt to think she'd seen him as being similar to that monster, but at the same time he couldn't deny that he hadn't made the best of impressions on her. If she had seen him threaten to kill Cardin, as much a bluff as it might have been, then her panic made sense. And then he'd gone and tried to cow her by calling the White Fang scum. Little wonder she had fled.

"Weiss and Yang accepted my apologies for lying about my heritage," Blake chuckled. "I was dramatic there as well, more worried about the White Fang than anything else. Nora keeps trying to touch my ears though, and I swear if Ren doesn't stop her I won't be responsible for what I do. But all in all, everything is good now. Everyone is happier."

Good…

"When I tried to explain my past to Weiss, she wouldn't have it." Blake sounded surprise, though Jaune was less so. For all her snark and acid, Weiss was actually fairly forgiving. How could she not be, when she was usually stuck with Ruby's clumsy, over-eager personality? "She said that the past doesn't matter, or not enough for it to change how she sees me. It got me thinking about you, since I kept trying to understand why you would have helped me. I kept looking for reasons, explanations or just some purpose to it all."

"I'm not explaining this very well, am I?" He heard the girl shake her head. "What I'm trying to say is… I'm going to try and take Weiss' approach on things here. I don't know why you helped me, I don't know why you were willing to risk your life to protect mine – and I still find it hard to understand you."

All with good reason, since his actions and words were so contradictory…

"But that doesn't matter." He felt her touch his arm, her fingers gentle on his skin. "What matters is that when I was in trouble, when I was worried I would die, you were there. You… you stole a Bullhead, broke the law and… and _killed_ to protect me." Her voice cracked, and he realised with some surprise that the idea of killing was still actually quite anathema to her. "And that's crazy," she whispered, "it's strange and wrong and it doesn't make sense. You could have died as well an-" she paused, took a deep breath and sighed. "As you can see, saying I will and actually following her advice are two different things. Long story short, I'm going to start accepting you as you are, and stop trying to fit you into some kind of mould. You're confusing and weird, and also an ass at times... but that's just who you are."

Her hand wrapped around his beneath the covers, squeezing his fingers a little.

"Thank you," she whispered. The seconds stretched on, until Jaune started to wonder if she was waiting for a response before the girl laughed a little. "I suppose this is the point where I'm supposed to refer to you as my dad, right?"

Ugh, Yang and that joke of hers. Blake chuckled and let go of his hand, her footfalls carrying her over to where the door must have been. Not a second too soon in his mind, since he needed to find a drink and the nearest bathroom as soon as possible. The door opened, though much like the headmaster before her, she didn't exit through it immediately.

"One other thing, _dad_ ," she said – and he could _hear_ the smirk in her voice. "You're not nearly as good at pretending to be asleep as you think you are. Good night." The door shut, Jaune's eyes opening a second later.

"What a brat…" he whispered with a shake of his head. A nuisance too, not only with her paranoia but the way she'd gotten into trouble. His body ached, his limbs were sore, and to top it all off, he was stuck in Beacon for another semester. There would be other opportunities for him to find a way out… but for now he was going to have to put up with more stress on his already weak system. It should have made him angry. Blake, whether she knew it or not, had ruined his chance to escape and be with his family. He should have hated her, and yet he didn't. The team was safe… _his_ team was safe.

As it should be.

* * *

 **And there we go. A tricky chapter to write, mainly because of the sheer amount of stuff involved in it.  
**

 **Can't think of much to say here for a change and so will leave it at that. On the other hand, College Fool is back with his beta note - and making up for lost word count it seems!**

* * *

 **Beta Note:** College Fool

* * *

Howdy folks. College Fool here. Now that a very important arc has concluded, I thought I'd take several moments to give you a sense of what's it looks like behind the scenes of a story like this, and to share some thoughts about building solid tone for effect. As you'll soon see, this is actually not something I could really talk about until now, and yet now is the perfect time for some reflection.

As you may have gathered, Not This Time Fate is a planned fic. Like, actually planned in many respects. Not everything's nailed down in advance, and many things are up to change and that even I don't know (yet), but there are broad strokes done well in advance and those broad strokes have important reasons for being what and how they are. As a beta, sometimes it's your duty to remind a writer just what those reasons are, and why.

'Season One,' as the story to date might be called, is long. You know that, Coeur knows that, I know that. There have been people impatient with the pacing of the story, and believe me when I say we understand. One of the hardest, and most important, arguments I've had with Coeur was on that- and Coeur was the one who wanted to accelerate. He didn't, and now that it's done it's fair to tell you why.

Did this chapter excite you, and leave you emotionally satisfied? Did last chapter leave you in suspense and worried? Did the chapter before that leave you with as much unease as the end of Forever Falls filled you with happiness as the chapter before that left you frustrated and uncomfortable at how badly team JWBY was spinning its wheels and not coming together? Have you loved this game of emotions we played?

If you did- and we have the reviews to show that it largely did for most of you who do review- then... nailed it. Just as planned. Your response was Coeur's intent, and it ONLY worked that way because of dominant tone-endings for each chapter.

Tone is broadly the sense or feel someone takes away from a story, but one of the secrets of controlling audience take-away is that the audience will focus most on what it takes in last. Coeur learned this first in Professor Arc, when his omakes- laugh worthy themselves- overwhelmed the rest of his chapters content to the point people barely commented on what was the main effort he was making. The last tone someone takes away is what they remember... and anything contrary to it gets forgotten.

This is the crux of why the story has taken as long as it has so far, and why it couldn't be accelerated. There are a lot of significant emotional moments that the audience needs to feel and dwell on for both the story arc and the rest of this story to work. You needed to feel the tension of a team not coming together. You needed the ambiguity of a will-he-won't-he as Jaune planned his own alienation, only to be given a spot of hope when Jaune saves Yang at cost to himself despite his constant conviction that he needs to keep apart and be ready to abandon them. You needed that hope spot to wither and die as Jaune re-commits to leaving, so that you could feel actual despair and concern at the cliff hanger of Blake's emergency when Jaune refused to look, so that this chapter could reverse it all and end on a high note. Every single one of these builds off eachother, and every change only works thanks to the contrast of the previous tone the reader takes away... which is to say, what the recalls from the previous chapter. Aka, the ending tone.

When Coeur and I discussed this arc a month ago, right after Forever Falls finished with Jaune saving Yang, Coeur wanted to accelerate the plot and turn this entire are into maybe two chapters- the first ending with Jaune saving Blake, and the second being the fight and the aftermath. It was a long, mature argument, but I think we both agree it was for the better.

Imagine how that would have actually felt in practice- where Team JWBY and RNPR end a chapter believing Jaune cares about them, and then force a chapter of Jaune trying to convince his team he doesn't care only to end the same chapter (once again) saving his teammate. What would you have taken away from that? Would you remember a half-chapter's worth of angst and character drama? Would you have even believed something could go wrong, that Blake might actually die? Probably not. You'd probably have gone from one emotional high (Jaune proves he does care!) to a similar one of the same sort (Jaune proves he does care! Again!) There'd be no emotional contrast, no doubt, no real drama. It really would be filler to repeat the same emotionally uplifting beat.

That would have been bad, because- not to spoil too much- but this is kinda the lowest emotional point in the story. Spoiler alert- everyone knows he cares now. And you, the audience, know a bit more about him too. Coeur's not going to be able to repeat this exact same sort of heart-string pull again **(Challenge Accepted)** , now that Jaune's plans for escaping Beacon and pretending he doesn't care are shot down like flaming bullhead piloted by yours truly. (Coeur has some other things planned, but... well, that'd be telling. Feel free to build up that hope, mwahaha.)

So for the sake of the story experience, you had to be depressed that last few chapters. And for that to occur, you had to stew in it a bit, and not race through the bad times. That led to some filler- but also some surprisingly good emotional connections, and most of all some really necessary emotional drama for the team. Team JWBY has had it's trial- a real one- and it only worked because we kept pulling on you as long as it did. Our apologies, considering the length of the chapters, and our thanks. We hope your patience feels rewarded.

But! Things are different now. We've hit our major crisis of the early story. By the laws of emotional contrasts (and the inevitable later crisis), it's time to start climbing out of the emotional pit we dug- and with less need for drama in the near-term, that means the story can accelerate. Coeur's got some plans, and they'll be fun. You can look forward to them, just like Team JWBY is looking forward to finding it's groove, Glynda can look forward to combat class, and Jaune can look forward to trolling them all. For the moment, though, take the moment to look back on your trial, remember how you felt, and contemplate what's next as you look forward to the future.

After all, isn't that how this chapter feels like it should end? And isn't that what makes this the perfect point to explain why we made you suffer?

I think so.

Cheers,

C.F.

* * *

 **Wow... if you were reading a College Fool story, the above would have probably been enough for two chapters ;)**

 **Next Chapter: 30** **th** **September**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	16. Chapter 16

**Argh, this week… what a mess. I hope this chapter doesn't suffer for it, and it didn't even get to go to College Fool this week for beta. Basically I had my annual seminar on Thursday, to a few thousand people as usual. Had two speeches, one of which the guy didn't get me his slides, so I had to go in blind. Then on the way out there had been a fatal accident on the M6, and I got stuck in SIX hours of traffic. Lost an entire day to that alone, which pushed back both work and Fanfiction, sigh! I also lost Wednesday evening (as well as some of Monday, Tuesday) to preparation for it, since I had to do my own research and planning for it.**

 **Chapter a little rushed as a result.**

* * *

 **Cover:** Stuck at Home Tome

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Chapter 16**

* * *

Weiss hefted the tray of food further up her arms, trying to balance the various plates of fruit and bread without spilling any of it. Why it was herself who had been relegated to carrying it she didn't know, but it had been her idea and she didn't trust anyone else with her partner's food. It didn't help that Ruby was bouncing around her, however.

" _He cares, he cares_ ~" the little girl sang, as she had been for the past few days. Yang watched over it with the patience only someone who was used to it could.

"Will you be quiet!?" Weiss stomped one foot as the hooded girl brushed close by, nearly upsetting the food. "We've put up with your infernal cheering for two days now!"

"But he _does_ care," Ruby didn't even seem affected by Weiss' words, smiling fit to rival the morning sun as she twirled on by, nearly clotheslining an unfortunate student who dared to try and walk by. Weiss grumbled and tried to ignore it. It would have been easier if the girl hadn't been quite so smug about it, as though to point out that she had been right all along and thus now had the right to rub their noses in it.

"I suppose you're right," Pyrrha said, expression calm – almost indulgent, even. How she could put up with Ruby's constant enthusiasm Weiss had no idea. The girl must have the patience of a saint.

 _And I'm still not sure whether I got the better deal in the exchange,_ Weiss sighed. Jaune was… well what _wasn't_ he? He was annoying, sarcastic, caustic, a philanderer, lazy and not to mention wilfully incompetent. He was also insane apparently, if his recent actions were to be believed. The damage he'd done to the docks, even if the headmaster had laid the blame firmly on Torchwick and the White Fang… the costs alone must have been tremendous. Frankly, her partner was a mad man.

But he saved Blake…

The girl in question walked closely besides her, head held high and wearing the same curious smile she had since that day. In some small way Weiss felt she walked a little closer to the team, as though she were more included somehow. It was a good feeling, a feeling of being whole. The team was finally coming together. It was finally _working_.

That still likely made them the slowest team to bond in history, but at that moment she couldn't bring herself to care. All that mattered was that in the end Team JBWY, name still subject to change, could finally become the cohesive unit they were supposed to be. And against all odds, it was all because of him. Then again, their early difficulties were all because of him too, but at least he finished the problems he started.

"Are you sure he's going to be released today?" Ren asked Yang, matching his pace to hers. "It seems odd that he would be released immediately after waking up."

"That's what the message said," Yang said. "It said he woke up last night after we visited, so I guess they've done their tests on him through the night. Maybe they've got enough information already so are releasing him early."

"Maybe they're releasing him early because he's annoying them too much," Weiss scowled.

"That's a possibility too," Yang laughed. "It'll be good to have him back, lazy bastard that he is. The room's been kinda empty." Weiss agreed, though she wouldn't admit it. It seemed foolish to say their already cramped room had somehow become lonely, what with three girls occupying a room the size of one of her old en-suites, but it was undeniable. Jaune's bed was next to hers, meaning that with him absent, the empty bed cut Weiss off from everyone else in the room, leaving her alone in the corner. It hadn't felt right. That was the only way she could put it.

"Well I hope he's hungry," Ruby grinned as they approached the med-bay. The small girl pushed ahead, swinging the door wide with total disregard for anyone who might have stood on the other side. "Hi Jauuuu-" Ruby's eyes widened.

Plates shattered on the floor, spilling milk and cereal everywhere. Yang tried to place a hand over Ruby's eyes, only to find that Pyrrha had already done so, green eyes wide as she held a hand over the upper-half of Ruby's face.

Blake sighed, Nora giggled and Ren buried his face in his hands. Weiss, for her part, felt her teeth grind together.

"Well," the brown-haired woman coughed, tail swishing back and forth behind her. "Now that we have conducted your physical-"

"Thorough physical exam," Yang drawled, watching as the fox faunus climbed off of the bed, buttoning her shirt back up and hiding her round breasts from view. Weiss didn't miss how Jaune pulled the covers up to hide his… well, the point of their joi-… Weiss closed her eyes, taking deep breaths as she tried to burn the image from her mind.

"Mr Arc's injuries were extensive," the woman said, doing up the last few buttons, adjusting her skirt and brushing some sweat from her brow. Her skin was flushed, brown eyes still hazy with something Weiss _really_ didn't need to see. "A full test of his physical capabilities is important."

"You're honestly still claiming that?" Weiss asked.

"It would not do to send him out into a potentially dangerous situation if he is not healthy. My pride and professionalism as a doctor would not allow me to." The woman's eyes narrowed, as though daring any of them to contradict that statement. Weiss should… it was unprofessional, immoral and also quite frankly indecent.

But it was also Jaune Arc, which meant those things went without saying.

"It's safe for Ruby to open her eyes." Weiss said instead, "The _exam_ has come to a close."

"For now," Kitsune's tail flicked left and right, not at all put off by the red-faced, fifteen-year-old girl whose expression said that even with Pyrrha's quick response she had seen too much. At least Jaune had managed to shut her up, even if his methods needed work. "It may be necessary to arrange some appointments later on, just to monitor his progress."

A teacher was not propositioning her partner. She was just… being thorough. Weiss wondered whether she could convince herself to believe that, and if it would make dealing with the knowledge easier.

"H-Hi Jaune," Ruby's voice was much quieter than it had been before, her cheeks still bright red, hands fidgeting. "G-Good to see you're awake."

"Hello Ruby," he sighed, one hand coming over his eyes, the other frantically working beneath the covers to zip up his trousers. At least Weiss hoped that was what he was doing – for his sake. "I uh… didn't expect you guys so soon."

"Clearly so," Weiss glared.

"We heard you woke up," Yang giggled and shook her long mane, as though the action could shake off the memory of what they'd just witnessed. "Figured we'd come by and see how you were doing. Weiss even brought you some food to help you recover."

"You did?" Jaune perked up, eyes wide. Weiss huffed.

"Eat it off the floor." She turned aside, arms crossed. More fool her for thinking to do such a kind thing for her partner. If he wished to act like a dog in heat, then he could eat on all fours like one.

"Uh-oh…" Yang stage-whispered, "Looks like daddy is in the dog house." To Weiss' frustration Pyrrha, Blake and Nora chuckled at that. The last thing she needed was for Yang's asinine joke about their team roles to spread.

"Forget about that," Weiss growled. "And let us forget about this _physical_ of his as well."

"That's the spirit," the unrepentant doctor smiled. Weiss' eye twitched.

"We heard our teammate would be free to leave today? Is that still the case?"

"It is," the woman's brown ears dipped a little. "But he will still need to take it easy. The injuries he suffered were not insignificant."

Weiss' expression hardened, the earlier embarrassment fading away as she looked towards her partner and leader. He rubbed the back of his head with one hand, laughing nervously as though nothing were wrong. He was naked from the waist up too, with his lower abdomen bandaged up. It was impossible not to notice the discolouration on his skin, however, especially around his left shoulder.

"Tell us." It was not a request.

"Hey – hey," Jaune waved one arm. "Isn't my medical record private? You can't just tell everyone."

"Your medical history is private," the faunus woman nodded. "But injuries sustained in the field of duty are not. It's important that your team be aware so that they can adapt or cater to any specific needs."

"But I don't have any specific needs," he argued. Weiss felt her frustration swell, and it seemed she was not the only one who agreed. Yang's eyes flashed red and even Blake's posture seemed to stiffen. "There's no need to-"

"Jaune." To Weiss' surprise it was Yang who spoke, and more shocking was the tone of her voice. Firm, clipped… almost cold. It didn't sound like the fiery girl at all. "Shut up. We're listening doc." The older woman nodded, picking up a clipboard with one hand. Jaune seemed to relent, falling back into the staked pillows with a sigh.

"Mr Arc's injuries are numerous and varied. From the report I received about what transpired, it seems that most of these were received from exposure to extreme heat, concussive force and impact with various objects. His aura has already stepped in to both minimise and start repairing the damage, and along with my own treatment he has been recovering well, particularly while unconscious. In terms of specific damage, we were looking at a dislocated shoulder, dislocated elbow, four broken ribs, two fractured, extensive abrasions to upper and lower back, presumably from contact with hard granite. There are burns across a good fifty per cent of his body, though those are healing well and should not leave any scarring, but internal bruising from the blasts was extensive. Muscle damage is fairly easy to deal with, though I would imagine every muscle in his body is badly stressed to some degree."

Weiss' eyes were wide, and she was hardly alone in that. Blake seemed to be shaking slightly, while Yang's hands were clenched into fists. Ruby was leaning on Pyrrha for support, who had an arm around her shoulders in return. Of Ren and Nora, the only sigh was how silent they were, and how sharp Nora's eyes had become.

"Other complications and damage ranges from lacerations where weapons struck, to internal complications caused by the dust explosions. I would expect him to be dizzy still for a day or two, while his breathing will remain difficult until his windpipe fully recovers."

"His breathing?" Weiss snapped, taking a step forward as she looked more closely at him. It was hard to see, least of all because of the bandages – but more because he made no sign of it. But his chest rose a little quicker than it would have normally, and there was a faint rasp to his breath.

"Torchwick tried to strangle him," Blake whispered, though in the silence she might as well have screamed it. "He held Jaune down and tried to crush his windpipe with his weapon. I… I…" She didn't finish and instead looked away.

"That shouldn't leave any complications," Kitsune said, "Though the intense heat likely damaged the lining of his lungs somewhat, particularly with the explosion happening so close." Beneath him, if Weiss remembered Blake's story. Jaune had literally ignited the dust that he was being strangled in, in a move that could have killed him.

Weiss' nails bit into her palm. Her entire arm shook.

"Jaune…" Ruby whispered.

"Meh, it's fine," he rolled his eyes and laughed. "I can't even feel it."

The doctor shrugged. "With all the damage to your skin, I'm surprised you can feel anything."

"What about those scars?" Ruby asked, pointing to some lacerations on Jaune's pecs. It looked like two sets of four, curved inwards and slowly dripping blood. "Those haven't even been bandaged."

"They are…" Jaune winced, "somewhat more recent."

The fox faunus coughed awkwardly. It took Weiss approximately 2.4 seconds to realise what that meant, and another 2.4 to forcefully purge the image from her mind.

"Moving on…" Jaune pushed on, face a little red. "What's with all the long faces? You're acting like I died or something."

"You nearly did," Blake said. "You would have, if not for Torchwick retreating. Yet you're acting like it doesn't even matter, like this is nothing more than a minor inconvenience." She was more verbose than usual, though Weiss knew why. She could hear the anger in Blake's voice, anger that belied both concern and guilt. Blake blamed herself for it, and in some small way she was right to, wasn't she?

"I'm fine," Jaune pushed himself into a sitting position. He only got half way, before Ruby and Yang were on either side of him, helping him up. He looked at them strangely, and Weiss felt a stab of irritation at that. Did he think he was impressing them or something? That this act somehow made him appear strong or tough?

"He is fine to be released today," the faunus shrugged. "I would feel better if his team ensured he did not push himself unduly."

"That won't be an issue." The double meaning in Weiss' words would have been amusing in any other situation. The idea of Jaune pushing himself was laughable enough, but right now they would not have allowed him to for whatever reason. Jaune groaned when he saw the serious looks on their faces. Like he had the right to. Like he could look at them as though _they_ were the ones being dramatic.

"Then he is all yours," the woman stepped back, letting Jaune push the covers aside and ease his feet out onto the floor. He still wore jeans to their relief, but his upper torso was a mismatch of bandages and gauze. Jaune reached for his uniform jacket, only for Yang to snatch it first and hold it behind him, arms wide.

"Yang," he sighed, "I'm not a child…"

"You'll stress yourself," Yang's eyes were firm and after a moment to roll his eyes Jaune held his arms back, letting her shift it onto him. Buttoned up, it looked like he wore a dirty, white shirt underneath. You couldn't tell it was bandages unless you got closer.

"When do these come off?" Jaune picked at one, though he soon gave up when Ruby slapped his hand away.

"In a day or two. You will need to come back tonight to have them changed." Weiss made a mental note of that, if only because she was sure Jaune would not. "For now I would advise you to get some food, rest and stay away from any strenuous exercise. You should be recovered by the end of the week, though I'd advise using the week's holiday to rest as well, just in case."

"No danger there," he muttered, clapping his hands together and making for the door. "I'm starved, let's-" he paused, sighed and looked to either side of him. Yang was on his right, one hand under his arm as she supported him. Nora was on his left, in much the same position. "Guys, I appreciate the gesture but I _can_ walk."

Weiss sighed. She could already tell it was going to be a long day.

* * *

Jaune sighed. This was shaping up to be a long day.

Bad enough that the extent of his injuries had been read out in front of his team, but then they'd gone and completely overreacted to the damage, dedicating themselves to looking after him. At any other time, he'd have been thrilled to have a bunch of beautiful women and Ren looking after him. It was every man's dream and for what Ren lacked in the breasts department, he more than made up for with his fruit smoothies.

But this… this wasn't what he'd had in mind.

"That's all you're eating?" Jaune glanced to the left, wondering why Weiss even bothered to phrase that as question when he knew full well she wouldn't accept his answer. Her blue eyes stared down at the pieces of meat still strewn about his plate, of which he'd picked about and eaten his fill a few minutes earlier.

He had never eaten much at the best of times, but after so long living each day like his last, his portion sizes had shrunk noticeably. People didn't just eat because they were hungry, but because food tasted good, felt good. People _enjoyed_ eating. Jaune had long since gone beyond that, having lived more than an average lifespan long ago. To him, food was just that, fuel that was used to top up an empty tank, and only as much as he needed to stop himself from feeling the pangs.

"I can't eat any more," he said honestly, pushing the plate away. Seven faces stared at him, their eyes narrowed onto his. He wasn't sure who pushed it back, but their expressions made it clear he wouldn't be able to leave without finishing off the plate.

"You already don't eat enough," Weiss snapped, "and not healthily, either. Unless you've forgotten, you spent the last few days unconscious – in what was almost certainly a coma. You _need_ to eat."

"I don't need to eat. I think I know my body better than you do."

"Clearly not…"

What did she mean by that? Well, whatever she meant, she was wrong. After living these same days over and over, Jaune had a level of understanding of his limits far beyond what most did. He knew exactly how far his body could be pushed, not only until it collapsed from exhaustion, but how far it could go before it died entirely.

Something like this, the injuries that Roman had given him, they paled in comparison to that. His breathing? It hurt, yes, and taking rapid breaths was frustrating, but the pain was a reminder that he was alive. The burns that itched and ached across his body went easily ignored, as did the fact that moving his left arm sent pain racking up towards his shoulder.

It just wasn't worth worrying about, why couldn't they understand that?

"So what have you all been up to while I was having a nap?" Jaune asked, more in an effort to distract them than because he cared. He didn't fool Weiss. He could tell from how her eyes narrowed, nor was Blake amused by his attempt to change the subject, but they both sighed and looked away.

"Just lessons," Yang shrugged, crossing her arms and refusing to look away from his plate. "There's no combat classes for the last week apparently, so it's been Oobleck and Port, over and over."

"I saved your homework for you," Weiss said. "I even asked the teachers if they would be willing to let you do it over the break and grade you after. For the record, Doctor Oobleck was impressed with your dedication."

"Why?" Jaune cringed.

"Because he was going to waive it for you, I would assume," Weiss shrugged, not at all understanding what he had meant. "Naturally, your education is still important, however. I will expect you to have it ready for me to check on the first day of term."

Fat chance of that but he nodded anyway. Easier to deal with her anger later than to provoke it now. He would need to make sure Sapphire didn't see it, since her eyes would narrow and she would instantly force it upon him. The reminder of his family made him wince, something which had Ruby taking a step towards him in worry.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he waved one hand, sighing in his head when she clearly didn't believe him. In truth nothing hurt, except for the reminder that his family didn't know that his plan had failed. He would have to tell them. When he could think of a way to break the news. There was always the next semester which he could try and get expelled from, but they were coming to Vale with the full expectation that he was going to go home with them afterwards. "Just thinking about what happened."

"Speaking of…" Yang settled down opposite him, the others crowding in close. "You ready to tell us what happened?"

"Huh?" Jaune looked over their faces. Hadn't Blake told them? Had they not been there for the end of it? "It's pretty much whatever Blake told you. Not much was different from my end."

"Not that," Weiss sighed heavily. "I think she meant _how_ you knew about Blake in the first place. How you knew she was at the docks."

"And how you were able to hijack and pilot a Bullhead," Pyrrha added.

"And how you were able to fight Roman Torchwick and a group of White Fang soldiers," Blake finished.

Shit. There really was no other word to use. His team, not to mention Ruby's, watched him with clear interest, no doubt having waited on the question for days now. He wracked his mind for anything that he could use to explain away his actions. It came up blank. A hysterical part of him said he should claim amnesia, but it was probably a little late for that.

"I didn't really _fight_ Torchwick," Jaune went for the easiest of the questions, more so because it was the truth. His body still had the signs of it, the criminal's rather brutal beat down. A lot of his injuries were self-inflicted, but only because the alternative would have been worse. Jaune felt confident in saying he was more skilled than Roman, but that didn't make up for the differences in strength, speed and stamina. "The White Fang grunts… well, Blake can tell you how tough they were, but Torchwick kicked my ass."

"You still fought far better than you have in any of our training sessions," Blake argued. "And even if the Fang operatives were weak, there were more than enough of them to pose a problem to us. Even Sun didn't tear through them as easily as you did."

"Sun?" Jaune asked, if only because he knew he was supposed to.

"The monkey faunus that was injured alongside us. He's recovered, by the way." Jaune nodded, even though he had already known. Sun was a tough cookie, even if the guy didn't realise it himself.

"I don't know what to say," Jaune shook his head, shrugging. "They were going to kill me so I guess I just fought a little harder. It wasn't real swordplay, though. I just lashed out at anyone that came near. If they knew how to fight, they might have been able to take me out a lot sooner." Doubtful, but he had said maybe. Jaune's style had been perfected over centuries, the perfect amalgamation of his own technique, mixed with Pyrrha's and then with a dash of dirt thrown into it. In all honesty it had been Roman who taught him the latter, since every time Jaune fought him the man would pull out all manner of nasty surprises. You could only be blindsided by a surprise attack a thousand times before you started to see the value in them. Adam wouldn't have been fooled, even if Jaune had been fast enough to hit him at all.

"The way you fought though…" Blake didn't seem able to give it up, and Jaune sighed as she bit her lip. "You were so angry."

"I was being attacked." Jaune sighed. "What do you want me to say? I was fighting for my life. I wasn't going to be casual about it when there was so much on the line."

Fighting for hers too, which had placed far more burden upon him. He could die at any moment, it didn't matter, but seeing her cut down and being forced to live on after would have been unacceptable. Blake opened her mouth to say something but didn't. She hesitated, looked at him, and then glanced away, almost awkwardly.

"We'll do more tests next semester," Weiss said, and Jaune didn't have to fake the groan that slipped from between his lips. The last thing he wanted was Weiss running experiments on him, especially when those would no doubt involve her stabbing him with her rapier to see how he reacted. "I _will_ make a hunter out of you, Jaune."

 _Why does that sound so much like a threat?_ Jaune sighed. _Pyrrha was never so cruel when she trained me… ugh…_

"-how you knew?" Jaune blinked as he caught the end of a question from his old partner. Pyrrha sighed when she realised he hadn't heard her. "I asked if you would let us know how you knew, about the docks, I mean."

Ah… right, that.

"I heard about it on the radio," he said slowly, noticing Weiss' eyes narrow immediately. "Not the radio, radio… the Bullhead radio. It was connected to the Vale network, the one they use to monitor where vehicles are and such." Weiss nodded to show she understood, and to his relief the others seemed to accept that too. "Once I was able to listen to that, it pretty much said that there were some unknown Bullheads at the docks, and that the police had been alerted. I just took a risk from there and it turned out to be right."

"You're an idiot," Weiss sighed. "What if it had been something worse?"

Something worse than racist terrorists with stolen military aircraft, Jaune felt like asking, except that it would only have given them more ammunition. In the end he just shrugged. It was easier to accept being seen as an idiot than to try and explain away his actions.

"But you said the docks," Ruby whispered, her voice cutting through his calm like Crocea Mors through the hide of a Beowolf. Everyone turned to look at her. "When I talked to you," she said, all innocence. "You said Blake, then you said the docks, before you ran away…"

 _Thank you Ruby…_ _that's quite the hole you've dug me._

Trust her of all people to see through his lies, and worse, not have the understanding to make note and ask him in private, as opposed to incriminating him in front of everyone. There wasn't a person at the table who couldn't put two and two together, and Jaune soon found himself under their glares once more. Most of them looked unimpressed, Blake suspicious…

Weiss looked like she was considering murder.

"I don't know how I knew," he said at last, knowing the answer wouldn't satisfy even as he said it. Pyrrha sighed, while Yang leaned back and crossed her arms. He didn't need to look at his partner to feel her irritation. "It was just a feeling, or instinct, I don't know how to explain it. How else _can_ you explain it?"

"I wouldn't know," Weiss sighed, "Since I am not the one who somehow knew where she would be and how to reach her. You just… _knew_ , did you?" The scorn was thick in her voice but he nodded regardless. They were more likely to accept that than they were the news that he was a time traveller.

"Could it be a Semblance?" It was Pyrrha who came to his rescue, as she always had in the past. She looked at him now, not with friendship or scorn, but rather a curious interest.

"What kind of Semblance would give him that knowledge?" Weiss scoffed.

"Seeing the future?" Ruby was eager to pipe up. "Time travel?"

Jaune smirked.

"If we can stay within the realms of reality for a moment," Weiss rolled her eyes. "It's possible that it could have been some undiscovered Semblance or ability since you don't have one yet. Breaching time and space would be impossible, however."

"Detection?" Blake guessed, "Or tracking, perhaps?"

"It might explain how he knew where you were," Ren tilted his head to the side. "The intricacies of semblances are rarely understood but they often seem to affect either yourself or the world immediately around you. It's possible that Jaune was able to sense your distress, or maybe identify where you were."

"It's all just theory until we know more," Pyrrha said. "That is, if you believe that is what it is." She looked at him then, asking if he thought they might be on the right track. They weren't, of course, but it was the closest they could get. It would also be his escape to the current interrogation, and maybe even an excuse he could use in the future.

"It might be," he said, trying to sound as uncertain as possible. "I can't tell. I've never known my semblance."

They all sighed. It seemed they were disappointed with the answer, even if they all accepted it. The only other excuses were worse, however, since they would have painted him as a person who had some kind of dark and dirty past, perhaps even ex-White Fang or an old goon of Torchwick's. It would have been an easy enough thing to claim, and he was fairly sure they would have accepted him as they had Blake, but at the same time he didn't want to run the risk of his `apparent` criminal past affecting his family.

"What about the Bullhead?" Nora finally asked, and Jaune smiled at what was a rather easy question.

"I had lessons when I was younger. I know a little about piloting."

"Enough to shoot down other aircraft?" Ruby didn't sound suspicious… instead she sounded enthused. He had the distinct impression she was going to ask him where she could sign up for such lessons.

"Not like that," he laughed instead, smiling as her expression fell. "I mean I learned how to pilot a normal one, but even then only to an amateur level." He looked to Blake, nodding in her direction. "Again, if you recall, I only did well enough to shoot one down before I was knocked out of the sky. They didn't see me coming. Even an idiot can click a big red button in the direction of a stationary target."

If they knew how to hack into the computers enough to bring up said systems without authorisation, and enough to disengage the auto-targeting and safety measures, he didn't add.

"As for starting the whole thing up, one of the pilots was sat right by it. I just took his key-card to start it. Taking off is easy, as is flying. It's landing which is hard, and well, you saw _my_ landing."

"I think all of Vale saw your landing," Yang grinned, referring to the fires that had spread from it. "Nice touch, by the way. I suppose your career as a Bullhead pilot crashed and burned though, eh?"

"Boo…" Yang frowned as even Ren booed her awful pun.

"The interrogation is over then?" Jaune asked, breathing a sigh of relief. Weiss continued to stare at him, as did Blake, but neither seemed to have any questions left. _Lucky I managed to convince them of this much anyway,_ he sighed in relief.

And what was better, they'd forgotten all about the half-eaten food on his plate.

* * *

Jaune was lying. Blake knew that. There were too many holes in his story, too many discrepancies… she was fairly sure everyone else had noticed too, but that they had all decided like her that they wouldn't push the issue. As the day passed and they finally retired to their room, the curiosity building up inside Blake had already reached bursting point. She wished she could force those answers out of him, ask how he'd known and why he had come, but she'd promised him that she wouldn't, hadn't she?

And so, with a great sigh, Blake Belladonna swallowed her suspicions, locking them away where they would hopefully not bother her. He had lied and she was content in knowing that. It did not make him a bad person, she lied all the time, it just meant that he did not wish to reveal his past – and in some strangely comforting way – that he did not wish to tell them it was none of their business, either.

Like Ruby had said, time and time again, he did care. He just showed it in such strange ways.

Like risking his life to protect hers. Like stealing a Bullhead and flying it across Vale, of engaging trained pilots in aerial combat, like struggling on the ground against an infamous criminal, before igniting the dust around him with not a hint of hesitation.

Golden eyes drifted shut, trying to forget that terrifying scene. She hadn't even realised how she had screamed his name at the time, voice hoarse and filled with anguish. She really thought he had died right there, giving his life just like that, with not a hint of fear. She had seen hardened White Fang veterans with less conviction.

Seeing it in someone her age was frightening, but this time – unlike before – she felt confident in saying it was not aimed at her. But how, and why? The questions burned in her mind. What had he been through to create such drive, such casual disregard for his own life.

Even now she watched him, as he struggled out of his jacket, revealing fresh, new bandages. Weiss strode forward, berating him for playing with them as Yang offered to help him put on the flannel tee he slept in, her arms holding the head open like one might to a small child. His arms were crossed, his body language saying he clearly didn't appreciate the gesture or the comparison. Weiss seemed frustrated at that, shouting something about how his perceived machismo was neither needed nor wanted.

Blake didn't think that was the case. She watched as he sighed and held his arms up, she could see his bandages bunch and stretch, in what must have been a painful motion – yet his face didn't so much as twitch.

 _You're as troubling as ever,_ she sighed. An enigma that haunted her one moment, then made her feel worried the next. She owed him her life, the least she could do in return was keep his secret and not call him out on his lies – but it felt too little. She would have helped him, if she thought for even a second that he might ask.

But he was not a man who relied on others… she could tell. Ironic then, that he'd criticised her so, shouting at her foolishness for going in alone when he had done the same. He had been right, she knew that. But that didn't make _him_ right to have done the same.

 _I don't know what to do,_ the girl thought to herself, laying back on her bed.

* * *

They kept babying him for the next few days, to the point that he feared he might snap. Thankfully that never came, however, and as the term slowly came towards its end, his team started to get used to the idea that he wasn't going anywhere – no matter how much he would have liked it. Yang stopped trying to help dress him, Blake stopped staring at him when she thought he wasn't paying attention, and Weiss' questions became less about what had happened and more about what they were going to do next semester. Ruby kept cheering whenever she saw him, however, and he still caught her smiling at him at every conceivable opportunity. There should have been a law against so much good-natured cheer. It was enough to make teeth rot.

Much like the girls had said before, their lessons towards the end of the semester seemed to become much more lax, the teachers covering topics as usual but not actually assigning any homework over it, likely because the term's work had already been marked and graded. He would have been more pleased about that if the drying up of Weiss' sympathy hadn't meant she was forcing him to start work on everything he had missed already.

One thing he had forgotten about, however, was his detentions with Miss Goodwitch. That proved to be the costly mistake since no one missed one of those, and the first reminder he had of it was when the door to their dorm burst open and he started to float off the ground.

"Mr Arc," the stern woman said, as though talking to a teenager suspended upside down in the air was a regular occurrence. The worst part was that with her, it might just have been.

"Glynda," Jaune nodded back, catching her narrowed eyes at the familiar form of address.

"M-Miss Goodwitch," Weiss stepped forward, freezing for a second when the woman turned a stare onto her, no doubt wishing she hadn't drawn attention to herself. His partner swallowed and firmed her expression, which was actually quite impressive given how legendary the deputy's glares were. "Can we help you Miss Goodwitch?"

"Your partner failed to show for his detention," the woman said, making Jaune's eyes widen as he finally remembered what Ozpin had said. In all honesty he'd completely forgotten about them, though from the look on everyone's faces, they clearly thought it was just him pushing his boundaries again. "I will be taking him there directly, to ensure he does not get lost en route."

"Jaune…" Weiss groaned, rubbing her face. Jaune's eye twitched as she waved one hand, almost in a `take him away` gesture. So much for team unity… or was it just that not even team loyalty dared fly in the face of Glynda Goodwitch?

"I can walk on my own by the way."

"I understand that you are recovering still. It would be remiss of me to risk exacerbating your injuries."

"I might believe that," Jaune sighed, "if I wasn't being carried through Beacon upside down. I had a concussion a few days ago, you know."

"We had a warehouse district a few days ago, you know."

Jaune snorted, "So you _do_ have a sense of humour," he said, impressed despite the situation. The older woman was apparently less so, since she _accidentally_ banged him against a door as she passed through it. "You would probably be a lot more approachable if you let that show."

"Mr Arc, I do not require advice on how to be a better person. Not from _you_ , of all people."

"Ouch, that stings."

"You shall survive, unfortunately." She whispered the last part, though once again he couldn't help the amusement he felt at hearing it. It was small, but it was definitely there, that undeniable hint of a sarcastic and cynical sense of humour, hidden beneath the hard stares. He liked Glynda Goodwitch, as much as no one would have guessed given his behaviour. In a world of deceit, hidden agendas and monsters, she was something you could rely on. Over hundreds and thousands of repeats, she never changed – as unyielding as the ocean itself.

It was just unfortunate for her that the same discipline and focus he so admired, was also the best chance of him getting expelled.

"So now that you've carried me to your office late at night, are you finally going to ravage me?" Jaune glanced about the room she'd brought him too, a rather small office with a single desk and chairs arranged about it. From the plain décor to the overly neat way pens were arranged on the table, the room seemed to fit her. She sighed and walked over to the desk, sitting behind it as the power holding him up dissipated. Instincts kicked in as he tried to correct his fall, only to realise his muscles weren't quite fast enough when his face impacted the wood.

"I shall not dignify that with a response," Glynda poured herself some water from a jug, not even bothering to look at him as he dragged himself off the ground.

"For the record," Jaune sighed, "I didn't actually intend to skip your detention. I forgot, accidentally."

"I know, Mr Arc," she said – and his eyes widened as he wondered how. "Even you would not be foolish enough to do that."

 _I'd consider that arrogance if it wasn't true,_ Jaune thought as he sat down on one of the chairs opposite her. There didn't seem to be anything he was supposed to do, be it filling in pointless questionnaires, doing extra homework or writing on the board. She didn't criticise him as he sat, either, instead pouring out a glass of water for him. Jaune sipped lightly, watching her watch him.

"The first semester has come to an end," she said after a long pause. "I will admit I did not expect you to be staying for a second."

"I'm just full of surprises," he said, rolling his eyes. She knew the truth of his enrolment – and his reluctance. He didn't doubt for a second that she also had a suspicion as to why he was acting like he did.

"That you are," the woman agreed. "You can imagine my surprise when I heard one of my students had stolen a Bullhead to joyride across Vale, and then my surprise when I heard he had opened fire and burned down an industrial district." Okay, when she put it like that he couldn't help but wince. He wouldn't ever regret having saved Blake, but at the same time the extent of the damage _had_ been a little bit higher than expected. _That's putting it lightly…_ _I'm glad Ozpin didn't feel the need to tell me the damages in lien._ "But tell me, Jaune," and it was the first time she'd called him by name. "Why wasn't I surprised when I heard the name of said student?"

"Heh heh… whoops?" He wasn't _that_ infamous, was he?

"Nor, as curious as it sounds, was I surprised to hear that you had successfully managed to rescue Miss Belladonna." She looked over the top of her glasses as she said that, green eyes piercing into his. Despite their relative age - and by that he meant his vastly older age - he was the first to look away. What did she mean by that?

"Were you surprised that I went in the first place?" he asked, curious despite his desire not to be.

"Yes." Her immediate answer made him cringe. "It was I who petitioned for your removal from Beacon. I did not believe you had the drive to become a Hunter, but more than that, I did not believe you had the right mentality." She didn't think he cared enough about anyone. He suddenly felt tired, a yawn threatening to slip past.

The clock on the wall slowly ticked on, heralding the silence between them as neither was quite sure what to say. Miss Goodwitch for her part continued to inspect him, eyes roving across his face in a manner that might have made his blood race in any other situation.

"Miss Belladonna will not soon forget the events that took place at the docks," Miss Goodwitch was the first to speak. "Not only did she nearly die, but through her actions two others almost lost their lives. Such responsibility is not something we wish to put students through so early."

"She will be fine," Jaune said, because he knew it to be true. She would be up and risking her life to chase Torchwick the moment they were back off holiday.

"I hope so, Mr Arc. It would be a shame to lose a promising Huntress because of something like that. Situations like this tend to come up with the older students, once they have undertaken a few of the harder missions. The mind struggles to cope with failure, more so if one's confidence or faith has been shaken. All of the staff here are at least mildly trained in counselling, should she ever require it. Given her unique situation, I'm sure Doctor Oobleck would be willing to speak with her should she wish it. His stance on faunus is well-known."

"I'll be sure to tell her," Jaune said, even though he knew she would never agree to it. In truth, he couldn't help but think Blake was in desperate need of a little help too, though that wasn't limited to this timeline. She was always like that, running into trouble and obsessing too much on the White Fang and what they had done. But he knew she would never accept that, and less so aid from the older generation. Like so many other faunus, she had lost faith in it. "I can't promise she'll agree but I shall let her know."

"Thank you," the teacher nodded. "Did you realise that your weapons had been returned to you?" The question caught him off-guard, and it must have shown for the woman chuckeld lightly. "I suppose you did not realise they were even missing, given how abruptly your duel with Roman Torchwick ended. You lost your weapon in the fight if you recall, as did Miss Belladonna and Mr Wukong."

He had, now that he thought about it. Roman and he had gotten too close, at a distance where Crocea Mors' long blade would have been more of a hindrance. He hadn't had a knife at the time, so dropping it to distract Roman before killing him with his hands had been the obvious choice. Jaune hadn't even thought to pick it back up afterwards.

"Once the fires were under control Oobleck and I returned to the scene to gather what evidence we could. Naturally the activities of Torchwick are of importance to us, are the White Fang. While we were there, Doctor Oobleck had the good fortune to spy Miss Belladonna's weapon. That reminded me that we had found you without yours, so we broke off the investigation to find it."

That was… kind of sweet, actually. It was practical too, of course, since you Hunter weapons tended to not only be more expensive, but also more dangerous than other ones. You didn't want to leave some kind of crazy weapon lying around, especially if it turned out to be a hammer that turned into a grenade launcher or something.

"You found my sword?" he asked, surprised at how much the idea of losing it frightened him. His father wouldn't care in the slightest, in fact his family would have traded it for his safety long ago. But through everything that had taken place, through all the repeats to the point that he had forgotten how it all started, Crocea Mors had been with him.

"We did," Miss Goodwitch nodded. "Along with Mr Wukong's weapons. After checking them for any damage we returned them to your lockers. It is safe and sound." Jaune slumped in his seat, breath escaping him in a rush.

"Thank you."

"Consider it my returning the favour," the woman said. Jaune's face twisted with confusion. What favour did she mean? He didn't think he had done anything to help her, at least not in this life. She simply shook her head, however. "Regardless, I also wanted to make you aware that next semester you will need to attend a few mandatory sessions with Doctor Oobleck."

"I thought my detentions were only until the end of this semester?"

"Mr Arc, I think we are both aware you will be earning your fair share of detention next semester too." He would have liked to argue, but could only shrug. She was right after all, since he still needed to convince them to expel him. "But for Doctor Oobleck, these will not be detentions."

"What then?" Jaune asked. Miss Goodwitch sighed and leaned back, crossing her arms beneath her breasts.

"When we found your weapon, we also found the remains of the White Fang you had fought with." Her words were clipped. "Many of them were killed in the explosion Torchwick caused, but there were a few with wounds attributed to your weapon."

Jaune nodded, unsure what she was getting at. The woman sighed once more.

"Fatal wounds…"

She stared at him as she said that, making him blink for a second before raising one brow.

"I know," he said, when it was clear she expected an answer. He ought to, since he'd been the one to kill them. There was no use hiding that, not since she already knew. Either way it wouldn't have mattered, the law would rule on his side in the exchange, especially since they had been conducting illegal action and even as a student he was technically considered a certified Hunter in the eyes of the legal system. "But why the sessions?"

"Those sessions are mandatory for any student who is forced to take a life," Miss Goodwitch said. Was it his imagination, or did she seem almost resigned about it? "There is nothing I can do to change that, nor is there anything I would do. Oobleck will be in touch with you next semester to arrange them. I am simply making you aware."

"Thanks for letting me know then." It would be annoying, he supposed, but not exactly a life threatening problem. It even made sense that they would have rules like that. He knew from experience that Beacon also had mandatory sessions if you lost a teammate too. He hadn't really gotten through those, since to him the repeats were a chance to make sure he didn't lose anyone. He would not settle for anything less than protecting them all, and so had promptly killed himself in those cases where someone had died. "Is there anything else you need me for? It's been an hour already."

She waved a hand in dismissal, letting him stand up and move away from the desk. All in all it hadn't been so bad, though he could imagine how frustrating Doctor Oobleck would be in a week or so. Before he could leave, however, her voice stopped him.

"I was not surprised, if you are interested."

Jaune turned to look at her.

"When I found their bodies, and your blade beside them." She balanced her elbows on the desk, hands linked before her face. "I should have been and yet I was not. I did not doubt for a moment that you had not done it."

Jaune shrugged awkwardly. He wasn't sure what to say. Why should she have doubted it when Crocea Mors was right there? He couldn't have left a bigger calling card if he'd tried. She could have asked too, and he would have freely admitted it.

"I realise that I am not the most approachable of people, Mr Arc. But should you feel the need to speak to someone, know that my door will be open. It is open to all students, no matter how troublesome."

Jaune laughed. That was so like her that he didn't doubt it for a second. She cared about her students, from Pyrrha Nikos to Cardin Winchester and everyone in between. Many were the times he had seen her die as well, always standing before a number of wounded students. Jaune nodded to her.

"Thank you. I'll keep it in mind."

But he wouldn't have to. As the door clicked shut behind him, he wondered if he had ever been a person who felt intimidated by death. Once upon a time, maybe… he couldn't remember, but theoretically he had to have been. Even though he could not remember it, he knew in the back of his mind that he had been useless when it all started, a burden to his team and friends. That was all he could recall, but it made sense that he would have been naïve back then too.

He couldn't remember when that had changed, so long ago had it occurred. Any action he did could be undone; any death he caused could be reversed. The White Fang that had died this time might live the next, though whether that meant they died to him later, he neither knew nor cared. There hadn't been any hesitation when he cut them down because he had been killing for hundreds of years, it simply didn't affect him.

So long as the people he loved survived.

* * *

"Come on, come on!" Yang yawned as Weiss pushed her from behind, propelling the blonde down the corridor with Blake and Jaune in tow. Their leader looked as tired as she felt, and how could they not when Weiss had woken them up at six in the morning for this. Yang Xiao-Long didn't operate at six… _no one_ operated at six. " _Walk_ already – you should be excited for this."

"Weiss," Yang paused to yawn again, "I don't think anyone is excited about this…"

"I am," the girl snapped, which didn't surprise her at all. She'd kind of meant no _normal_ person when she had said that. Of course Weiss would actually care about their end of semester grades and rankings. They didn't even really count for anything, other than for people to get a grip for where they needed to improve.

She could have still been in bed right now… snuggling into her warm blankets. The beautiful imagery was torn aside as something ice-cold crept up her bare legs, making Yang yelp. She glanced down in time to see the _literal_ ice slowly cracking away, then up to what would soon be a dead girl.

"You were about to fall asleep again," Weiss said, sheathing her fancy-pants toothpick with a pleased smile. "Knowing our grades and ranking is an integral part of improving ourselves. You should give this the importance it deserves. You don't see Blake complaining."

Yang looked back, grinning a little as she saw the almost comatose look on her partner's face. Blake was doing her best zombie impression, likely walking along on nothing more than instinct alone. Jaune staggered beside her, the two looking like cow faunus for a moment in the way they followed Weiss half-asleep, like a herd of cattle on some great migration.

"Fine, fine, I'm awake now," Yang patted her legs to warm them up, letting out a suffering sigh as she watched Weiss try and rouse Jaune into action. The semester scores and ranking system were something they'd been made aware of in a recent lesson with Professor Port, one of the few to actually contain useful information and not crazy tales.

From what Yang had gathered it wasn't exactly something that dictated or changed anything about your education, but more of a report card that ranked you both on your academic and practical skills, with comments on how to improve. It also showed you where you scored in terms of rank so that you could know where you stood. Beacon wasn't like normal schools. In a way, grades meant very little. You either graduated and became a Hunter or you didn't. The differences between being the best in class and being the worst were meaningless, so long as you graduated.

That was why she didn't give two hoots about it, to be honest. If her dad wasn't going to be hunting her down over it, and he wasn't because there she'd made sure to pick up the slack towards the end, then it didn't matter. It was only the competitive people and teacher's pets, people like Weiss, who actually cared about it.

So it came as absolutely no surprise that when Team Jazzberry came to the large screens and terminals that displayed the rankings, there wasn't so much as a single student in sight. Weiss muttered some choice words about the standards of students dropping.

Yang muttered some choice words about Weiss.

Jaune just muttered, while Blake slumped against a nearby pillow, sliding a little down it before she found the perfect balance between standing and falling over. _Team Jazzberry, ladies and gentlemen… truly a sight to behold._

"Where is it, where is it…" Weiss was already at the terminal, fingers flying across the holographic display as she looked for her records. A nearby screen flashed, bringing up a photo of Weiss that had clearly been taken by some kind of professional photographer. "Let's check theory first," the girl mumbled, bringing up a new screen. Yang whistled as she saw the score. "Ninety-eight out a hundred!" Weiss crowed. "Ninety-eight…"

"Well done," Yang yawned. "You did g-"

"How did I only get ninety-eight!?"

"Never mind…" Yang glanced away as Weiss ranted and looked through the comments left on her profile. Jaune caught Yang's eye, sighing as though to say this was what he had to put up with. It was times like that which left pleased he was their leader and not Weiss. He was useless as a leader, she wasn't going to lie, but at least he didn't drive them like slaves.

"I'll just have to improve next semester," Weiss shook her head. "I got eighty for practical, which isn't bad at all."

"Pyrrha's ranked first," Yang nodded at the leader board on a nearby wall. There were two displayed, one for practical and one for theory. Pyrrha's name was proudly displayed at the top of the practical one. Weiss' was at the top of theory. Neither of those results surprised her, especially not the redhead's dominance over the ring.

"Well I can't expect to be better than Pyrrha Nikos," Weiss took her lower score on that better. "What about you?"

Yang sighed and flicked her own scores out onto the screen. Seventy-six on theory, good enough to place her in the top thirty per cent or so – and a solid eighty-nine for practical. Yang's eyes narrowed as she read a note on the latter.

"Needs to gain better control over her temper," Weiss read. "Other than that, you're in the top five."

 _Damn right,_ Yang thought to herself, quickly drawing up Ruby's reports so she could take a look at those. She'd done that in Signal too, often taking Ruby aside for a talk if the girl let her comics and video games get in the way of homework. _Hmm… sixty-eight for theory and seventy-four on practical… not bad at all._ Ruby had placed above half the student body in both respects, which said a lot considering she was two years younger.

"W-W-What!?" Weiss' screech was loud enough to not only catch Yang's attention, but to startle Blake so badly the girl collapsed beside the pillar, eyes darting left and right wildly as though she thought she was under attack. "JAUNE!"

"Sheesh Weiss-cream, or is it Weiss- _scream_." No one laughed at her clever pun, the philistines. "Some people are still sleeping." Or had been… not much chance on them still being asleep after that noise. Yang's eyes wandered over to the screen as Weiss pointed out Jaune's theoretical score. Yang blinked. "How did you get zero?"

"Maybe it's one hundred and they forgot the other numbers," Jaune nodded his head emphatically.

"Er… considering it says you didn't submit any of the work, I wouldn't guess so." Yang read the note attached, the ways in which he could improve. It was one word, written in block, capital letters. TRY.

"Impossible," Weiss snapped. "I was there when you did homework – I _helped_ you with it. How did that not score any points!?"

"Oh that?" Jaune scratched his cheek. "I felt really guilty to have cheated and so didn't submit it."

Yang, Blake and Weiss stared at him – each with varying degrees of disbelief. This was the man who tasered the balls of another student in a one vs one duel. It was a little late to start developing a conscience.

"What about the exams," Weiss shook her head. "Test conditions – we all had to do them."

"He was asleep," Blake answered before Jaune could. Yang slapped a hand into her forehead while Weiss ground her teeth together. "I don't think he even picked up a pen."

"I think his score pretty much confirms that…"

" _You…_ " Weiss' voice sounded like a demon dragging itself from the depths. Jaune was either oblivious or suicidal, for as her face rose, eyes almost seeming to glow, the idiot only cocked his head to the side and smiled. "You absolute moron! You numbskull, you idiot, you… you-" Yang watched as the girl's face turned an interesting shade of red. "You _will_ score better next time."

"He can't score worse," Blake mumbled.

"You will score _much_ better! You will score at least seventy-five or you will die trying. I can't believe you'd be this stupid, do you have any idea what this is going to do to your reputation?" Jaune said something, but Yang wasn't listening. She was honestly curious herself, since she'd never heard of anyone ever getting a purposeful zero. It had to have been on purpose, of course, because even a child could have guessed a correct answer or two. Hell, some of it had been multiple choice. "I swear," Weiss went on, back at the terminal, "if your practical score is as low as that we'll be training until you snap in two."

Yang wriggled her eyebrows at him, but he just raised one in return. Ah right, sex puns probably wouldn't have much effect on him. Her team was so lame at times. Yang glanced back to the terminal just as Weiss brought up his combat scores. Thus it was, she had a prime view to the moment when the heiress choked on air.

"Erk- b-but…"

"Well," Blake sounded as confused as Yang felt, but could at least form words, "you got your wish Weiss. It's higher than his theory."

"I-Impossible," Weiss snapped, flicking back out and in again to see if it changed. It didn't, the glowing green digits forming the number Eighty eight remained strong. "T-This can't be possible." Weiss shook her head. "I'm dreaming, that's the only explanation for this. It just isn't possible that my partner scored zero on all his exams… and then _worse_ , managed to score more than me in combat tests!"

She sounded hysterical, but then again, Yang was a little shell shocked too. She'd beaten him by a point… a single, measly point.

"Don't worry," Jaune stepped forward to place a comforting hand atop Weiss' head. "One day you'll grow up to be big and strong like me."

His words didn't quite have the same effect.

" _How_!?" Weiss hissed, pushing his hand aside and elbowing him in the gut. Jaune did his score proud, folding like a piece of paper and clutching his abdomen. "I don't understand…"

"According to this he hasn't technically lost a single match," Blake said. "His first attempt at forfeiting was counteracted by Miss Goodwitch, while his spar with Yang was called off. That means he has a perfect match history."

"B-B-But…"

"You and I, on the other hand, lost one match each and so scored lower."

"But…" Weiss searched for the right word, before giving up, turning round and pointing at Jaune. "But _that_!"

"I didn't say it made sense," Blake sighed. "Only that it's what his record here says. Jaune's actually classed as the third strongest in our year, right behind Yang and Pyrrha."

"Well," Yang grinned. "Looks like Team Blonde is going to be carrying us to the top, eh?" Okay, maybe she was stirring the pot a little, but she couldn't deny that watching Mount Weiss implode was amazing.

"I'm stronger than Jaune!" Weiss growled.

"Not according to this you're not."

"I'll prove it. Jaune, come on, get up. We need to spar right now."

"Urgh…" he continued to clutch his stomach as Weiss poked his back with her boot.

"He's still recovering," Blake sighed as she stepped in to steer Weiss away from her partner. "You won't be able to spar with him until next semester."

"Which means he's stronger than you this semester." Yang helpfully sniped.

" _Yang_ ," Blake glared as she suddenly had to try and hold Weiss back. "You aren't helping." Yang grinned and reached down to help her leader up, supporting him with one arm. With the other, she cocked it by her ear, leaning forwards.

"What's that? It's hard to hear you guys from all the way up in the top three."

"Hey guys!" Ruby's voice travelled over from the entranceway, where the entirety of Team Rubine were coming from. "You got your scores yet?"

"Hell yes," Yang cheered, "Let me tell you all about them!"

" _Xiao-Long, I will end you!_ "

She wanted to see if she could make Weiss froth at the mouth.

* * *

Jaune watched with hidden fondness as Ruby said her goodbyes to her team. Not her real team, but rather his team in a sense. Beacon's first semester had come to an end, the eight of them now arranged with so many others not within the school's grounds, but at a terminal in Vale. The point at which they parted ways for the week ahead.

"Call tonight?" Ruby whined, in that way that ensured the recipient would fold to her demands.

"Of course," Pyrrha hugged the girl before stepping back, a content smile on her face. It was with a stab of jealousy that Jaune realised just how happy she was, on a team without him. Maybe he was reading into it, maybe it was unfair, but it seemed that she did better with a partner who could be a friend and nothing more. No complications, strange feelings or awkward conversations.

Ruby giggled and ran up to Nora and Ren afterwards. Ren sighed but leaned down to accept a hug from her, before gasping as Nora wrapped her arms around both at once and nearly crushed them to death.

"Aww…" Yang cooed. "They're so cute… team hug?" She held her arms wide. Weiss crossed hers, while Blake's eyes narrowed. Jaune raised a brow, until Yang's arms fell. "See," she sighed, "this is why our team isn't awesome."

"You _will_ do your homework, right?" Weiss asked, ignoring Yang entirely as she stared at Jaune. He nodded in return.

"I will do it," he said.

Weiss sighed.

"You won't do it…"

"I won't do it," he admitted honestly. Yang laughed at the byplay.

"A whole week," she sighed, "Do you think you'll be able to manage a week without us, daddy?"

"I'll do my best," Jaune said. "Though I'm sure it will be a difficult time. Don't expect me to be calling you anytime soon though."

"I'd be worried if you did." Yang rolled her eyes before going over to surprise Blake with a hug from behind. How anyone hadn't figured out she was a cat faunus the first time was beyond him, since she reacted by hissing and trying to throw Yang off her. Jaune would have continued watching if it weren't for his arms suddenly being filled with miniature huntress.

"See you soon Jaune!" Ruby whispered, squeezing him as tight as she could. His arms settled around her waist without even thinking about it. Her smile seemed a little wider as she stepped back. Her eyes a little brighter too.

Even though it was what he wanted, it felt like there was something stuck in his throat. Now that he thought of it, this was the first time he could remember actually saying goodbye to any of them. It had never been an issue before… even during the holidays, Team JNPR had stuck together, and the only other times he had said goodbye was when his friends died.

If this was how hard it was to let go for just seven days then he dreaded to think what abandoning them would feel like.

"Look after yourself," Weiss said as she walked up to him, holding one hand out. Not as touchy as Ruby, but he took it nonetheless. "I hope you have a good holiday."

"You too, Weiss."

The grip tightened, "Because when you return," she hissed, "it will be time to work on your theory score, am I understood?"

"Y-Yeah." It looked like four hours or so wasn't enough time for her to cool down over his scores, let alone the fact he'd beaten her in the combat class. That had been a surprise to him too, since he'd been so sure Glynda would have failed him. _I won the matches, but they're not scored on just that. She could have marked me down a lot more if she'd wanted to._

Maybe it was just coincidence, maybe it was Ozpin's way of balancing Jaune's terrible theory. Maybe… maybe it was Miss Goodwitch's way of punishing him, since when Pyrrha had proven her strength she'd been made to fight against entire teams on her own. He could only hope that didn't happen to him.

Blake appeared next, shrugging Yang off her shoulders before standing a few feet away from him. She didn't try to step closer, nor did she make a move to touch him in any way, but she did smile – and that was enough for him. Her smiles were rare at the best of times, especially the honest ones. Some silent words were exchanged between them, and he was reminded of what she had said when he'd pretended to be asleep in that hospital bed. Even at the time she'd known he was listening. What else was there to say?

"Oh my _god_ ," Yang flounced up beside them. "It feels like I'm on a team of weirdoes. Hug me or I swear I'll hurt you."

She would too, if only to prove her point. Jaune chuckled and put his arms on her back as she threw her arms around his neck. Golden hair tickled his neck, a scent of cinnamon and something else, fresh like citrus. Warm air tickled his ear as she whispered, "Thank you."

"What for?" He kept his voice quiet, so low that only she could hear it.

"For proving me wrong. For saving our team."

For throwing away his freedom, for failing in his plans, for putting himself in a worse position because he couldn't let Blake die. He wanted to say it was a mistake, that if he could reverse the clock but a few days he would change it.

But he wouldn't.

Yang pulled back, smile as wide as could be as she held out her arms and approached Weiss in what could only be called a threatening manner. Weiss tried to make a break for it, only to yelp as Yang proved the faster.

"Have a good holiday Weissss!" Yang crowed, hugging the girl tight and swinging her from left to right. "Make sure to drink lots of milk so you can grow strong enough to actually put up a fight against me and Jaune."

He smiled at them all, in a moment where they weren't watching. Not his team, or rather not his real team – and yet somehow as close as. It was with a heavy heart that he watched them part one final time, lingering glances and waves goodbye. Part of him commented that it would be okay, that he would see them again in a week.

Another part of him reminded that such was a bad thing. But as he watched them leave, and in the direction Blake had travelled in particular, Jaune's eyes were instead captured by a set of different people. An array of blonde hues, some dark, others light – with eyes that ranged from blues to green and greys. He huffed lightly, feeling a wry grin slip across his face.

They'd probably been waiting for him to finish, watching from the outskirts. He pushed through the crowd towards them, people whining and cursing as they got in his way.

He still hadn't told them the truth, hadn't found the right way to do so. They would be angry for sure, but he had wanted to confront them one at a time, handle each family member on their own, so that it wouldn't devolve into some terrible argument.

He just needed to find the best way to explain what had happened.

Which was why when he approached and his father pushed his scroll into Jaune's face, his good mood didn't quite survive.

 _Beacon Team thwarts terrorist attack_ , the headline ran, a front page article of some scroll-based newspaper. The editorial was no doubt filled with details and conspiracy theories, but it was the crystal clear image that made him pause.

Because it was him, being bundled into the back of a medical Bullhead. Injured, bloodied – but recognisable all the same.

"Interesting way to stay out of trouble," Nicholas said. Jaune swallowed. Now that he looked at them properly, not a one seemed pleased to see him. Expressions ranged from angry (Amber) to horrified (Juniper) and various ranges of sympathy, grief and sorry in between.

"You should have seen the other guy…?"

* * *

 **Arghh, this chapter was hard to write – just for the lack of time I had. Not really sure I did it justice, but luckily it's more of a wind down and transition chapter anyway. Luckily I have the next few weeks as pretty easy ones and won't have a horrible week like this until next year if at all.**

 **Sorry about the length. Again, time constraints crippled me this week - both for this and the Entertainer, le sigh.  
**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 14** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	17. Chapter 17

**I feel like I should have a disclaimer here… `this chapter is rated M for Hazel`. Honestly I should probably bump up the rating anyway, if only to account for her mouth and some of the themes used. My health is better now, thankfully. Caught a nasty bug pretty much after the last chapter which persisted for about a week.**

* * *

 **Beta** : College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 17 - An unexpected visitor  
**

* * *

"So this is awkward…" Jaune watched as his littlest sister crossed her arms and harrumphed, refusing to meet his eyes. The older ones weren't much better, for while they did look at him, their expressions were no less forgiving. "Would you believe me if I said I tripped?"

"You tripped your way down to the docks where you fought against a renowned criminal and caused unprecedented property damage?" His father's voice was flat, but not nearly as flat as the expression he and his wife shared. Jaune winced.

"Well when you put it like that it sounds bad. Officially the damage was caused by Torchwick though, not me."

"And unofficially?"

Jaune coughed awkwardly and refused to meet their eyes.

"That's what I thought."

A quick peek towards Sapphire showed her frowning at him, which had him glancing towards Coral and Sable for support – only to see no refuge there. Hazel and Jade were out of the question; if looks could kill then he'd have already been waking up in his bed at home once more. Lavender looked distressed, which was only about a thousand times worse, while Amber was still refusing to even acknowledge his presence.

And here he was, seventeen probably going on a thousand or so, being scolded by his family like some naughty child who'd been caught out after curfew. There was some comedy there probably, not that he could find it at that moment.

"So you're staying in Beacon?" Nicholas finally asked, breaking the silence that Jaune had no idea what to do with. Jaune nodded, eyes fixed to the floor. "Is that the decision you've made?"

"No!" His family jumped as he shouted out, surging to his feet. The ten of them were in a single room of a hotel, crowded around a large double bed and assembled on various seats and chairs. Even with the lack of space he couldn't stop himself from throwing his arms wide. "Nothing's changed, I still want to leave and I'm not giving up on that." Jaune looked towards each of his sisters, even though one refused to look back. "I promise I'm still trying to get expelled. It's just that I couldn't not do anything this time."

"Why?" his mother asked, voice even and calm.

"Because…" Jaune paused, hesitation creeping across his face as he tried to find the right way to explain what had happened. "Because one of my teammates would have died if I hadn't." There. He'd said it, as best he was able to. Whether they would accept that was their decision, and Jaune slumped into his seat as he awaited their response.

"And you cared enough about this person to risk your life for them?" Juniper asked. He nodded but didn't speak. "Well then, I suppose that's understandable." Huh? Jaune glanced up in time to catch her smile, but only before Sapphire sighed.

"That's so you… it makes sense though."

"That bitch better have been worth it." Hazel growled but didn't argue.

"I can't be angry if it was to help someone," Lavender reached across to touch his hand, her light fingers brushing against his skin. "There will always be next time."

"Hmph…" Amber was not nearly so accommodating.

"But you still intend to go through with your plan?" Nicholas waited for his children to finish speaking before he entered the conversation once more. His eyes were stern but not angry. He was focused on the task at hand. "I can't and won't fault you for this, but has your time at Beacon changed your mind?"

"It hasn't." Jaune stared into his father's eyes, willing the older man to see the truth within them. "This was a setback but nothing more. There are three semesters in the year. I'll be expelled before the third."

"The third is when that big festival is coming to Vale, isn't it?" Coral asked, tapping one finger against her chin. Jaune's blood froze but he nodded. The Vytal Festival… the moment where he would die. It wouldn't happen. He would get expelled next semester, he'd make sure of it. He just hadn't been willing to sacrifice a friend's life over it... in the same way that he hadn't been willing to sacrifice his mother's during that Beowolf attack.

"Well I suppose that's all there is to say," Nicholas uncrossed his arms and smiled, bringing the tension in the crowded room to an end. "I'll look at extending our stay here for the full week of your holiday. If we can't take you home with us then we'll spend time here instead."

"Can we afford it?" Jaune asked, hoping the answer would be yes. He wanted to be with them all so badly.

"Your dad's good at what he does," Juniper stroked her husband's arm, making the man preen happily, "and no amount of money is too much to spend time together as a family. Don't worry about it. We won't be breaking the bank."

"Thank you…" Jaune slumped back into his seat, feeling exhaustion set in. It was late and his emotions had been a roller coaster. In a way he still wasn't used to the wonderful feeling of actually having family, which made these moments where they were upset with him all the more difficult. Something pressed against his side, tired eyes meeting Jade's as she propped him up, letting him lean on her. When she caught him looking she crossed her arms and glared, as though daring him to comment on it. "I'm sorry I didn't manage to get expelled."

"It's fine," Juniper cooed. "You're here with us now. That's all that matters."

 _But I wasn't there for you all those other times._ Jaune thought to himself as his eyes drifted shut. All those times when he had run away, without even a passing thought for the family he left behind. Because they had never been important enough to him… because he'd forgotten about them. _Never again. I'll never let it happen again._

Jaune didn't even notice when he started to fall asleep, head resting on his sister's shoulder. Nor did he feel his father gently lifting him up, carrying him to his room. It felt good to be home, however, even if it wasn't Ansel.

Wherever _they_ were… that was all that mattered.

/-/

"It's strange to see you awake this early," Juniper said as the two of them walked down to the hotel's restaurant for a light breakfast. The others were either still sleeping or in the process of getting ready, likely working out a shower rotation. Seven sisters between two rooms made for a somewhat awkward sleeping situation. He was thankful he had his own, though Lavender had come to his room, bleary eyed, in order to beg the use of his shower. He couldn't say no to her.

"A bad habit picked up from Beacon," Jaune sighed. His mother made to sit down at a small table for two only to pause as Jaune appeared behind her.

"Thank you sweetie," she smiled at him as he pulled the seat out for her, letting her sit down before making his way around the table to sit down. His cheeks were a little red but the action had been more instinctual than anything. "This bad habit of yours… was it something you learned, or something you were taught?"

"Definitely the latter. One of my teammates is a slave driver, I tell you." Jaune helped himself to some toast, spreading margarine across it with a knife. "Up at seven, sometimes six if she gets her way – and she won't take no for an answer, either." He bit down with a growl, chewing on the warm snack. "Nag, nag, nag… she's a nightmare."

His mother's soft giggle made him pause, mouth still half-full of toast as he glanced across the table at her. She had the fingers of one hand over her lips but he could still see her smile, not to mention the coy look she sent him.

"What?"

"Nothing," she said – in that way he imaged all mothers did, when there was clearly _something_ they were thinking of. Jaune rolled his eyes and finished his food, trying to ignore her smile. "It's just that I think I would like to meet the young lady who can force such a change in you."

Introduce Weiss to his mother? Yeah, no… that wasn't happening. The two would get on _entirely_ too much.

"Your sisters told me a little about them," she went on, "when they managed to reach them on your scroll. But I wasn't able to get the full picture. What is your team like?"

"Did you see them before they left?" he asked, referring to the moment at the terminal where the two teams had said their goodbyes. He wasn't sure if his family had been waiting or if they'd just happened to come out at the right time. Juniper smiled.

"I saw a little," she admitted. "I saw quite a few girls hugging you, though knowing you that's probably not a good thing."

"My team was the white, blonde and black-haired girl." It was times like this that made him realise just how distinctive his friends were, especially since they could all be conveniently described with a single colour. "The others are another team that hangs around us, mostly because their leader is the blonde's sister."

"The little one?" Juniper guessed, getting a nod from Jaune. "The way she hugged you, I wouldn't have thought it was _just_ because of her sister."

Jaune groaned, "She's Amber MkII." Juniper seemed to understand, smiling as she helped herself to some scrambled egg and bacon. Jaune raised a brow at the portion size but ignored it. She must have been tired from the long journey to Vale. At the end of the day compared to what he ate, all portion sizes looked big. He only needed the single slice of toast.

"And do you get on with your team?" Juniper asked. "When they're not waking you up early, that is."

"There's been some teething problems." No need to tell her what those were or how he'd caused them. "But I suppose we've started coming together a little."

"Jaune… I'm trying to get an idea of what my son's teammates are like. Could you possibly reply with something actually resembling an answer? I get enough of this with Jade and Hazel when I ask about their college courses and they just say `fine` over and over again."

That sounded like them, Jaune thought with a little laugh. He supposed he could humour Juniper though. It wasn't that he'd been trying to hide anything from her. His team were just that to him, Weiss, Blake and Yang… nothing more needed to be said, since he had known them for centuries.

"Well first there's Yang. She was the tall blonde you might have seen at the terminal, and trust me, she's about as blonde as they come. She's loud, aggressive, snores fit to wake the dead and thinks about her actions maybe a year after she's made them. She's confident though… protective too, with a mean streak towards anyone that tries to hurt her sister or someone she considers a friend. She hates bullying and won't put up with someone being cruel to another. She isn't afraid to fail either, just keeps trying harder and harder to do what she thinks is right."

"Hmm…" Juniper hummed as she continued eating.

"The black haired one is Blake. She's annoying and stubborn, and the one who cost me my chance to escape Beacon, the one I had to help. Like I said, she's painfully stubborn and stupid, willing to risk her life for no good reason other than that she doesn't consider the risks properly. She's also anti-social, hypocritical and annoying." Jaune sighed. "She's smart though, really intelligent and analytical. Despises injustice and wants to work towards equality… sometimes I think her dreams are too naïve for such a cynical girl. That's just how she is though… and she's probably stubborn enough to pull it off somehow. I'm not sure if it balances out, but her stupidity is always for a good cause."

"She sounds interesting. And the last one?"

"My partner Weiss Schnee," Jaune groaned, "And yes – _that_ Weiss Schnee, the same one we went to watch sing. Rest assured any good impression you had of her there is fake, fake, fake! She is an absolute terror given form and diminutive height. She's hard-working, enthusiastic and studious – all of which might be considered positive traits if she didn't expect everyone else to be as well!" Jaune waved his arms for effect, before slumping in his seat. "She nags and nags – over and over – until in the end you just do what she wants to shut her up. She's arrogant too, with a real chip on her shoulder, which admittedly is sometimes fun to burst, but more of than not just makes you want to smother the girl in her sleep."

Juniper started to laugh.

"And don't get me started on the training she forces me through. Up at the crack of dawn – who even wakes up at that time? – in order to run and run and train and fight and get covered in sweat before she deigns… _deigns_ … to allow you a break. She is an absolute _nightmare_."

"And her redeeming qualities?" Juniper asked.

"She has none."

His mother burst out laughing. "Well," she said as she wiped away a tear, "it certainly sounds like you get on well with your team. I'm honestly glad to hear you're making such friends."

"Are we even in the same conversation anymore?" Jaune raised a hand, "Waiter, I think someone put hallucinogenic mushrooms in my mother's breakfast." Juniper reached across to pull his arm down, shooting an apology at a haughty looking man who had come over to take Jaune's order.

"Two orange juices please, and ignore what my son said," she laughed. Once he was gone she let go of his arm, rolling her eyes. "Really Jaune, you're so dramatic. How are you, though? This fight at the docks, were you hurt?"

"I came out fine," Jaune shrugged. "A lot of the damage was caused by the other guy throwing explosive attacks around in an area filled with dust containers. The area was completely unoccupied, so there weren't any injuries, thankfully."

"That's good. Nicholas and I are going to be visiting some landmarks today with Amber. Do you have any idea what you'll be doing?"

"Whatever my sisters tell me to do?" Juniper laughed but didn't refute that statement. How could she, when they both knew it would be true. "I figure I'll just wait here until one of them claims me and tells me what it is I'll be doing in penance for letting them down. Is Amber still upset at me?"

"Almost certainly." Juniper smiled.

"Ouch… You couldn't have sugar-coated that?"

"I just did."

Jaune sighed and rubbed a hand into his forehead. That sounded about right. The best bet with Amber was to try and make her forget what you'd done to upset her, since forgiveness was as foreign a concept to her as fun was to Winter Schnee. That would almost certainly mean enough bribes to empty his wallet, followed by trips to the local arcade until his dreams came with 8-bit techno.

"Jaune!"

"Slave!" Two figures appeared on either side of him in an instant, panting heavily as though they'd just run a marathon, but smiling wide enough to let him know they'd won. He had a sinking suspicion he was the prize in the analogy.

"Good morning Jade, Hazel," Juniper smiled as she nibbled on some bread. "Have you won the race to claim your brother for the morning?"

"He wasn't in his room," Jade bent over to rest her hands on her knees, while Hazel stole the glass from his hand to take a drink. "Everyone else thought he was hiding in the closet. Lavender said he'd been up when she came for his shower so we legged it here."

"Since when do you wake up before twelve?" Hazel glared at him, as though it were all his fault. "You couldn't have left a fucking note?"

"In _my_ room?" he sighed. "To remind _me_ of where _I've_ gone?"

"Don't try and be smart," Hazel cuffed the back of his head. "You're no good at it. Anyway, we're going shopping and you're our mule."

"I thought we agreed he was our slave?" Jade crossed her arms.

"Cheaper if he's a mule. We only have to feed him oats."

"Heh… nice."

Jaune sent a pleading look towards his mother, who only smiled indulgently as her two daughters enslaved her son. It seemed parental standards had waned, that or she wasn't quite as forgiving of his failure to get expelled as she pretended to be.

 _Remember son,_ his father's voice drifted into his mind, _a man forgets but never forgives. A woman forgives, but never forgets._

Figures…

/-/

"Sit there," Hazel pointed to a bench as though he were a dog, not that he had the energy to argue at that moment. Assorted bags and boxes clattered onto the ground as he sat down, letting out a long sigh as he massaged his aching shoulder. "Careful with those! Jade and I are going to try on some new outfits. We need you to judge them."

"Okay…"

"We need a man's point of view," Jade waved a finger before his nose, "but no perversion – not towards your own sisters!"

"I'm not like that…"

"I've seen you and Coral." Jade glared evilly at him before disappearing behind one of the curtains. Hazel went into the one beside it, clutching a coat hanger of her own. Jaune didn't even dignify her comment with a thought, instead moving his recently dislocated arm to try and ease the muscles there. It still hurt, not that they knew. It was just with how heavy the bags were and even then only because he was still recovering.

A few women looked at him and whispered amongst themselves. At first he thought it was because he was with two girls at once, but a few scandalised looks reminded him that he was _inside_ the women's changing rooms.

There'd been a store clerk outside who had tried to argue about that… the poor girl hadn't quite been able to withstand Hazel's glare. Jaune had just gone along with it, more to avoid upsetting them than because he was actually bothered about being there. It wasn't like there were women walking around naked. Even in the female changing rooms they still had individual cubicles with curtains drawn across them. About the most risqué thing he saw was someone tossing something they weren't happy with onto a reject pile.

As the minutes passed by the women around him seemed to relax as well, getting used to his presence until the nervous glances turned into ones more amused, even sympathetic. Jaune could imagine this very bench having paid homage to many a broken boyfriend in its time.

"Ta-da!" The curtain before him was thrown back as Hazel appeared once more, arms wide and twirling on the spot. "How do I look?"

Like Yang, was his first thought. With her dark purple eyes and blonde hair, Hazel could have passed for his teammate from a distance. At least she might have, were it not for the length of said her, which was almost as short as his, except styled across her face and with a faint blue highlight on the end of her fringe. The outfit though was definitely very Yang, except a little darker in colour. The jeans were dark blue with rips in – apparently a feature you had to pay extra for – while the black jacket over a purple tank top exposed both her shoulders and midriff. It was a confident choice for sure, not that his sister lacked in that department.

"Wait a minute…" Jaune climbed to his feet and walked towards her, kneeling down in front of her and grabbing her hips with both hands.

"Eh!?" Hazel flinched and made to step back, but he held firm, taking one hand and tracing a finger across her navel. She shivered lightly. "W-What the fuck? Quit it."

"You got a piercing?" He looked at the silvery ornament dangling from her belly-button, touching the chain that dangled from the end with his finger. It jingled lightly. "Does mom know?"

"You joking?"

"Of course she doesn't," Jaune sighed, shaking his head. If Juniper heard how one of her daughters had gone and done such a thing then she'd flip. In all honesty he'd half-expected to see that at some point, though he'd figured it would have been Jade and with a tattoo. "When was this?"

"Eh… few weeks ago, maybe? I dunno, it was a while back. You like it?"

Did he? He'd been with a few women with piercings and didn't think much of them either way. It seemed to fit Jade, however, if only because she'd had to break the rules to get it. He leaned a little closer to look at it, just making out the fake gem on the tip that sparkled in the low light.

"Y'know, I'd have expected this from him and Coral," their sister's voice came from the left, a little too smug for either of their liking. Jaune glanced to the side in time to see her looking down her nose at the two of them. She was also recording them on her scroll.

"Jade!" Hazel hissed and shoved Jaune at the same moment, sending him toppling back with a yelp. He rubbed his back as Hazel made to snatch the device, Jade keeping it out of reach with a laugh. "Give that back – we weren't fucking doing anything!"

"Not what it looked like to m- ow, let go of my hair you stupid bitch!"

"Girls, girls," Jaune tried to break them up but didn't make a move to step between them. That would have required a certain degree of stupidity he really didn't possess. "You're going to get us thrown out of here if you don't stop. I was just looking at Hazel's piercing."

"Close enough to lick it?" Jade teased.

"Ew – don't be gross," Hazel pushed her away before glaring at him. "This is your fault. You better not tell mom."

"I won't, I won't…" Time to change the subject, he suspected. "Your outfit looks good."

"Good?" There was an edge to Hazel's voice.

"I mean sexy, very sexy."

"Sexy!?"

"Pretty, beautiful? Throw me a bone Hazel, you look great – what do you want me to say?" She huffed and ignored him, walking back into the changing room with a new piece. Jaune turned to Jade, "What was wrong with what I said?"

"Nothing," his older sister grinned and flicked his face. "It's more what you did, which was embarrass her. You were doomed the moment you did that. Enough about that, how do I look?"

"What can I say that won't get me told off- ow!" Jaune reached up to hold his nose, which she hadn't just flicked this time but full on slapped. "Why!?"

"Don't be a dick. You're ours for the morning so you better shape up. Now let's try again. How do I look?"

"Fine, fine," he let his eyes roam over her, taking in the tight, black trousers and blue tee. It was fairly simple, all things considered, but where Jade stood out was in accessories, which as usual she wore as though she'd just survived a belt and buckle apocalypse. Three belts on her waist, most of them decorative and hanging loose, a studded bracelet on one bare arm, a silvery chain around her neck – not to mention an choker to boot. Her combat boots were tipped with metal too, despite the fact that they'd likely never see combat.

"Well?"

"You look like you'd survive about two seconds in a storm- ow, damn it Jade. You can't just hit me until the answer you like comes out." Jade raised a brow, retracting her arm.

"I can't?" She looked genuinely confused. "Since when?"

"You look good, I guess." Her eyes became a little more dangerous. "I'm not into punk girls, nor whatever it is you call yourself, awkward or something."

"Alternative," she growled. "Get it right you little shit. Just answer this, if a guy saw me in a club, would he want to bang me?"

"He better not." Since when were his sisters interested in that kind of thing? They were too young for that – far too young. Now that he thought of it, that outfit really was too revealing, showing off way too much cleavage. His expression darkened.

"That's more like it," Jade laughed. "I take it from your angry look that a guy _would_. Guess it's a keeper."

"It absolutely _isn't_!"

"Wait there while I try the next one on." She didn't give him time to respond, pushing him back towards the bench as she vanished behind the curtains once more. They were twenty, he had to try and remember that… they could make their own decisions. Make their own mistakes.

He would have to tap their scrolls and find out if any guys were talking to them…

It was the only choice.

Sitting back down with a sigh, he could only lean back against the nearby wall, wincing at the occasional woman who stopped to give his shoulder a sympathetic pat. Dealing with Amber would have been easier than this. _I really need a drink._ Hm… that was an idea, and one he hadn't thought of. Since he was technically a Hunter now, he was old enough to drink. Junior's would probably not be an option, for somewhat obvious reasons, but that didn't mean he couldn't find a different bar to have a few drinks at. His mother didn't need to know, naturally.

Jaune sighed and allowed himself to relax, wondering if he could catch a few minutes sleep before his sisters came back once more. Blue eyes snapped open a second later.

Something was wrong.

It wasn't something obvious, not to anyone but him anyway, but more the faint sense of dread that had the hairs on his arms prickling, that made his hand twitch towards his waist - where Crocea Mors was not. He had left it back at the hotel, keen to be rid of the reminder of what he was. He looked to the left, nothing more than a gaggle of young women chatting between one another, cooing over the clothes they'd selected. To the right, a pair of older ones discussing something in hushed whispers. Neither group paid attention to him, yet he knew that someone was watching him. He could feel their eyes.

 _Relax, calm down… it's probably just someone wondering what a guy's doing in here._ He knew it wasn't even as he thought it. Those looks began anew whenever a new girl entered the changing rooms and yet he hadn't once reacted to them like this. This was a feeling he knew, a sensation like thick nausea in his stomach. Unable to ignore it, he shifted on the bench, desperately searching the room for the source.

No one leapt to his attention, not even the customers coming out of new booths or the lone, bored teen in the back who was supposed to be watching to make sure no one was damaging the clothing, but who instead was playing with her scroll. The needles in his skin increased, until he finally noticed a solitary figure, leaning against the back wall.

He didn't recognise her.

Blonde hair, short stature and unremarkable clothing - she was chewing on something, gum of some kind. Her eyes met his, however, narrowing imperceptibly. Someone from Haven? He didn't think so… at least if it were someone important than he would have remembered them. She was tilting her head to the side now, fully accepting that not only had he noticed her, but that he knew full well that she had been caught looking.

A confident girl who liked what she saw and wasn't afraid to admit it? Then why were his instincts screaming at him? The girl blinked once more.

Jaune's breath caught in his throat.

She turned to the side, pushing her way out of the changing room.

Jaune swore as he rushed after her. "Hey!" some random woman cried as he knocked her aside, but he didn't pay any attention, scanning for the figure and catching her moving among the lingerie aisle. The face he didn't recognise, the clothes he didn't recognise – it wasn't any person he knew.

But those eyes… those he recognised.

Because mismatched eyes the colour of ice-cream were _not_ common.

She glanced over her shoulder, eyes narrowing as she realised he was in hot pursuit. Her pace increased, not enough to cause a scene but enough to have him bumbling into people as he followed. Why was she there, why was she watching him? Any thoughts of innocence were crushed the moment they entered his mind. She wasn't there to shop – she could have done that how she normally looked. She had been watching him. She had been following him.

She had seen his sisters!

The realisation made his teeth gnash together. Why Neo of all people was interested in him he had no idea, but he was willing to bet lien on it being something Torchwick had ordered. _Was I really stupid enough to think my little show at the docks wouldn't have pissed him off? Of course he wants to know more about me._ And who else would he send but his personal little murderer. Vicious and cruel didn't even begin to describe her, nor the things she was capable of. He couldn't let her get away.

She paused ahead of him, glancing back once more before ducking into a room clearly marked as being for employees only. The door hadn't even finished swinging back when his hand stopped it and he kept his other before him as he entered, just in case she tried to attack. The backroom was empty, however, though he could hear the quiet pitter-patter of feet down a corridor to the left. He stalked after her, breaking into a sprint even as he heard the feet ahead do the same.

He wasn't sure what he would do when he caught her.

No… that wasn't right. Jaune knew exactly what he would do, what he had to do. He would kill her. He would fight and kill her, so that she could never report back to her boss, so that Roman would never find out about his family. The thought that he might fail in that didn't cross his mind. She was skilled and ferocious in her own right, far stronger than Roman actually was.

But that didn't matter. She had seen his family.

The girl ahead stopped at another door, glancing back one final time to see if he was still chasing. Mismatched eyes met blue, the girl's face twisting in confusion before settling into a little smile. With a slow wink and a blown kiss, she slipped through the door – barely three seconds before his shoulder slammed into it, smashing it open.

At least thirty people turned to look at him.

Breath coming out in pants, his palms bleeding slightly from where his nails had bit into them, Jaune let his eyes traverse over them. At least ten customers queued at a till, manned by two people, more by a display of shoes, others among the shirts and jackets. Any one of them could have been Neo. Watching, waiting… a woman walked slowly towards him.

"Sir, that's an employee-only area. Are you lost?" She flinched as his head snapped to her, but she was safe. She could talk. He tried to force a smile onto his face. Judging from her expression he didn't do a very good job.

"Yeah." he said. "Sorry. I'll just… be on my way."

She nodded, unwilling to stop him as he stalked off. He couldn't feel Neo, at least not in any obvious way. But with so many people watching him it would have been impossible anyway. That didn't stop the panic, though. It didn't stop his heart from hammering in his chest. People gave him a wide berth as they passed by, perhaps instinctively noticing the way he glared at them in suspicion, or how his muscles tightened each time they did. His scroll blared angrily, one hand falling to his pocket and drawing it as he might have Crocea Mors. A few people jumped at the sudden motion.

"Jaune here," he said, holding up the device before him.

That proved to be a mistake.

"Jade here~" his sister mimicked in a voice thick with sarcasm. The scroll was torn from her fingers a second later.

"You fucking piece of shit!" Hazel roared. People around him backed away in shock. "Where the hell are you!?"

 _And the day goes from bad to worse…_

/-/

Time hadn't dimmed Jaune's worry, nor had a fierce telling off by Jade and Hazel. He'd been unsure what to do at the time, warring between a decision to try and evacuate them from the store as quickly as he could or to trust that they would be safer with more witnesses nearby. If Neo were waiting for them outside then leaving in a panic would have meant walking into a trap. In the end he'd decided not to scare his sisters, trusting in the fact that if Neo _did_ decide to attack then after his display at the docks she would almost certainly go for him first. His sister's tempers had simmered down soon after, the old adage of burning hot and quickly fitting the two of them well. By the time he'd carried their bags back to the hotel it had been gone entirely, left with them showing off their new clothes to Lavender and their mother.

Should he have told his father? The thought had hit him when he saw his old man there, watching over his family with a contented smile. In the end Jaune had decided not to. Nicholas was a trained hunter. If something happened then he'd be able to react better than Jaune could. He was bad at keeping a secret from his wife, however, and the knowledge would have stressed his mother out. More than that, he might have felt the need to tell the police, which Jaune knew Roman had more than a few friends within. It should have been obvious from how often Roman got away with what he did, but Jaune also knew from experience. He'd met a few of them.

"What's wrong little brother?" Sable stepped a little closer as they walked, bumping her shoulder against his. He flinched back before he could stop himself, which only seemed to make Coral, Sapphire and Sable look even more worried.

"I'm fine," he said automatically, cursing at how fake it sounded. "Sorry… I mean I'm just lost in my own thoughts. You know me."

"You've been nervous since we left the hotel," Sapphire reached up to flick her braid, only to stop when she realised it wasn't there anymore. The old habit hadn't died yet, it seemed. "You keep looking around like you're trying to find someone."

"He's scanning the streets for a threat," Coral said. Not for the first time he lamented her quick wit and sharp eyes. The girl pushed her glasses up her nose, something she did to make the lenses flash in the light. "He's doing what father does when we hike to the woods, ever since that Beowolf attack at the house." Coral nodded a little lower down. "His hand keeps reaching for a weapon too."

"Does not," Jaune argued – like the petulant teen he wasn't sure he'd ever been. Just to prove her wrong he shoved his hands into his pockets, but his shoulders immediately tensed as he realised how helpless that left him.

She was right of course. He was still on edge. How could he not be? Neo might still be out there at that very moment, or she might have already returned to Roman with information on where Jaune was and what he was doing. That was if this was Roman's doing at all and not just Neo acting on her own – or worse – on Cinder's orders. The loops, his very advantage of being able to do this over and over was in _knowing_ what was going to happen. No one knew what Neo wanted, however, nor what she would do in any given situation.

But he didn't want that to ruin his sister's experience either.

"Sorry, sorry – it's not anything specific trust me. I guess this is just what a place like Beacon does to you. Maybe I'm still a little paranoid over the whole docks thing too. Trust me, if I thought there was danger I'd have brought my sword, right?" He hadn't, but only because that might have prompted Neo to attack with her own. If she were even still close by, he hadn't seen or felt anything but then again this was Neo. She knew how to remain hidden if she wanted to. She had simply underestimated him at first.

"I suppose," Sapphire accepted his excuse with a grimace. "I felt much the same after that attack. It felt like weeks had passed before I was able to stop looking at every bush, every treeline, in fear."

"Saph…" He hadn't meant to bring that up, not like this. Now that he thought about it his sister looked a little stronger, somehow more solid and lithe, walking with a grace that didn't quite rival a hunter, but what might have been considered athletic for a civilian.

"It's fine," she waved a hand with a bitter laugh. "I'm over it now. It's all in the past."

The past… what a nebulous term to someone like him. The Beowolf had happened because of him, as far as he was able to tell, because he'd dared to try and change the past. Jaune still had no idea whether that was something related to fate, bad luck or consequence – but the latter didn't make sense. He hadn't done anything big enough to cause that. The horrifying thought had plagued him for a while... had that attack happened in his past lives? Had his mother been forced to give her life because he wasn't there to save her?

In the future he would watch out for it. He would remain with his family and make sure that never occurred.

"Okay, _enough_ of this morbid stuff," a hand slapped against Jaune's ass, making a mighty crack and causing him to jump in shock. Sapphire did the same, because for some reason Coral had felt the need to slap _her_ ass too. "If Beacon's making you all twitchy and jumpy then it's our responsibility to help you relax and calm down. Both of you."

"You tell 'em," Sable laughed at her twin's antics. It was easy to laugh at Coral when her attention was pointed away from you. It was just a shame that for him it so rarely was. Jaune sighed and held up his arms.

"I won't argue," he said. "I'm supposed to be entertaining you guys but I'm doing a pretty poor job. Do you have any ideas of what you want to do? I know my way around Vale fairly well."

"No need for that, my love," Coral grinned and pecked his cheek, making him flush and his sisters stammer. "I said we need to do something that will help you both relax, which means it needs to be something that will remind you of home. I have _just_ the idea."

Coral's _idea_ was not what Jaune would have expected, though given who it came from maybe he should have. His eyes strayed to the long legs of a waitress who passed by, in a skirt that even a stripper would have called risqué. Just to make sure it wasn't Neo in disguise, Jaune made sure to pay attention to the way her rear end swayed from side to side. Yeah... that was definitely the reason.

"Jaune!" Sapphire clapped him around the back of the head before turning to the grinning girl opposite her. "Coral, I can see why a place like this might appeal to our perpetually horny brother, but would you mind explaining why _I_ might feel at home here?"

Here being a small café where women dressed in scantily-clad maid outfits served drinks and food. Jaune hadn't even been aware one existed within Vale, though given the location, off a main street and down an alley he supposed he could be forgiven. He was more impressed that his sister knew. Coral smirked at the eldest of their siblings.

"Why, I simply thought that you being the stern and critical older sister would make everyone feel like we're at home." she said. Sable smothered a laugh.

"You're difficult to put up with," Sapphire sighed, "as usual. Oh whatever… it's not like they're getting naked or anything." She paused to glare out from between her fingers, " _Right_?"

"Nothing that bad," Coral smirked. "I only heard about it from a fan of my writings, someone who said it's a place with good service and a nice view." Jaune snorted. No prizes for guessing what the person had meant by that. "It's all perfectly legal and moral, don't worry. And we all know how easily our brother relaxes around a nice pair of breasts." Jaune rolled his eyes but didn't argue, picking up the menu instead. He let out a low whistle at what he saw.

"This food is really expensive." It wasn't even proper food, more like sweets, desserts and cakes – all at prices at least two or three times higher than anywhere else.

"You pay for the experience."

"Why do I have the suspicion _I'll_ be the one paying for the experience?"

"It's traditional for the man to pay on a date," his sister smirked. For once the other two didn't argue, likely because they'd seen the prices as well and realised it would be out of their budget. Jaune sighed. Thank god for Juniper stocking him up on some lien before he left, patting his pocket and saying it was to help him bribe his sisters into forgiving him.

"Right, right… never let it be said I don't do anything nice for you." Jaune said, ignoring the `but you don't` that came from Sable. He held one hand in the air, face still looking down at the menu on the table. "You girls decide what you want. I'll order." Sweets weren't normally his cup of tea, and he wasn't hungry either, but at the same time he knew they'd only be worried if he didn't have something. Sorbet, perhaps? That came in small sizes.

"H-Hello, can I take your order?"

Jaune hummed as he glanced to the left, taking a second to admire the long and smooth legs beside the table. They were athletic and lean, sculpted in a way that only someone used to intense exercise could achieve. His eyes trailed a little higher, to a fist that desperately tried to tug the skirt a little lower, even if it did very little and still left a lot of her thigh on display. Their outfits were really well made, even he could tell – with black and white flowing together in little triangles, to better show off the waitresses' figure.

He'd have considered that more if his eyes didn't stop at her stomach, though it wasn't because of anything he saw.

It was because the woman had started to choke.

"Are you oka-" Jaune looked up to her face, noting the distress there. He blinked once. He looked down at the menu, narrowed his eyes – shook his head, then looked back. Nothing had changed, except for the fact that it looked like the poor girl was about to drop dead in horror. "Oh…" he said uselessly, because what else was he supposed to say?

"Hey Blake."

/-/

This could _not_ be happening.

It was, which made it all the worse – but at the same time it just couldn't be. The world could not have been so cruel; life could not have been so unfair. Faunus suffered, Grimm crept across the continents – and now _this_?

"Hey Blake," he said, as though there was nothing unusual about the situation. As though he didn't even find the image of her in the sluttiest outfit she had ever seen standing before him like this even the _slightest_ bit unusual! He saw all of that and all he could say was `hey Blake`? She could feel heat creeping up her bare arms now, reaching to her shoulders which had nothing more than thin, white cloth covering them. Embarrassment didn't even begin to describe what she felt, nor did humiliation.

This was death without the act of actually dying.

"C-Can I take your order?" Blake repeated, desperately hoping that if she acted professionally – and what a joke that would be in this place – then he might somehow not actually connect the dots. Maybe he would think he'd imagined it, that it was someone else who just happened to look exactly the same.

"You know this girl?" One of the women with him asked. She hadn't even paid attention to them, not with the personification of her doom sat before her. Seeing him with three women wasn't unusual, what _was_ , however, was the way he didn't make any move to flirt with them. The one who had spoken looked at Blake with a considering expression, bright eyes set behind a pair of rimmed glasses. That look made Blake feel naked. She hated that girl in particular immediately.

"We've nev-" Blake tried to say.

"She's my teammate," Jaune said, without even a pause. "She's called Blake. Her partner's Yang, the blonde." And there went any hope of fading away and pretending she had no idea what he was talking about come Beacon. Oh gods, what if Yang found out? "I didn't know you worked here," he said. "When did that happen?"

"Two hours ago," Blake growled, keeping her voice low in case her boss overheard. "This is my first shift." So if Jaune could politely leave and forget he'd ever seen her, she could move on.

"That explains why you're trying to drag your skirt down to reach your knees." He nodded at her legs, which she crossed angrily when she caught him looking. She would have liked to have slapped him except for the fact that she was supposed to show them off. It was part of the job.

"I-I'm not used to it yet." Nor would she ever be. "Can I take your order already?"

"No way," the girl she hated grinned. "You need to sit down and tell us about you and Jaune at Beacon." The other two nodded, though they didn't quite smile. Sit down and talk to them? Sure, that was only maybe the _last_ thing she wanted right now.

"Sadly I'm on the job so I can't spe-"

"You can if I order this," the blonde girl said, pointing to something on the menu. Blake tried to look at it but couldn't quite see. Her first instinct was to lean forward, but Jaune coughed and pointed discretely behind her. There was a man there, watching her rear end with an almost determined expression. If she bent over… yeah, no. She snatched Jaune's menu instead, looking for what the girl had pointed to.

 _Super Maid Sundae Special,_ it read. _A delicious mix of fresh strawberries, vanilla ice-cream and whipped cream, served by our ever-more delicious maids. Experience the ultimate experience of sitting back while one of our beautiful waitresses hand feeds you._ There was a picture of a happily smiling maid sat on a man's lap, holding out a spoon. The girl in the caricature looked far happier than Blake felt.

"No."

Not a chance, not in this world or the next.

"But if we order it don't you have to do it?" the hated one asked. Blake's teeth ground together. She needed the job, there weren't many places that would hire faunus, even less so faunus without any kind of work history and for such a short time. She glanced back towards Jaune, just to see his reaction. He wasn't leering, thankfully. She was getting closer to him, at least as a teammate and a friend, but that didn't mean she wasn't painfully aware of his reputation – which she knew to be 100% true.

"We'll take one Super Maid Sundae, a banana split and two cheesecakes." The girl must have taken Blake's silence as an answer. "And I'll complain if it isn't you who does it."

 _Why is it that life only ever became more annoying since meeting you, Jaune Arc?_

That was the thought that ran through Blake's mind as she placed the assorted desserts down on the table, a larger one put down before her leader. He wouldn't eat it all, she knew that. Most of it would probably go to waste, pushed around his plate like the world's pickiest eater. Blake turned and sat down beside him, making sure to hold her skirt down as she did, just to deny anyone a chance to peek. Jaune's legs blocked the overweight man from earlier, but that did leave Blake with her bare legs pressed against his.

"No fair – you have to sit on his lap!"

"I don't," Blake smiled in victory. "I asked my boss, he says the image is for marketing purposes only. I just have to feed him." And that was a task she would get through as quickly as she could, so that she didn't have to put up with the humiliation any further. Gripping the spoon in one hand she forced it into the sundae, picking up a generous portion and holding it before her. "Are you going to open your mouth or what?"

"I don't know," Jaune said slowly, leaning back with a nervous expression on his face. He had every right to be worried, since she was not only glaring at him but wielding the spoon like a spear. "Will I survive yo-mph!" He flinched as she drove the spoon into his mouth. She couldn't believe she was even doing this…

"So you're one of Jaune's teammates?" The tallest of the girls asked. She had dark blue eyes and short-cropped blonde hair, rather roughly cut. Blake instantly knew she was his sister, because in all honesty she looked just like Jaune might have were he a woman, except less of a lazy asshole.

"She-"

"I am," Blake nodded as she used the opportunity of Jaune trying to speak to force some more ice cream down his throat. The girl with the glasses giggled happily and took a picture on her scroll, but the important thing was that _he_ wasn't having any perverted thought about this. Even if their legs were so close that her knees knocked against his, she kept an eye on his hands – just to make sure. "And you girls are?"

"Sapphire Arc," the tall one nodded. "I'm Jaune's oldest sister, thank you for looking out for him."

Blake wasn't sure how to respond to that, particularly since she'd done nothing but try to avoid or ignore him, until conversely it had been he who saved her life. That had only just marked the turnaround in their relationship. But less than a week of a tentative new friendship was not enough to make up for _this_ indignation.

"That's Sable Arc, also his sister." The one with the glasses grinned. Not a friendly expression, but rather that of someone who felt they had some very big secret – one that they were about to unload at just that moment. "And _my_ name's Coral. I'm sure you've heard of me."

Coral! Blake's eyes widened, even more so when she realised what situation she was in, in front of his intended no less. Her arm jerked, Jaune groaning slightly as she accidentally rattled the spoon against his teeth. Why this woman, this Coral, would put her fiancée through this kind of treatment, Blake had no idea. Unless… was she as casual about things as he was? Was his constant sleeping around less rebellion and more a kink between the two? Oh gods, was she being used as foreplay between them?

"Coral, be nice," Jaune said, rubbing his jaw as Blake let the spoon slip free. Her eyes were still wide when he turned to talk to her, "Why are you working here Blake? It's clear you're not comfortable doing this."

"Maybe that's because it's _you_ , Jaune." Coral laughed.

"It is," Blake replied instantly, and she meant it too. With anyone else she might have been able to switch off, to pretend it wasn't happening or comfort herself with the idea that no one had to know. "You _cannot_ tell anyone about this!"

"I won't, I won't," he held his hands up before him. It wasn't until she noticed where he was looking that Blake realised she was holding the spoon towards him like one might a knife. Coughing awkwardly, she went back to the sundae. Killing a customer would probably be a bad idea, even if he totally deserved it. "You didn't answer my question though. This is a holiday, why are you working in a sleazy café?"

"Why do you think?" Blake snapped. "Do you think I _want_ to do this, that I _want_ to have people looking at me like I'm a piece of meat? I don't exactly have a home, family or rich company behind me." She regretted the words the moment she'd uttered them, mostly because of the way the three girls looked at her – but also because of how his eyes widened.

"You don't have anywhere?"

Blake looked away, unwilling to answer that question. She didn't need his pity, nor his sympathy. She'd never had anywhere, not since she'd been a little child with a placard, shouting at protests. That didn't mean she needed help, though. She had gotten through life and now would become a Huntress.

This was… just a temporary problem.

"Doesn't Beacon have any places for their students to stay if they have nowhere to go?" The olde- Sapphire asked. She leaned forward on the table, banana split forgotten as she frowned at Blake. "It seems terribly irresponsible for them to just throw you out into Vale like this."

Blake blinked and looked towards Jaune, who shrugged back before answering his sister.

"It's a Beacon thing," he said. "You should see what they do to new students. Vale is probably considered tame by comparison. Actually, part of me wouldn't be surprised if they graded our ability to handle ourselves in the city." He shook his head with a little laugh. "Still… you never told me that you had to work to survive during the holidays. Never…" The last bit was whispered, something she only caught because of her acute hearing.

"Why would I have told you?" she asked, crossing her arms defensively. "It's not like we talked much. It never came up."

He jerked slightly, looking at her with a faraway expression, "Of course… of course… just mumbling, don't mind me."

"I need this job to cover the rent on the apartment I'm staying at. The pay here isn't great but you can make a lot on tips." She pointedly stared at Jaune as she said that, tilting her head a little.

"I get the hint," he rolled his eyes. "I'll tip well, I promise – geez…"

"You two seem comfortable with one another." His other sister, Sable, laughed. "It's weird seeing Jaune actually talk casually with someone who isn't part of the family." Comfortable – the two of them? Blake gave him a look only for him to do the same, both of them somehow having the exact same thoughts. Was this girl even watching them? She would not have described their current situation as comfortable.

"Sable's right, you know," the older one leaned forward again. "Jaune doesn't so much as acknowledge the existence of people outside our family, not unless he's under the sheets with them. For him to even talk to you, let alone tease or express concern? It's honestly surprising." And something she was relieved about, if her expression was anything to go by. Blake wasn't convinced, however. Concern, teasing? Okay, she could admit that sometimes his lines in Beacon were specific enough that he could only be taking the piss out of them, but he did that with everyone to a degree – especially Weiss. As for concern, he didn't car-

A flash, orange hair, fire, explosions and pain. Blake's eyes clenched shut as her breathing became heavy. That was right... he did care, for some reason she couldn't understand. He cared enough to kill on her behalf.

"It's decided then!" The glasses-wearing blonde stood up. "You're only working here because you have to, you're also a friend of Jaune's and he's actually started to calm down since you arrived. You're coming with us."

"Pardon?" Blake looked around for answers, but the others at the table seemed just as confused. "I can't come with you, I have a shift to work an-" she was cut off as the girl placed a finger before her lips, stealing the spoon from Blake's hand and licking the ice cream off. Blake's eyes widened at the indirect kiss between Jaune and this girl. She seemed to notice, smirking evilly and running her tongue along the utensil.

"You only have to work here because you need food and a place to stay. We can take away those issues. Stay at our hotel with us for the week. Then you won't have to do this."

"I couldn't," Blake answered immediately. "Thank you for the offer but I will be fine. I can look after myself."

"I'm sure you can," the girl grinned, "but this way wouldn't involve selling your body for lien. How long do you think it will be before someone else orders this meal, except that they demand you sit on their lap – maybe let them stroke your legs too?"

"I wouldn't let them." Blake's face twisted at the thought of it. She needed lien but she wasn't like that. She would go back to stealing to survive rather than degrade herself in that manner. She didn't want to pickpocket innocent people either… but it would be better than the alternative. Then again… neither would be necessary if she accepted their offer. No, no – she wasn't staying with them. She didn't need hand outs.

"It's not about letting them. If you're as strong as Jaune then I doubt they'd have a chance against you, but they'll touch first then apologise after. We're staying in Vale anyway, we already have rooms and food – why not make use of them?"

"Our rooms are already quite cramped," Sable warned, "There's barely space to sleep on the floor."

"She can share Jaune's." Coral shot back. "She's probably used to it."

Blake bit her lip but didn't argue. She _was_ used to it of course. They'd shared a room for a couple of months now. Without Yang nearby it would probably even be a fairly quiet night's sleep. The thought of it was enticing. It would probably be so much warmer than her ratty, insect-infested apartment too.

And she would be able to eat real food, as opposed to what she could find in the expired discount section of the local store. _But what about my pride?_ Blake thought. _What about it!?_ Her mind fired back, _we're already teammates so it's not like we're not supposed to rely on one another occasionally. Not that `rely` and `Jaune` ever really went together._ Other than in the sentence, `you could rely on Jaune to fight dirty` or `you can rely on Jaune to fall asleep in class`.

"Just accept it…" The words barely reached her ears. She looked towards him, sitting there with a blank expression, not quite meeting her eyes but instead looking somewhere behind her, or over her shoulder.

"Pardon?"

"It won't cost us anything," he sighed and looked into her eyes at last. He looked tired, in the way he often did when he woke up in the morning. But more than that, he also looked a little fatigued, like he was running on fumes. Had something happened? "You can pay me back by doing some homework for me."

Homework that he just wouldn't hand in, she almost asked. Still, the idea of a deal wasn't a bad one. She could pay him back for it, in which case she was just trading rent on one apartment for rent paid in a different manner for a better room and food too! Plus, she wouldn't have to wave her ass around in some skimpy outfit.

"Alright," she finally said. Golden eyes closed as the three girls made approving sounds. "But just to make things clear, we will decide how much of your work I do for you once we're back in Beacon."

"Fine with me," he said, with just a tiny smile tugging at the corner of his lips. What did he have to be so smug about? She wiped it off his face by jamming the spoon back into his gob, nearly making him choke on the half-melted treat. She left it hanging there, suspended from his lips as she climbed to her feet. "Give me a few minutes to talk with my boss. I'll tell him the work didn't agree with me and then get changed. I'd rather die than walk through Vale dressed like this."

"Shame…" Blake closed her eyes as she walked away, pretending she didn't hear his last sentence. "That outfit looks good on you."

The asshole…

/-/

Blake could be so typical at times. It was something he both loved and hated about her, but it did make tricking her into things a little easier. She was proud and stubborn, almost enough to rival Weiss though she would have clawed his eyes out had she overheard that opinion. They were prideful in different ways, neither of which were inherently cruel or evil. Offer to help Blake and she would panic. Jaune didn't know if it was her past… he didn't know much of it, even when the two had been steady lovers.

She was mysterious like that, always smiling and silencing him with her lips, never willing to talk about what life as a child had been like for her. Had people offered her charity then too, only to take it back at the last second – to demand something in return? If so then he would probably never know. All it meant was that if you wanted to convince Blake to accept your help, then you needed to phrase it as some kind of mutual agreement. So she felt you had some ulterior motive, one that she could see plainly. For a man as lazy and irresponsible as he, doing his homework for him was probably all too easy to swallow.

Jaune sighed as his sisters chatted excitedly between themselves. He hadn't ever known about this aspect of Blake, which was actually a little disheartening given how long they'd known one another. Not for the single semester she recalled, but all the ones before as well. Again… it was so very Blake. If she was in trouble or needed help then she would never be the one to ask for it.

And what made it worse for him was the small, selfish voice that protested the idea of this arrangement at all. He squashed it down angrily, hating the mere fact that it existed. Because in truth he didn't want to introduce Blake to his family, he didn't want her anywhere near them. Not because he didn't trust her… he was sure she wouldn't purposefully put them in danger. But more because of what it represented, a melding between the two distinct aspects of his life that he wanted to keep separate. Jaune the Hunter, forced into Beacon against his will – and Jaune the son, the brother and normal person who he wanted to be.

But if Blake was in trouble, then he had to help.

"Ready," she said once she came back to them, now in her usual combat outfit once more. It was a little more tattered than usual, and the fact that she only had Gambol Shroud as her luggage told him it was all she had brought. That made sense, he supposed. Why take luggage outside of Beacon if you had nowhere to put it? "They were okay with me leaving early, so long as I don't take any pay. Apparently a lot of girls decide at the last minute that it's not for them."

"I can see why," Sapphire frowned like the mother figure she so often was. Jaune half-expected that had they been able, she would have forced every single person here to come and stay at their hotel, just on the off-chance they were in the same situation as Blake. Most of them looked fairly content. Maybe it just took a certain kind of person.

Jaune had to admit, however, as they walked down the street with his sisters plying Blake with questions, he _did_ feel a little less panicky with her nearby.

It would be another set of eyes to keep watch.

/-/

Blake barely knew what to think. In her mind when she thought of the Arc family, she thought of people who might have raised Jaune. That made her imagine the kind of family life that he could have grown up in to actually make him what he was today. With how stunted he seemed, emotionally as well as academically, she had imagined a fairly lax and uncaring environment, maybe one where he was passed over in favour of other people – or where the parents didn't have much impact in his life.

She didn't expect to be dragged into a hug almost immediately by a beautiful, blonde woman, nor for her to do the same to Jaune a moment later, squashing the two together.

"Of course she can stay," the woman said, squeezing them. Blake's cheek was pushed up against her teammate's, which she made sure to glare at him for. He didn't look embarrassed _or_ surprised, however. He looked resigned, like this was an everyday occurrence. "And I'm so proud of you for looking after your teammate like this. You're such a little sweetheart!"

"Yes mom," he sighed.

"I've heard so much about you too," the woman, Juniper if she recalled, cried. Blake shot Jaune another look at that, wondering just what he'd been telling his mother about them all. It was probably nothing good knowing him. "What's ours is yours-"

"Including our brother apparently," someone complained.

"You can call me Juniper, June or just mother if you want."

"Mrs Arc," Blake coughed as she tried to extricate herself from the woman's surprisingly powerful grip. "I appreciate your offer and thank you for letting me stay. I promise I won't cause any trouble."

"Oh nonsense! A friend of Jaune's is a friend of ours, he has so few!" _That_ she could easily believe, though it probably wouldn't have been diplomatic to say that to his mother. "I hope he hasn't been causing you any trouble, I know what he can be like."

"None at all," Blake lied. Again, she wasn't going to tell his _mother_ of all things what it was he got up to. That would probably be a quick to way to land herself in hot water not only with the woman, but Jaune too. Blake doubted very much this kind woman knew what Jaune was _really_ like.

"So this is my husband Nicholas, or Nicky, you've met Sapphire, Sable and Coral – these are Jaune's sisters, Lavender, Hazel, Jade and Amber." Blake tried to memorise the names and faces but it was a lost cause, them all fading together into a jumbled mess in her head. Instead she prepared herself for a difficult week of referring to everyone with various pronouns and smiled politely at them. "Say hi girls."

"Hello Blake, nice to meet you."

"Hi, I guess."

"Meh…"

"Humph…"

Jaune coughed awkwardly, while Blake could only spare him a dirty look. Somehow the awkward situation was his fault, even if it was _her_ that three out of four glared at. Only one looked like she was remotely pleased to see Blake even breathing.

"Have you eaten? Oh you're so thin – have you been getting enough vitamins? Jaune – you _did_ stop to get her some food, didn't you?" Blake could only blink at the rapid-fire questions. While still being crushed against her side, Jaune sighed.

"Yes mom… we stopped for some sandwiches. I bought Blake a tuna melt."

And what a good one it had been after a long day of leftover scraps from what that blasted café had served. Just another thing Jaune was banned from ever telling their team about, how she'd groaned blissfully over her food, nearly fainting at the table.

"Good boy," Juniper praised, as though talking to a dog. "Now Blake, don't hesitate to ask for anything while you're here. Why you're practically part of the family already."

"T-Thank you…" It was a little too much for her, not only the sentiment but the sheer happiness behind it. _This_ was the woman who had given birth to Jaune Arc? Had she accidentally kept all the positive emotions she was supposed to give him!? "I'll pay you back for this, I swear."

"There's no need for that. Girls, why don't you all head back to your rooms for the night – Nicky, can you go and fetch me a snack? Jaune, go run your teammate a warm bath, she must be tired."

To Blake's surprise no one argued, not even Jaune! He simply nodded and slipped out of her hold, walking out the door to apparently do as asked and prepare Blake a bath. She didn't expect to see it, since this was Jaune they were talking about so he'd surely fall asleep before actually doing that, but _still_! Jaune – doing things – following instructions. Weiss' mind would have been blown.

And then, all of a sudden, she was alone with his mother.

"Now that things are a little quieter how about we have a real talk, just between the two of us?" the woman asked, the smile not quite gone, but a little subdued. Blake found herself unable to look away from those emerald eyes.

"O-Of course." She didn't have any reason to be nervous. Jaune and her were nothing more than teammates, not to mention she was a Huntress, even if only in training, and this was just a normal woman. That didn't change the fact that she _was_ nervous, however, nor did it stop Blake swallowing loudly as the woman let go of their hug and backed away. "How can I help you Mrs Arc?"

"You are the girl my son risked his life for, are you not?"

Oh gods… Blake's face went white, words failing her for a moment as she tried to think what she was supposed to say. How did one explain to a mother than their son had nearly been killed because of them? Was this what it felt like to tell a family member your poor decisions had gotten someone killed?

"I suppose you must be with a reaction like that."

"I-… well yes, but…" A hand touched her cheek, making her freeze as the older woman touched her.

"I wonder what it is my son sees in you?" Despite the insult in the words, the woman's face was filled with curiosity, maybe even a little awe. "Please don't misunderstand. My son is alive and well so I don't hate you, nor am I angry that he's become close with you. On the contrary I was thrilled to hear how he has made friends. Casual encounters with women are far and few between with him, but to see him actually _care_ about you? That's new…"

Hadn't his sisters said the same thing?

"I… don't know what to say." Not in regards to the docks or her questions about Jaune. Blake didn't know what to say to any of them and so that was all she said. She had no idea why he'd done all that for her at all, and if his own mother didn't know then the chance of finding out was slim.

"I suppose not." Juniper Arc sighed and let go of Blake's cheek, sitting down on the bed with an exhale of breath. "This is not the first time, you know?"

"The first time what?"

The woman smiled sadly, "The first time he has nearly given his life for someone." Blake looked away, unsure what she was supposed to feel other than the uneasy bubbling in her stomach. Accidents happened in the life of a hunter, but something about the way she said it made it clear that this wasn't an accident. That Jaune had willingly made the same choice he had with her. "There was a woman once before," his mother went on, "one that was too weak to defend herself when a Beowolf found them. Neither Jaune nor this woman had aura, nor did they have any training between them."

Blake closed her eyes. It was a nightmare scenario and one all too common across Remnant. The lives of civilians were supposed to be peaceful, and for the most part they were. But it only took one second for that to change… one moment in which a Grimm found them. To an unarmed civilian with no aura even a lowly Beowolf must have seemed like some kind of invincible monster.

"Do you know what happened to them?" Juniper Arc asked.

"I can imagine…" Blake let out a quiet sigh. Was that why he was so distanced from people, because he had lost someone in his life? That might explain how cynical he was, how jaded and distant. "Who was the woman?" A friend, a lover – at the age he must have been that seemed unlikely but this _was_ Jaune they were talking about. Juniper smiled and held her arms wide.

"It was me."

"Then you escaped… you got away?" A miracle in its own right considering how fast Beowolves could be, but certainly the safest option for civil-

"We did not," Juniper interrupted Blake's thoughts, a bitter smile still in place. "Our home was attacked and we sought refuge in the basement. Trapped in there alone, I chose to distract the Grimm so that my children could escape." She recounted the tale so casually, so easily, that Blake couldn't help but shiver. Parents across the world had made such sacrifices again and again, yet to hear of it from someone in front of her was shocking. "It worked as expected, the Beowolf focused entirely on me while my children escaped."

"But not Jaune…" Blake whispered.

"Not Jaune," the woman agreed. "He escaped with the others initially but tricked his older sister into going on without him. He then came back for me. He had no weapon, he had no training… he had no aura."

"Yet he lives."

Blake had a suspicion as to how. But her mind wouldn't accept it, that cold, logical part of her body that screamed it was impossible – that it could not have happened that way.

"He lives," Juniper confirmed, "as do I. The Beowolf did not. Jaune fell upon it like a beast himself, throwing his small body at it until it nearly killed him. He even grabbed a steel gas pipe from the wall, one that burned so hot it left the palm of his hand burned and scarred. Over and over he struck it," she made a gesture with one hand, "until eventually the Grimm fell."

"And…" Blake paused to swallow, "and he came out okay?"

"No." His mother smiled. "No, he did not." There was a long pause between them, during which Blake waited for her to continue the tale, yet she never did. In the end the woman sighed. "And now he's shown that he was willing to do the same, except it is for someone he's only known for a little while. Perhaps you can understand why I'm so desperate to know about you."

Blake could. But at the same time, one thing tore at her. "Why tell me all of this?" she asked. Her voice was even but it was hard, the air in the room seemed to close in on her until it felt like she was struggling to draw breath. "You could have asked me questions without giving me all of this, so why?"

"My son…" The woman's voice cracked. To Blake's horror she saw tears in her eyes. Not the great, wracking sobbing kind of tears, but rather the hopeless sort that lingered, of a person who had felt pain for a long time and simply come to accept it. "There is something wrong with my son," she continued, "I love my son - and I love him more for every day I'm alive to spend with my husband and children. But that doesn't change the fact that something is wrong with him, something I cannot help him with. There's not a person in this family who doesn't realise it, except for maybe Jaune himself. We all love him, we will never stop loving him… and yet we are all frightened."

"I'm sorry…"

"Jaune saw something in you. I'm not sure what it is, but come the moment he decided that your death was unacceptable, that he would rather die than live in a world where you did not." Blake's heart hammered in her chest, from fear and panic, made all the worse when the woman's hand touched her cheek once more. "I don't know whether that's a good or a bad thing. Maybe it could be what helps him... maybe not." Juniper whispered, "But I do know one thing, Blake Belladonna."

The hand tightened, nails digging into her skin as Blake's golden eyes were forced to meet the _coldest_ green eyes she had ever seen.

"If you harm my son, whether through action or inaction, there will not be a place on Remnant you can hide from my family."

 _Civilian_ … the word popped into Blake's head. _Harmless… civilian… normal person… no threat_. Green eyes bored directly into her mind, making her feel weak and helpless.

"I would never do that to him," she managed to get out, even if it was difficult. The heavy presence vanished almost instantly, as did the woman's tears, though the red tracks remained. The smile was back once more, wide and familial, but Blake didn't let it fool her this time. Juniper Arc was intimidating… no, scratch that, Miss Goodwitch was intimidating. This woman was terrifying.

"Good," she laughed. "I didn't think you would but the warning is there. Now go, shoo – Jaune should have your bath ready by now and if he doesn't make sure to send him to me." Blake nodded and stepped back, all too eager to escape the room and get back to somewhere more comfortable, even if that was within sleeping distance of her most irritating teammate. "And one thing, dear?"

She froze by the door but turned around to look at the woman nonetheless. No anger, no rage – Juniper looked more amused than anything, maybe a little exasperated too. "Yes?" Blake asked.

"We are in the room to the left, while some of Jaune's sisters are in the one to his right. I know it can be hard, but do try to not make too much noise if you can."

"That won't be a problem. I promise." Blake said with a little confusion. Juniper nodded as Blake let herself out the door. It wouldn't be an issue, not since Yang was the loudest by far and Jaune actually slept in almost complete silence. Blake wasn't sure about herself but no one had complained, so that meant she was either fine or just that Yang was so loud no one even noticed. She liked to think it was the former.

"My mother didn't ply you for embarrassing stories on me, did she?" Jaune asked as she entered their room. He wore a lopsided grin, one that didn't quite reach his eyes but seemed honest enough. Blake stared at him for a second, making him wince. "That bad, huh? If she said anything too awkward then just ignore it. She's a mother, that's how she gets her entertainment."

"I see." She didn't, but then neither did he since he clearly thought nothing untoward had happened. She remembered Juniper's words, that everyone seemed to realise except for Jaune himself. Was this what she had meant? "So… the bath?"

"Through there," he nodded towards a white, panelled door. "I left it steaming hot and grabbed some spare pyjamas from Hazel for you to wear. You're similar builds as far as I can tell."

"Thank you." True to his word the tub was filled with hot water, steam rising above it, with a fluffy white towel and some clothing lay on the side nearby. She inspected them briefly, just to make sure it wasn't some terrible prank that would see her in lingerie. In truth it was more like what she had seen Ruby wearing, pyjamas that consisted of soft, flannel trousers a shade of dark red, with a grey t-shirt for the top. Locking the door behind her she peeled off her crinkled, dirty clothing, slowly lowering herself into the water with a long sigh.

It was easy to take such luxuries for granted, until you lost them. For a good five minutes she refused to move, not wanting to dirty the water by washing herself, but rather to languish in its warm embrace as the stresses and strains in her muscles slowly ebbed away. Eventually the water began to cool, however, and after a little whine of protest – and a brief thought of running it anew – Blake sat up and reached for some soap, scrubbing at her long legs.

There should have been something risqué in thinking about a man while she bathed, especially since she knew he waited in the next room. There had been a few scenes like this in her novels, though if that were the case he would have pushed open the door at that moment, walking in with a confident smile and nothing else. Luckily she'd locked that, and even then she doubted he would have. It was impossible not to think of him, however, and even when she did it didn't feel improper. All she could recall was what his mother had said, and how he acted with his family… how it differed from the way he was in Beacon.

Or was it just the way he acted in Beacon? It was hard to tell, since the Jaune from Beacon would never have rushed to the docks to try and save her, yet there he'd been in her hour of need. Just like he had with his mother – and what did it say about Blake, that he would rush to save her as he had the woman who raised him? Should she feel embarrassed? She pressed a hand to her left breast, feeling her heartbeat beneath the skin. It was slow, not hammering away like it might have for a woman in her stories. If anything she felt confused and adrift, uncertain of what she should do but also burdened by the knowledge that her actions might cause him injury, or worse.

"Blake?" His voice came through the door, followed by a brief knock. She realised with a start that it had been at least twenty minutes since she had entered, a time frame normally only reserved for Yang.

"I'm awake," she called back, just in case he thought she had fallen asleep in the water. "Give me a second." Her hair was soaked and it took only a few minutes to lather shampoo into it and rinse it clean. The towel he'd left for her was soft and warm, fresh from a radiator and a wonderful sensation as the cool air touched her skin. She made sure to towel her hair as dry as possible, though it still remained lank and damp as she slipped into the pyjamas he had provided. The top was a little tight, testament to the difference in bust between her and his sister. It rode up a little, showing just the tiniest bit of her toned stomach. Not enough to be concerned over, her normal yukata could have been considered more revealing. "Sorry about that," she said as she emerged once more, noting the confused look on his face.

"No worries… I just didn't want to turn the lights off without you." Trust him to want to get to sleep as soon as possible. The thought made her smirk a little, if only because of how comfortably familiar it was. The sun shone, grass grew and Jaune Arc craved sleep like he'd been deprived of it all his life.

"I'd hate to cost you any." Blake shook her head as she pushed past him, only to pause at the sight that greeted her. "There's only one bed."

A double bed, one side of which had the blankets pulled down on it, the other untouched. She looked around frantically, noticing that not only was there no other single bed to see, but no couch either.

"Why am I sharing a room with you if there's only one bed!?"

"You didn't realise?" he laughed – _laughed_! Forgive her for not having noticed something but her thoughts had been a little muddled with the absolute _raft_ of things Juniper had just told her. She spun to stare at him, arms on her hips.

"Explain… why would your mother and father agree to this? Wouldn't they think it improper?"

"You heard Coral, right?" he asked. "She did say you were probably used to sharing a room with me."

"As teammates, yes," Blake hissed. His smile seemed to grow wider, more _shit-eating_. Any sympathy she had previously felt for him shrivelled and died.

"I don't think she ever said that. You might want to think back to how you first met my family."

"First met…?"

"On the train?" he hinted when it was clear she hadn't caught his meaning. Her eyes narrowed for a second as she recalled it, the way he'd challenged Adam, how even then he had saved her from a Schnee droid – had she really written that off as a fluke, it seemed so obvious now – but also how it ended, with her leaving the White Fang, with her sneaking into Vale…

With her standing next to a naked Jaune Arc.

" _At least make my son work for it,"_ his mother had said at the time. Blake's face fell into her hands, a long groan slipping through her fingers.

"They think we're sleeping with one another."

"They think we're having sex." Jaune corrected with a grin.

"Thank you Jaune, I _did_ get the implication," she growled. "I don't need you to spell it out for me." Great, just _fantastic_. This was exactly what she needed to top off her day. Without even looking at him she stalked over to the bed, pulling back the covers on the unused side and crawling in. She then reached behind her, to the huge pile of pillows and cushions arranged there. They soon became the foundations of a wall between the two parts of the bed.

"What are you doing?"

"This is the border between our lands. If you cross it, I will count that as a declaration of war. If you think of crossing it I will count that as a declaration of war. If you so much as _breathe_ onto my side…" she trailed off, making her point clear with bright eyes that could see as perfectly in the dark as the light. He rolled his eyes but wisely chose not to argue, slipping into the bed on the other side. She tensed as she felt the mattress flex beneath his weight, more so when she felt him settling in. It was awkward and surreal… something she was neither used to nor prepared for. It stopped soon after, however, and the wall between them remained strong.

"Night," he whispered, turning over so that he faced away from her, sleeping on his side. Blake did the same in the opposite direction, laying one hand under her head.

"Goodnight." Blake responded, forcing her eyes shut and trying to keep her breathing calm. Really it was just like being back at Beacon… except that instead of a few feet of floor space between their beds, it was only a few inches of pillows. She could get used to it. It would be fine.

His mother's parting comment came back to her.

" _We are in the room to the left, while some of Jaune's sisters are in the one to his right. I know it can be hard, but do try to not make too much noise if you can."_

God damn it…

* * *

 **Poor Blake, Poor Jaune. The holidays begin yet things just keep getting in the way. And of course the butterfly effects are consistent with what he has done, ergo Neo's little appearance. In a sense Arc 1 of this story was all about Jaune and his family, which upon reaching Beacon became all about Jaune and his friends, without the family. Now the holiday comes and they're all in Vale, I'm sure some can see where things are headed.**

 **On the semesters, I tend to assume Vytal came in at the third because at the start of that season we see Ruby talking to her mother's grave, which makes me assume there was a brief holiday of sorts there. It would also make for an explanation of how the damage and fallout from the breach vanished, because all the drama and fallout happened during that time off that they each had, which was handled off-screen.**

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 **Next Chapter: 28** **th** **October**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	18. Chapter 18

**So I recently took the advice of some reviewers and played Steins;Gate, which many said shares some similarities with this. I'd certainly recommend the game (though I warn that it takes a long time to get going, with the longest intro I've ever seen in a story). In regards to similarities, however… I can see perhaps one, and it wasn't what I had expected. In a way I feel this story's beginning and premise is best likened to the Suzuha ending, which I shall not spoiler. The ending did impress me, however.**

 **In terms of the similarity what I mean is that the intro to this story (and little else) is similar to what occurs in that ending – in that the main character and Jaune were feeling in much the same way at the time, their thoughts and feelings towards the situation. It's a good VN, my thanks to those who suggested it. My god though, Mayuri… I know tropes and such but I wanted to throttle her sometimes. Honestly skipped a lot of her dialogue because I found her too stereotypical. Ye olde childhood friend who is dim but will stick with you forever, no matter what you say or do…**

 **Ugh...**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 18 - Good Intentions  
**

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It was the aggressive beeping noise that woke him up. The plain, repetitive sound of his scroll, still the standard tone that came with the device when they'd entered Beacon. Most people changed theirs to a favourite song or melody but Jaune had heard the songs of this era enough times that they had lost their lustre. One arm feebly appeared from beneath the covers, slapping impotently as he tried to find it without actually waking up. The bed was warm. The air outside was not. Eventually, however, he was forced to give up. Rearing forward with an explosive sigh he reached down for the device, which had somehow fallen off the bedside table where he'd left it.

"What?" Not his best greeting to a call but it was… his eyes glanced at a clock on the wall, almost eight in the morning. That was too early for any reasonable person to be awake – especially on a holiday.

"Jaune!?" The voice on the other end was familiar. He recognised it instantly. "W-What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm answering a scroll, Yang. What does it sound like?" His upper body shivered as it got used to the cold air, a stark contrast to his warm and comfortable legs. The sheets seemed to call to him, crooning that he enter their sweet embrace.

"I'm more asking why you're answering," his teammate said. "Why _are_ you answering?"

Really, were they going to do this? Yes, normally he did turn his scroll off and otherwise ignore all calls he received from her while they'd been at Beacon, but was she _really_ going to hunt him through his holiday as well? That seemed too cruel to be true.

"Yang," he sighed, "You don't get to call me, wake me up and then act surprised when I actually answer. What do you want?"

"I want to talk to Blake, hence why I rang _her_ scroll."

Jaune's tired eyes flicked to the table, noticing that his scroll _hadn't_ fallen off and was in fact still resting there. So Blake had the same tone as he? That made sense, he supposed. They were both the type to not care about changing it. With a loud sigh Jaune leaned back, listening for a second before registering the sound of running water.

"She's in the shower," he yawned, "You should call back later or something."

"In the shower? Oh my g-" Jaune thumbed the call ended, turning the device off and slipping it back onto the floor before he turned to snuggle back under the covers. They were still warm with the body heat of both himself and Blake, though she'd foolishly surrendered her side. The covers tugged as he rolled over, taking them all for himself.

His brain was trying to point something out to him, that feeling of having done something incredibly stupid, but his exhaustion kicked in a second later, pushing it to the back of his mind. Whatever it was could wait, and if it couldn't then he'd just make a note to fix it the next time. Jaune had almost managed to fall asleep before he felt something poke his side. "Wake up," his faunus roommate poked him again. "It's time for breakfast."

"Then go eat," he turned over to try and escape but she just poked his back instead. "You don't need me. The food isn't going to run away if we don't outnumber it."

"I'm not going down to deal with your family without you."

"Scared?"

Blake didn't huff, she wasn't expressive enough for that, but he could _feel_ her disapproving stare burrow into his spine.

"You're… actually scared of them, aren't you?"

"Not scared," she denied, in the tone of voice that let him know the protest was just that. "It would be awkward, not to mention rude, for me to go down without you." And since when had Blake worried over appearing polite? "You might as well get up," she said, "I can find bigger things to poke you with, sharper things too."

"I wish someone would poke you," Jaune grumbled, "might do something for that attitude."

"Excuse me?" Blake asked dangerously, not at all missing his quiet comment – nor the implied meaning. With a loud groan he gave in, pulling the covers aside and stumbling out. Blake flushed and closed her eyes as his hands went to his buttons. "Not in here," she growled, "go take a shower – and be quick about it. I'm hungry."

"You're starting to sound more like your mother every day," Jaune sighed. Blake didn't seem to get what he meant until he'd already locked himself in the bathroom. And even then he could still hear her shout that she was nothing like Weiss.

Breakfast was… well, a kind person might have called it an awkward affair. Jaune would have described it more as a mix between a tribunal and a rave, with maybe a wake thrown in for good measure. Blake sat like the accused at a murder, back straight and eyes fixed on the food before her, while his mother and sisters made half-hearted gestures to engage her in conversation. He'd say half-hearted because while some, noticeably his mother and Lavender, asked genuinely friendly questions, there was always Amber, Hazel and Jade – who looked like they were considering which piece of cutlery would look best lodged in Blake's skull.

"So the two of you share a room at Beacon?" Juniper asked, smiling and placing a hand below the table, probably on her husband's knee. He hoped to hell it was on his father's knee. "Doesn't that get a little awkward at times?"

"It was difficult at first." Blake's ears twitched beneath her bow, a typical tell that she was agitated. "We all got used to it fairly quickly, though. Beacon has co-ed rooms across the entire academy so it's nothing unusual."

Way to not answer the question at all, Jaune thought as he rolled his eyes. Golden eyes bore into his own, a silent plea for him to come to her aid. Jaune raised an eyebrow and took a big bite of toast, just to make it clear that she was on her own.

She almost hissed at him.

Nicholas chimed in to ask her about what training they did, a safer topic that he was fairly sure his old man had chosen out of sympathy. Say what you would about his father but living with six daughters had left him with a protective attitude towards young women. Not to mention an incredible awareness of just how hard it could be raising one.

Jaune wondered if Blake noticed that, or if she noticed just what it looked like when she had made sure to sit down next to him and kept looking to him for help. He knew the truth, that she was simply unused to such attention and felt he was her only option. But to everyone else it would have only made their suspicions as to their relationship all the more obvious. Maybe Blake did realise that, since apparently all the veiled hints and comments had finally clicked before they went to bed. _Heh, poor kitten._

"Are you going to be doing anything in particular today?" Juniper asked, this time to him. A brief glance showed that Blake was fighting to escape a conversation with Sapphire and Sable. A better teammate would have come to her aid. Jaune bid her a mental salute and turned back to his mother.

"Blake and I have something planned in town," he poked his toast in the faunus' direction, catching her eye. "So I'll be busy for a bit of the morning at least. I'll do more with my sisters after that, though. Don't worry."

"Oh I know," Juniper smiled, "Don't forget that it's Amber's birthday on Friday."

Oh… he had forgotten, or rather it hadn't even crossed his mind. Amber heard, perking up in an almost unmistakeable manner. She noticed him watching and quickly crossed her arms, however, turning away. Still no forgiveness there it seemed, he'd have to find a way to patch things up between them. Identifying the problem wasn't as easy as fixing it, however. Jaune knew how to talk with hunters and huntresses, but his mediating ability was fairly weak. What need did one have for diplomacy when you already knew how things were going to go?

"That's part of what I'll be doing today," Jaune said, not lying because now that he knew, he'd have to try and find a gift. "Can you keep the rest off us for the day?"

"I can try," Juniper sighed. "But do remember that we all came this far to spend time with you. While I understand wanting to spend time with your friends, just be careful not to neglect your sisters. I know you wouldn't on purpose." She smiled to soften the criticism. Jaune nodded, accepting it for what it was.

He would spend more time with them as soon as he could. But only when he knew they were safe.

/-/

"You made it sound like we were going on a date." Blake sighed, following after him.

"You sound disappointed. Should I take you somewhere more romantic?" Blake fixed him with a fierce glower. "Shouldn't you be happy I saved you from my terrifying family? You looked like you needed the help."

"Thank you for that, at least. I tried to get it across that we're not…" she cut off with a frown, "I'm not sure it worked. They can be very stubborn."

And wasn't it ironic that she dared accuse them of that? Either way, convincing them they weren't together wasn't going to work when she kept acting so awkward around them. Jaune could have stepped in, but that would have only raised more questions, and honestly, his family thinking he was with her didn't matter in the long run.

"So why _did_ you say we needed to spend the morning together?"

Jaune shrugged, earning a sigh from Blake when she realised he wasn't going to answer. There was no good answer he could give her, since the truth would have raised its own questions. Jaune wasn't willing to go out with his sisters today because he wanted to ensure it would be safe first.

He still didn't know if Roman's little pet was following him. Jaune's eyes flicked to the left, noting the people that milled on the streets around them. Vale was as busy as ever, and it would only get worse as the Vytal Festival approached. The crowds made spotting any potential followers difficult, but it also meant safety. Neo and Roman were not people who liked to make big scenes or involve innocents. Not for any moral reason, but simply to avoid the attention.

That made them different breeds of monsters to people like Cinder and Adam. They were still dangerous of course, but also a little more understandable… a little more logical. If Jaune could appeal to that, if he could convince Roman that he wasn't a threat or that they weren't necessarily enemies… well, it was better than doing nothing. Roman already wanted him dead and now fully _knew_ how much Jaune cared about his family. How much worse could it get?

"Your family is interesting," Blake interrupted his thoughts by knocking her elbow against his.

"I thought you were still scared of them," Jaune teased. Blake glared once more but didn't rise to the bait. "Interesting, how?"

"Interesting in how different they seem from you. Your father's a professional hunter while you barely seem interested. Meanwhile your mother and sisters are energetic and outgoing, while you're… you."

"I'm _me_?" Jaune parroted, "How very kind of you to say that with such disdain."

"You know what I mean. Apart from the physical resemblance, if I didn't know the truth I'd say you weren't related at all."

"What's your point?"

"I didn't mean anything by it," she said, holding her hands up before her. "It was just me thinking how different you are."

"People are different."

"Forget I said anything," Blake sighed, "I only-" the two of them paused as her scroll began to ring, that same annoying tone from the morning. "Sorry, one second." Jaune sighed as she answered it and started to speak, turning away from him slightly.

Blake didn't exactly have the biggest social circle so the list of candidates was slim. The only ones who had her number were the team and the staff at Beacon. He very much doubted Miss Goodwitch was calling to have a chat about the latest series of adult novels. "Sorry, that was Yang," the girl sighed. Jaune had guessed as much, since Blake hadn't been able to get a word in edgeways, usually a sign of the blonde's influence. "Somehow she's figured out I'm in Vale and wants to come hang out."

Jaune buried a cough in his sleeve.

"I gave her a place we could meet," Blake said.

"I'm surprised you didn't try to make an excuse."

"This is Yang we're talking about. She already knows I'm here and if I tried to hide the fact then she'd just dig through the city to find me. Not to mention spend the next few months in Beacon complaining about it." Blake let out a long sigh. "It's easier to just tell her."

Jaune snorted a little, not that he could disagree. Yang was like a dog with a bone. Still, it wasn't too bad. More eyes would be able to keep a better lookout for anything suspicious, and if something did happen then she would be helpful to have around. Plus, it wasn't like he actually had anything planned for what he and Blake were supposed to be doing. "Where did you say we'd meet?" he asked.

"It's a small place nearby," Blake nodded to the west, "I'll show you there so long as you're on your best behaviour."

He should have known what kind of place Blake would choose, in hindsight it was obvious. Jaune leaned back against a large bookshelf as the disguised faunus carefully read the back of each new book, humming gently. The similarities between her and Coral, at least until the latter opened her mouth, should have helped him relax. The bearded faunus behind the counter did not.

Tukson's Book Trade; home to every book under the sun. Jaune hadn't realised Blake knew him. Maybe she didn't. Not every little thing she did had to be related to the White Fang. Perhaps it was just the lure of fiction that brought her to those doors. Whatever the case, Jaune would have preferred if it went and threw itself in the ocean.

 _White Fang or ex-White Fang at least. From what I remember he always gets killed by Emerald and Mercury before he can flee Vale._ He wasn't a threat, nor was he something Jaune had ever bothered to intervene with. In fact, as far as he could remember, he had only ever really found out during the one time he'd tried working on Cinder's side, just to better understand her plans. That hadn't worked but at least he'd gotten a little background information before Cinder had found out the truth and tortured him to death.

"Are you done yet?" Jaune asked. Blake glanced up towards him, frowning a little before looking back at the book she was flicking through.

"We're waiting for Yang, remember?"

He nodded, feeling his muscles clench and unclench. Right… he had forgotten, something he could blame on the stress. Was it this day? Was this the day that Tukson died? Jaune couldn't remember. It wasn't like the Festival or the Breach. The unfortunate death of an ex-terrorist in Vale just hadn't ever been important enough to remain a fixed date in his mind.

But with how badly everything else was going lately, he didn't want to take the risk.

"We could find somewhere else to meet Yang," he suggested. "I think I saw a coffee stand a little down the street."

"You can go there if you want," Blake didn't even look at him. "There's no need to wait on my account. Yang and I can meet you afterwards."

And leave her alone in a potentially hostile situation with two dangerous enemies? Jaune sighed once more but stopped arguing. Blake wouldn't be moved, not when she didn't see a good reason to. And sadly he couldn't give her one either. Crocea Mors' leather grip was a comforting feeling in his hand. On his last outing with Hazel and Jade he'd left it behind, but this time it was a reassuring presence. No one in Vale looked twice at a teenager carrying a deadly weapon. They were used to Beacon's influence.

"You know, Coral and you would probably get along if you gave her a chance." The conversation was more to calm his nerves than anything else. "You're actually quite similar."

"Somehow I doubt that." Blake leafed through the book she was holding, already reading the first chapter. Jaune could _feel_ Tukson's irritation, but also his resignation. Oh, he was definitely familiar with Blake and her shopping habits.

"She has the same taste in… mature literature."

"After the insinuations she made about the two of us I can well believe that," Blake frowned. "There's a marked difference between quietly enjoying a genre and being a raging pervert, however." Her eyes flicked towards him, "You are proof enough of that."

Ouch, and he was a pervert now? He supposed it probably looked that way, even if the female form had long since lost its allure. It was the sensation he looked for now, the release and comfort of a warm body. Something soft and kind, that would let him forget the situation he was in, if only for a few hours.

"Would it surprise you if I said I don't actually ready smut?" he said.

"That's a lie."

"It is?" Jaune blinked at her deadpan response. It was the truth, at least close enough to it. Maybe once or twice he'd had a look, but he didn't think he had ever fully read through any of her books. "What makes you so sure?" he asked.

Blake sighed, "Back when Beacon began you spoiled the ending of my favourite book before I had even finished it. How could you have done that if you hadn't read it?" The faunus growled angrily beneath her breath, "I had been looking forward to that book for so long."

Jaune's hand came up to his lips, but the snicker slipped out before he could hide it. Blake's eyes narrowed but that only served to make him laugh even louder.

"What now?" Blake sighed, finally closing the book to look at him. Jaune let out a long breath, trying to calm himself down. Gods… Blake was the best sometimes.

"You mean you didn't keep reading it?" he managed to get out. It was hard. Most people felt cowed by Blake's angry glares, but he'd seen them so many times that they registered as adorable to him.

"What's the point? You already ruined the ending."

"I already told you," he grinned, "I haven't read any books of those kinds."

Blake's eyes narrowed.

"But the ending-"

"You thought I was being serious?"

"You made it up!?" The left side of Blake's face seemed to twitch, her eye, nose and even her mouth. The look on her face… it was like she was deciding exactly how she wanted to kill him. Jaune couldn't stop his shoulders shaking, which only made her angrier – which only made it _harder_ not to laugh. "I stopped reading that book because of you! It's been over two months – _two months_ in which I haven't read my favourite book."

"Well at least I didn't spoil the ending," Jaune's smile was manic. "You're lucky to have such a conscientious teammate."

"You…" her ears flicked… so aggressively that her bow almost flicked off. "You… I… I don't even… you…"

"You can thank me later," Jaune clapped her shoulder, just to see what her reaction would be. The normally quiet girl took several great gulps of air, closing her eyes as she visibly tried to calm herself down. When her eyes opened once more they were like molten pools of gold.

"I despise you, Jaune Arc," she said at last, the rest of her face back to its usual, neutral expression. "Every day I wake up and find myself amazed at just how much hatred one man can inspire."

"Is that any way to talk to your father?" he grinned.

"I want to be put up for adoption." Blake ended the conversation with that last quip, turning away and pulling a new book off a shelf, effectively ignoring him as she buried her face into it. Jaune could only shake his face and smile. She really did have the best reactions. A tinkling by the doors caught his attention, Jaune leaning back to look beyond the bookcase they were hidden behind.

It wasn't Yang, however. Life just couldn't have been that easy.

 _Should have known,_ Jaune sighed as he watched Mercury reach up to click the door shut, picking a comic off a nearby stand. Behind the counter Tukson watched, body language cautious but unafraid. _Just being in this place was probably enough for fate to decide this had to happen. That or my luck continues to want me dead._ It was honestly 50-50 on that front.

His options were limited. White Fang, criminals and a potential murder. It didn't take a genius to know Blake would be frothing at the mouth if any of that happened in front of her. He'd have more chance convincing Cinder that Roman was the Fall Maiden than dragging Blake away from this. There was only one thing he could do…

He walked out into the middle of it all.

Mercury and Emerald paused, just the briefest moment of hesitation before a charming expression washed over the girl's face like oil across water. Emerald smiled at him, tilting her head to the side in a manner she knew showed her best features. Jaune could see the look in her eyes, however. She was trying to figure out whether they could quickly and quietly kill him as well.

"Sorry for staring," Jaune apologised, "I thought you were the people we were waiting for. We're meeting some friends here."

"Oh that's fine," Emerald smiled, "My friend and I are just here to look for something ourselves." Her eyes flicked up and down his form, sticking for a second on the sword at his waist. Jaune let his left hand fall onto the handle, not aggressively, but as though he was used to resting it there. It also tilted it forward a little, which would make for a quicker draw. Emerald would know that. "Did you say we?"

Mercury was pretending to read a comic behind her, but Jaune could see him watching cautiously.

"My friend is just looking at some books," Jaune said – pleased to see Emerald's smile drop just a little. _That's right, there are two of us. Too many to take out at the same time with Tukson included._

"I'm more of a comic man myself," Mercury walked up to stand beside his partner, hands on his hips and a grin on his face. Jaune resisted the urge to step back. The two were stacking up together, maybe planning to double-team him instantly, leaving Mercury to focus on Tukson and Emerald to silence the other witness.

"I don't read much myself," Jaune said. "My teammate though, she likes her books."

"Teammate?" Emerald asked, suddenly nervous.

"From Beacon. We're on our holidays at the moment. In fact, we're just waiting for another one of our teammates to arrive." The two criminals shared a look. Dealing with a single guy with a sword, a civilian and a shopkeeper was one thing. Dealing with two hunters in training was another, especially when they didn't have eyes on the second. And then there was the fact that he knew they needed to infiltrate Beacon too, and what would have been hard if there were students who had seen them attack an innocent outside of it. _You know it's too much of a risk. You can't afford it._

Not for a relatively unimportant guy like Tukson.

"What a coincidence," Emerald's smile was back, as innocent and beautiful as ever. "We'll be coming to Beacon soon as well. Our team's going to take part in the tournament."

"You look familiar," Mercury interrupted, faking a moment of thought. "Weren't you in the news recently?"

Of course they would know about his fight with Torchwick, the crook had probably been forced to recount it to Cinder, along with an explanation for just why he'd failed to come away with the dust. Roman had probably thrown him under the bus, blaming it all on his interference. To be fair, it wasn't inaccurate. That meant Cinder knew, which meant these two knew as well. Could the day get any worse?

"I remember," Emerald slapped a fist into her palm. "You fought against that Torchwick guy, didn't you? Stopped him from making off with a bunch of dust… some people are calling you a hero."

And no doubt some were calling for his head… namely these two and their boss. "I was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Jaune shrugged.

"Don't you mean the right place?"

"I didn't want to get involved. I'm not interested in getting in front of renowned criminals." _And if you can pass that message onto Cinder it would be appreciated_. Jaune was fairly sure it would reach her, but whether that changed her mind was another matter entirely. Cinder didn't like loose ends… she didn't like taking risks. _Actually, now that I think about it. Maybe Roman could use some more of her attention too._ "The news reports like to exaggerate things anyway. They make it out like I took him on in a duel, but it was more him blowing up dust left and right. I was lucky to get out alive with how many explosions he was causing. I'm not a hero," he added, "just unlucky."

Understatement of the century.

"Sounds like there's a story there. Maybe you should tell it sometime." Emerald glanced to Mercury, the two of them sharing a quick frown. Roman would no doubt hear about that in the coming days, likely from an irate Cinder herself. When their attention came back to him, it was for Emerald to smile and Mercury to subtly step a little to the side. Jaune moved too, slightly angling his right foot to the side, so that he could draw if he had to. Both actions, his and theirs, so small as to be easily misconstrued - and yet both designed to gain an advantage if a fight broke out. Emerald didn't pull out a weapon, however. Instead, she held out a hand. "Since we're all heading to Beacon maybe we should be friends?"

Jaune stared at it. Hell no, not with her, not with Cinder and not ever. But at the same time he wasn't supposed to know who Cinder, Mercury or Emerald were. The Queen needed to be in Beacon next semester for her plans. If she felt he knew or was a risk to those then she would have no choice but to make sure _he_ didn't return for it. That meant killing him during this very holiday, which would put his family firmly in the crossfire. He couldn't afford to be anything _but_ a friend to these two. No matter how galling it was.

"That's fine with me," Jaune lied, reaching out to shake her hand. At the same time he prepared for the worst, knowing that the instant his hand was occupied would be the moment they decided to attack or not.

Mercury's left hand twitched.

Jaune took a quick breath.

His hand touched Emerald's-

"Helloooo!?"

Jaune wasn't the only one that nearly leapt out of his skin at the sudden banging. Mercury and Emerald looked like taut strings that had just been cut, spinning around in time to see Yang's goofy face pressed against the window. She fogged it up as she breathed out. "The doors locked – are you two doing dirty stuff in there?"

"Xiao-Long you idiot," Weiss Schnee's muffled voice came through. She was standing beside Yang, arms crossed and clearly unimpressed to be stuck outside. Ruby waved as well.

He didn't think he'd ever been so relieved to see them. Not this life at least.

"Friends of yours?" Emerald asked, finally relaxing as she shook his hand. Mercury strolled off with his comic in hand, laughing quietly as he read. The atmosphere vanished quickly, the decision to draw arms thrown aside at the last minute. Jaune still felt cold shaking her hand, however.

"That's them," he nodded. "Is the door locked?"

"Must have seized shut when we came in," she lied, "let me help you get it." She got to the door before him, subtly unlocking it while he pretended to be distracted trying to calm Yang down. He knew better than to actually try, since she was bouncing up and down worse than Ruby on a sugar rush. He knew exactly what she wanted to know too… which was why his first response upon seeing her should have been obvious.

"Blake's behind that shelf," Jaune pointed in the direction, "You should ask her." Yang didn't even stop to question him, rushing off to interrogate her partner. He might have felt bad for throwing her in Yang's path if the alternative hadn't been to take it himself. Jaune turned to the other two, "Hey Ruby, Weiss… I didn't realise you were coming. Or even in Vale." The last was aimed at his own partner.

"Yang woke me up this morning with some ridiculous rumour of hers," Weiss said. "It sounded like complete nonsense, but when she said she was coming here I decided it might be worth hearing her out." She didn't answer his other question, but the look on her face said she had ignored it for a reason. He could make an educated guess; likely something related to her father and why they didn't speak all too often. If Jaune recalled her rants correctly he had even cut off access to her accounts during the Vytal Festival. That wasn't any of his business though.

"I wanted to come along," Ruby rushed forward to give him a hug. He didn't have the time to do anything in return, for her arms wrapped beneath his and squeezed and then she seemed to teleport back to Weiss' side. "Hi."

"Uh… hey."

"Interesting friends of yours." Emerald piped up, drawing both Weiss and Ruby's gaze. She stepped forward before he could stop her. "My name's Emerald and that's my partner Mercury," she nodded to the comic-reading teen, "We're going to be coming to Beacon in a few weeks for the Festival. Nice to meet you."

"Weiss Schnee," his partner said, shaking the girl's hand. "I am Jaune's partner while this is Ruby Rose. She isn't part of our team."

"I'm the Leader of my own team," Ruby cheered, accidentally making Weiss' eye twitch.

"Regardless," Weiss pushed on, "I hope you find Beacon to your liking. Perhaps we shall have a chance to face one another in the tournament."

"Oh I think we might," Emerald grinned at the thought, which made him want to cut her down right there. "Come on Mercury, I don't think Tukson has what we're looking for. We'll try again another time."

"Shame," Mercury grumbled, putting the comic down. He nodded to them as he followed his partner out, the door jingling slightly as it shut behind them. Tukson seemed to relax. If he'd known who they truly were, then his relief would have been a lot more dramatic. _I guess he gets to live for another day… though they'll probably come back if he doesn't wise up and leave._

"I hope you're not intending to add a transfer student to your list of conquests."

"Now, now, Weiss," he replied automatically, "There's no need to be jealous."

"I see some time without us hasn't made you any less insufferable." Jaune rolled his eyes at that. It had been barely two days. "So Blake and you…?"

"We're sharing a room," Jaune nodded. Perhaps he could have saved Blake the embarrassment if he'd explained himself. Then again, she could have saved him the trouble if she'd ignored the White Fang too. Turnabout was fair play. "You can ask her all about it if you're interested."

"Not interested," Weiss rebuked, "Just… curious."

"Isn't that the same thing?" Ruby looked adorably confused.

"It's not. Regardless, I think I shall as-"

"That's not true!" Blake's shout rang through the small bookstore, making Weiss' and Ruby's eyes grow wide. The girl in question appeared a moment later, flustered and dragging Yang behind her by the arm. "Jaune! Yang thinks we're sleeping with one another – tell her we're not!"

"But we did sleep together."

"I knew it!"

"No you don't," Blake growled, pointing at Yang, "and no we _didn't_!" She turned to him. "Stop making it sound like that. It wasn't funny with your family and it's even less so here."

"You've met his family already?" Yang asked. Blake's eyes widened as she realised her mistake.

"Not like that," she hissed. "They're just… I'm staying at the same hotel."

"Well that's not unreasonable," Weiss said, "So you just happened to bump into one another?"

"In a manner of speaking…"

"Then why did Jaune answer your scroll this morning?" Yang delivered the killing blow, Blake actually recoiling for a second before fixing a murderous glare onto him. Apologising wouldn't get him anywhere, nor would appealing to her mercy. The best bet was to put as many bodies between them as possible.

"What Blake means," he said, ignoring the girl's frantic signals for him to stop talking, "is that we're staying in the same hotel, in the same room and also in the same bed. That's why I answered her scroll."

The plan was successful, as he'd known it would be. Blake didn't have the time to squeak before Yang was upon her, Ruby following close behind. Weiss remained by him, but judging from the catatonic look on her face it would be a while before she actually said anything. Jaune could only nod his head, pleased to see everything working out.

Tukson sighed, slouching behind his counter.

/-/

"-and this is Sapphire and Sable," Jaune finished, pointing out each of the women in the room to them. Weiss managed to keep her face calm through the introductions, mentally filing away the names and faces of each. She was used to meeting and memorising important people at family functions, so this was no issue. The rest of her team, however?

Poor Blake looked lost, and she'd even met them all the day before apparently. Yang was looking wildly between the various blondes, eyes wide and mouth agape, while her younger sister almost looked intimidated to be under the scrutiny of so many people.

"Your family is _huge_ ," Yang grinned, "Does anyone have embarrassing stories of Jaune as a kid?"

"I have photos," one of the girls laughed, the tallest with short hair and the gait of an amateur hunter. Sapphire, Weiss' mind quickly recalled. There was another with her, younger and shorter, yet still wearing an almost maternal smile. _Sable, older sister._

"Aren't you worried about that?" Weiss asked, turning to her partner. Confronted with so many people she would prefer to stick by him. He looked back down at her, shrugging.

"I don't even remember my life as a child."

"Few do, I suppose," she sighed. Her memories were still a little clearer, but maybe that was just her. From what she'd read, particularly happy and sad memories tended to remain for a long time. His family didn't look like either. They looked… comfortable, kind and loving.

"Oi Jaune," two appeared at his side as though by magic, dark clothes, leather and studs as they dragged him away, nattering about some music or other he had to listen to. Had it been anyone else he might have weaselled his way out of it, much like he had her training. He agreed, however. Smiling at them, not with joy, but rather in the way one might to a small child you wanted to indulge. Weren't they his older sisters?

Even as she watched him, as the two pushed him into a seat and took their positions on either side of him, something looked wrong with the scene. They remained close to him, one leaning over to push on their scroll as the other forced headphones into his ears. They both smiled as they talked, hands moving dramatically as a tale was recounted. It was a typical family scene, albeit one more… emotional than her own.

So why did Jaune's smile and posture bother her so?

A gentle hand touched Weiss' shoulder. "I didn't expect Jaune to be bringing so many friends to meet us," the woman behind her said. Weiss turned to look at her, his mother. Juniper smiled down at her, a rather beautiful woman by any standard and one that Weiss felt an immediate respect for. Anyone who could control so many children deserved her respect, more so if they'd had to raise _Jaune_ for seventeen years. This woman deserved a medal.

"I'm sorry for the intrusion," Weiss bowed her head, "We didn't mean to interrupt what was supposed to be a family event."

"Oh no, I didn't mean anything like that." The woman accepted a glass of some juice from a passing waiter, the rather large group having met in the near-empty bar of the hotel's restaurant. It was a simple venue, certainly not fit for one of her standing, but easy enough on the eyes. "It's just a surprise, that's all. Jaune was never one to bring many friends around when he was younger."

 _I can well believe that,_ Weiss thought. For any other person she might have considered the criticism uncharitable, but for Jaune Arc it was completely deserved. If it hadn't been for him risking his life to protect Blake then they'd likely have already condemned him by now. And how many opportunities for such were available in a children's school? Weiss could well imagine Jaune being a lonely child, if only because his own attitude pushed people away.

But she wasn't going to say that to his mother.

"Jaune is fairly well-respected in Beacon," Weiss lied through her teeth. "I wouldn't say he has the most friends, but certainly enough."

"That's more than I ever imagined," Juniper smiled, "though if you don't mind me saying, you are all quite the colourful bunch." Weiss wasn't sure whether she meant physically or mentally with that one, though both could probably fit. She followed the older woman's gaze, spotting Ruby, who looked as shy as ever but was being engaged in conversation by a pale young girl with golden ringlets. Shy and uncertain, she was only just starting to open up, silver eyes occasionally flashing with excitement.

Then there was Yang, one arm around Sapphire's shoulder, the other in front of her mouth as she looked at something being shown to her on a scroll. She burst out laughing a second later, apparently already at home with the group of strangers. She had no problem settling in with new people. With her impressive figure, golden hair and bright eyes, she looked like just another one of the Arc family.

And of course Blake, their final partner and the most harried of them all. Weiss pitied her the rumours she'd been told this family believed, more so because Weiss wasn't sure how to break them. Any rejection would probably be taken by denial on her part, and Weiss was honestly still unsure what _was_ happening. They weren't dating, that much was clear - but Jaune _had_ been willing to risk his life for her. That spoke of some affection. Blake was sat in a seat by the edge of their group, face buried in a book in that _`I'm reading, don't bother me`_ pose of hers. The one she used when interaction was the last thing she wanted. Sadly it looked like someone hadn't gotten the message, a glasses-wearing girl peeking over Blake's hunched shoulders and whispering into her ear.

"I suppose you could say we are," Weiss surrendered.

"That's not a bad thing. You're my son's partner, are you not?" Weiss nodded to the question. In a way it was a painful reminder that her own father hadn't once enquired as to her team. "I feel like I should apologise for what he's no doubt put you through."

"He's been nothing short of a gentleman." Weiss' eye twitched as she said it. She had to be diplomatic, however. That was how she'd been brought up. The woman opposite her let out a long laugh.

"You don't need to be so polite with me, my dear. I raised my son. I know what he's like. How about the truth?"

"The truth?" Weiss whispered, "You really want to hear the truth?" Juniper Arc nodded. Well if that was how she wanted it. "He's lazy and unmotivated, an incorrigible pervert, completely unwilling to show the slightest bit of energy. He doesn't put any effort into class, he makes a mockery of combat spars and otherwise makes our team look like fools!"

She knew she should stop, but this was the first person she'd been able to rant to over the issue, her having to hide it even from Winter. Weiss threw her arms wide.

"Not to mention I have to do just about everything to make sure he even survives the day. I have to wake him up, have a shower, wake him up _again_ because he'll have fallen back asleep, _drag_ him to training – force him around the course, then keep watch to make sure he even _eats_ breakfast. That's not even including lessons, which he's more likely to fall asleep in than actually pay attention! Sometimes I don't even know how he made it into Beacon and then sometimes I'm not even sure how he survived to adulthood." Weiss panted heavily, hands clenched into fists… right before she remembered who she was saying this to. "I am _so_ sorry for that, I-"

Jaune's mother was laughing. Not simple, little laughter, but the kind that wracked her body, one hand across her stomach as she giggled into the other. "I'm sorry," she said after a few seconds, trying to gain control of herself, "It's just… it's certainly amusing to see someone else standing in my shoes." It took Weiss a few seconds to realise what his mother meant, but when she did she could only sigh. Forcing Jaune to eat, get up and go about his day… she was comparing Weiss to herself.

"I have no idea how you put up with him for so long," Weiss sighed. "I've been driven insane from just a few months. You've had him for seventeen years."

This woman didn't deserve a medal; she deserved a statue in her honour.

"Well he wasn't always like that, of course," she said. Weiss' ears perked up.

"What do you mean?"

"Never mind," Juniper waved one hand as though to dismiss the comment, "I just meant he was different as a young child. People grow up in different ways. Still, I must say that I'm pleased he has someone like you around to look out for him."

"I'm not sure the sentiment is mutual on his part."

"I'm sure it isn't," the woman smiled over Weiss' head, no doubt looking towards him, "But at the same time, I dread to imagine what might have happened had he been partnered with someone who didn't care so much about him." Weiss wanted to say that she was clearly reading into things, but held off. "Thank you for looking after my son."

Weiss sighed.

"He's not completely useless…"

"Oh?" She sounded curious, but the little smile on the woman's face made Weiss want to fidget. Having come this far, however, she wasn't about to back down. Jaune Arc was a pain in her rear, a nightmare to put up with and otherwise a blight on their team's reputation. But…

"Despite everything he does wrong," Weiss sighed, "He's not a _bad_ teammate, nor is he a bad partner. He can be… frustrating at times, yes… lazy and unmotivated too. But he _does_ care about the team." Weiss glanced away, first to Yang – recalling that time in Forever Falls, and then to Blake. "It took us a long time to realise that, but he's dependable… so long as you don't actually depend on him for anything."

"Some would say that doesn't make sense," his mother quipped. Weiss could only lift one shoulder in a vague shrug. It didn't make sense but that was how it felt. If they were ever in danger she felt he would be there to help them… but if they relying on him for anything short of that, then they'd best start digging their own graves. "In a small way, I think I do understand. Thank you Miss Schnee, you're very kind."

"I'm not," Weiss said, "and call me Weiss, please." It didn't feel right to make her partner's mother call her such an impersonal title.

"Then thank you, Weiss," Juniper said with a little smile. "You've given me a lot to think about."

 _Have I?_ Weiss wondered, shaking her head with a little sigh. It was probably better not knowing, especially with what had happened to Blake. The faunus was still being hunted on the outskirts of their not-so-little group, looking increasingly haggard at what was probably some very probing questions as to the nature of her relationship with Jaune. _I'll have to do something to save her from that._ It should have been the team leader's job, but naturally that went back into the whole dependability thing.

"I said he was like a brother to me!" Ruby's sudden shout almost made Weiss jump, and did make most of the others turn to look at her. The fifteen-year-old huntress was squaring off against Jaune's youngest, who despite her age was as tall as Ruby. _And me,_ Weiss' treacherous mind pointed out. The worst part was that she was _developing_ more than Weiss was too. There was no justice.

"Well he's _not_!" The younger girl shoved Ruby, nearly knocking the hooded girl off her seat.

" _Amber!_ " The only other man at the table rebuked, catching Ruby with an almost effortless grace. Ruby didn't even have the time to balk before she was caught, righted and sat back down again. She just blinked a bit in confusion. Weiss supposed a man with so many children would be used to catching them, or maybe that was just how good a hunter he was. "Say sorry to Jaune's friend."

"Sorry Jaune's _friend_ ," the young girl gave an apology that fell just short of acidic. She then mumbled something under her breath, though apparently Ruby had caught it. She reared up in her seat.

"I'm not!" she gasped, "Take that back."

"Why? You're just a stupid hunter."

"Yeah?" Ruby huffed, "Well at least I'm not an immature little child like you."

Amber Arc looked Ruby up and down before raising an eyebrow.

"Could have fooled me."

" _Okay,_ " Yang laughed, appearing behind Ruby just in time to catch her by the hood before she could do anything rash. "You should come over and sit with me sis, Saph has the _cutest_ photos."

"And _you_ ," Juniper Arc smiled as she held her youngest daughter's wrist in one hand, "Need to have a bit of a time out, dear daughter. Why don't you come sit with your mother and father."

"I don't-" Weiss watched in awe as the girl quickly paled and went silent, "… okay…"

"Good girl."

 _I need to learn how to do that,_ Weiss realised as she watched the mother sit her daughter down between herself and the handsome man that was Jaune's father. Was it a skill only a mother could learn – or could it be taught?

Jaune's family certainly was interesting, in a dysfunctional yet comfortable sort of way. It had all the hallmarks of what it was; a place where people of the Arc name belonged. A quick glance towards him showed that while he had paid attention to Ruby's outburst, Jaune was still content to sit with his two sisters. They continued to dominate that conversation, talking to each other and him so quickly that he appeared unable to get a word in.

But he continued to smile… not in pleasure or happiness, but rather the smile of a man who was finally able to relax. Weiss just wasn't sure why that bothered her so much.

/-/

"Thanks for doing this Weiss," Blake repeated for what had to be the fifth time. Weiss accepted it with her usual grace, knowing that it was only because of how relieved the girl really was.

"It's fine Blake. A room here didn't cost much and to be honest it's somehow a little comfier than the hotel I was staying at." Perhaps that was something to do with her time at Beacon. She was so used to sharing a small room with three others, that the opulent and impressive rooms afforded to her had seemed cold and lonely.

Hence her decision to stay at this hotel with Blake, the two of them having a bed each in the new room. She wouldn't admit that, however.

"Aww, Weiss is so sweet," Yang instantly killed the mood, as usual.

"I'd be quiet if I were you, Xiao-Long," Weiss snapped. "You live in Patch. Why am I buying you and your sister a room anyway?"

"Because it's too late and too far to make the journey?" Yang shrugged unapologetically. "Because I can't afford one, because you were guilt tripped into it by Ruby?"

Weiss growled.

"Thank you Weiss," the younger girl took her hands. "We're really grateful you were willing to do this for us. If there's any way we can help you out when we're back at Beacon, just let me know." She was so earnest, so utterly sincere that Weiss could only sigh.

"It's fine, Ruby… you don't have to do that."

"Really?" Yang grinned, "Real generous of you, Weiss-cream. Cheers."

The mattress gave way beneath her as she sat down, stretching her arms slightly to work out the kinks. So here they were, their holiday away from Beacon and against all odds they had found themselves together once more. Weiss should have hated that. She'd been thrilled to have some time alone, some peace and quiet.

So why hadn't she fought against this in the slightest?

"His family are pretty cool." Yang grinned as she sat down on Blake's new bed, earning a quick glare from the frazzled faunus laying there.

"His family are a nightmare," Blake said. "I'm not sure how many times I've told them that we are not in a relationship. They either look at me like I'm too embarrassed to admit it, or as though I'm one of his casual lays."

"Well he _did_ risk his life to save yours," Yang pointed out. "Maybe you're not right now, but that does seem a little much for just friends."

"You did the same afterwards," Blake replied. "Unless there's something you want to tell me, I take it we can assume you can save someone without asking for their hand in marriage." Yang's grin turned evil for a second before Blake sighed. "Please don't… I've had enough with his family without you pretending to fancy me too."

"You're no fun."

"Jaune's family is really nice…" Ruby whispered, "Mostly, anyway… it makes me wonder why he's so quiet and withdrawn though."

"You noticed that as well?" Weiss asked, impressed. Sometimes the younger girl seemed so foolish, but every now and then she showed signs of being the leader she was. "It does seem unusual, especially with how inclusive they are with him."

"I'd say protective," Yang frowned. "Or did you not notice how they split us up and made sure to talk to us all individually?"

Weiss' head snapped up. Had they done that? There were certainly enough of them, but why would-… she recalled Juniper finding her alone, of talking about Jaune and what she thought about him. At the time she'd crossed it off as maternal interest, and maybe it still was – but of the protective kind. Why would Juniper Arc be worried for her son, though?

"I was trying to grill them for stuff about Jaune," Yang shamelessly admitted, "But they grilled me back just as hard. I got the feeling his two older sisters were really worried about him, especially about how he was settling in."

"Older sisters are always worried," Weiss said. Even Winter was the same, except much more reserved about it. It wasn't what she did or didn't say, but how many messages Weiss received. At least one every three or four days unless her sister was on a mission somewhere.

"This felt different," Yang leaned back on the bed, taking even more of Blake's space. "Trust me when I say I know about being a worried older sister, but this felt a lot more desperate. They acted like… like…"

"Like they fully expected him to suffer," Blake filled in. "Like they did not think he would be safe without them."

"Exactly," Yang looked towards her partner. Ruby pushed her fingers together while Weiss frowned and crossed her legs. That was quite the thought to have, _if_ it were true at all. Concern was natural, especially among a family like that. But now that Blake had pointed it out, Weiss couldn't shake the image of Jaune relaxing, or of how his sisters pulled him aside and talked not to him, but _for_ him. She'd thought it merely the way they were, that they were chatterboxes and he was quiet – but was that really the case?

Had they talked over him because they had something to say, or had they done it so that he wouldn't have to? Because they knew he didn't want to?

"Is Jaune… okay?" Ruby asked, voice meek.

"I'm sure he's fine," Weiss quickly replied, not wanting to worry the girl. "This is just… it seems like he has a much closer relationship with his family than we thought, that's all." Not that there was anything wrong with that, if anything she admired and respected him for it. But at the same time there was the niggling doubt nonetheless. He loved his family and they clearly loved him, but they also closed ranks around him almost immediately. It was like they were trying to protect him.

From them…

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Yang asked.

"How should I know?" Weiss snapped back, suddenly irritable. "I'm not a mind reader."

Yang ignored her, "It looks to me like they're worried about him – and not just because they're a family and that's what families do. It's more like they feel they have a legitimate reason to do so. Like they _need_ to do so."

"He was very bad at the start of term," Blake pointed out. "He was quiet and withdrawn, didn't he even snub Ruby?"

"He wasn't being mean," the young girl predictably defended him. "He was probably just tired… or shy."

"Or something," Yang frowned. "I mean, we all thought he was just being an ass, right, both with how he acted in general and to us? But if you think about it, there are other reasons for why he might have been acting like that. Maybe he couldn't help it."

 _An illness._ The answer came to Weiss' mind immediately, a low sigh escaping her as she closed her eyes.

"What about how he acts too?" Yang said. "Sleeping too much, not having any energy, struggling in class… sure, you _could_ say he was lazy."

"But you could also say he was suffering from a mental illness," Weiss finished with a sigh. "Depression perhaps… not a dangerous or hereditary one," she hurried to add when she saw Ruby's horror. "Just perhaps one that left him feeling lethargic and irritable, unable to properly function or talk to people."

"Me, Ren and Nora did think something was wrong…" Ruby whispered. _Ren, Nora and I,_ Weiss' mind corrected. She slapped it down. The girl took a deep breath and closed her eyes. A few seconds later she opened them again, staring at Weiss with a determined expression. "How can we help him?"

"Eh-?" She wasn't a doctor, nor a psychologist and yet now they were all looking to her for an answer – even Blake!? There might have been that asinine joke about how she was the mother of their team, but was she now their doctor too? "Well, I suppose I can try and find some books," she offered, "maybe purchase some and have them delivered. I think the best thing we can do for now is to try and make sure he knows that we're there for him."

"We need to make sure he has fun too," Yang grinned. "Don't let him laze around because that's just the illness talking. I hear activity is good for people who feel bad, so maybe up his spars? More exercise?"

"I'll tell Nora and Ren too," Ruby promised. "Nora's really good at having fun so she'll be able to come up with some ideas."

"We need to make sure he doesn't do anything foolish," Blake's warning cut through the mood. The faunus sighed as they all turned to look at her, laying the book down. "If he does suffer from depression then it's not unusual for people to self-harm or worse."

"Jaune wouldn't do that," Weiss said – confident for once in her words. Lazy and irresponsible as he could be, he loved his family. She didn't think he would ever deprive himself of them, or vice versa.

"I don't think he will either," Blake said, "But he _could_ take risks that others might not, attacking a dangerous criminal for instance."

She was right. Yang and Ruby realised it at the same time Weiss did. The docks, how he'd acted – how willing he had been to risk his life for Blake's. Not suicide perhaps, since he'd fought to live, but something altogether as dangerous. A death wish… or perhaps more accurately, a lower image of what his life was worth.

"We'll all make sure he's looked after," Weiss said for them all. "We just have to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid and he'll be fine. His whole family has said he's shown signs of changing, right? What if we're already helping?"

She could see them all perking up, especially Yang and Ruby, who looked like they'd finally found a light at the end of the tunnel. Juniper had been pleased; she'd thanked them… maybe for helping her son recover?

"Just keep doing what we're doing," Weiss continued, "Involve him more, show our support – and for the love of dust… make sure he doesn't do anything stupid or dangerous."

/-/

This was a stupid idea… dangerous too. People parted on either side of him as he made his way through the streets of downtown Vale, towards what many dubbed the seedier parts of the city. The well-populated and lit areas of the city gave way to neon lights and loud bars, music emanating from inside. Commuters became revellers, many travelling in small groups as they swayed and laughed drunkenly. One or two women looked at him as he passed, some calling out only for him to ignore them. There wasn't time for that.

Neo and Roman were a threat, not just to himself but also his family. With Mercury and Emerald's encounter with him earlier in the day, he was also worried that their actions might escalate. From what he could recall of working with Roman, he'd met with Cinder on the evening of their hit on Tukson. Killing the traitor had been Roman's job, one he'd delayed on. That meant Torchwick and Cinder would be meeting tonight, which meant that there was a good chance the two would share information.

Would it be about his family?

Finding either of them was a bust. Cinder changed her safe houses constantly and while he did know one or two of hers – and even some of Roman's – it wasn't enough to find either in person. Neither of them had ever revealed to their underlings where they lived. Warehouses and staging grounds were just that, places they might visit or store goods. He was out of luck there.

But there was one location that might help him… one place that, while it might not let him find Roman, could put him in contact. It was just a shame that place had every reason to hate him. One of the suited bouncers caught his eye as he pushed his way through the door. Jaune saw him whisper something into a scroll. Well, he hadn't intended to remain hidden.

 _This life was supposed to be a holiday. I swore there wouldn't be any more of these missions._ Perhaps that word was arrogant. Missions denoted someone to give them out, but it was what he'd often called the excursions he took each repeat. When he would go out and try to prevent something happening, often by trying to cut it off at the source. _This one's different,_ he thought, _This isn't about fixing the world. It's about protecting my family._ _It's only going to be the one time._

Just this one time.

The Club, as it was known, had apparently been fully rebuilt. The dance floor was a little different, as was the bar. Junior had clearly either invested a little extra, or more likely, claimed for more than Yang and he had really damaged. With all the nasty things he got up to, insurance fraud was certainly not unbelievable. Jaune approached the bar, taking a seat on a spare spot as he waited to be served.

"Whatever's on the tap," Jaune said, throwing some lien down on the side. The man nodded and pocketed it, drawing out a clean glass and slowly filling it. "Send Hei my way as well, will you?"

The man glanced up, "The Manager doesn't talk to just anybody. It's more than my job's worth to interrupt him if he's busy."

"Don't worry about it," Jaune took the drink and had a quick sip, smiling over the rim. "I'm sure he'll come down to see me in a minute. Just send him my way." The man blinked, looking at Jaune for a second before shrugging and walking away. He didn't make any move to fetch Junior but that was fine. Jaune took the time to enjoy the bitter beer he'd been poured. Not his favourite, he preferred cocktails, but he wasn't here to get drunk. A ruckus behind the bar caught his eye a second later, the same bartender from a moment ago now talking to a taller, bearded man. Jaune smiled as he saw the confused employee point towards him, sending the bear of a man stalking down the bar.

"You've got nerve showing your face here, kid."

"I think I saw that line in a movie once. Nice to see you, Hei."

"Funnily enough the feeling isn't mutual. The last time you were here you and that blonde bitch trashed my club. Give me one good reason not to throw you out right now."

"I'm here for business," Jaune put the glass down and pulled out some lien, what little he had left of his own money. "I just wanted to ask you to pass a message on to a mutual friend. Once you agree I'll be on my way."

"And who?" Junior sighed and leaned against the bar, "Would this mutual friend of ours be? I've got a lot of friends kid, and not many enemies – so watch yourself."

Jaune resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Bravado aside, the reason Junior didn't have many enemies was because he was an information dealer. Good at what he did, but ultimately considered of more use alive than dead to most of the criminal underground. It was nothing to do with his reputation, no matter how much the man seemed to think so. Jaune pushed a sealed envelope across the counter.

"It's for Torchwick."

"Torchwick?" As expected Junior leaned back and crossed his arms. "You mean that famous thief? What makes you think I know that guy? I run a legitimate business."

"I know you do, Hei," Jaune sighed, "There's no need for games. I'm not here on official hunter business or something. Just pass that message onto him and we'll be even." It was nothing more than an explanation that Jaune was uninterested in interfering with Roman, and that the incident at the docks had been an unfortunate accident. He doubted Roman would accept that, not fully at least, but it might be enough to have him take Neo off his back. There was a world of difference between being a casual issue Roman wanted removing, and someone dangerous enough to warrant _her_ attention.

"Even?" the man laughed. "I think you've got a skewed idea on what's even, kid. You attacked my men, trashed my bar and got some very awkward attention aimed at me."

"None of which was my intent, believe me. Besides, you claimed it all back - and more by the look of it."

"I can claim for damages," Junior growled, "But the loss of reputation, the fact that my customers think a pair of _brats_ beat my best men? How do you think that looks when I try and rent them out?"

"And here I thought you ran a legitimate business," Jaune said. Junior frowned but didn't refute that statement. No doubt he figured if Jaune already knew this much, that any further hiding would be pointless. "Will you deliver my letter or not?"

"I'll deliver something," the man scowled. "You owe me kid, and right now I intend to claim." He nodded at someone in the distance. Jaune glanced back over one shoulder, noticing the twenty or so men in suits that had slowly begun to encircle him. They were moving other guests out of the way, while some near the doors were already being herded out.

"I'm not exactly filled with money Hei," Jaune warned. "You don't want to do this. It's going to be a repeat of the last time."

"A risk I'm willing to take." He took a step back, leaving Jaune alone at the bar. "You can deliver your message to Roman personally. I bet he'll reimburse me for handing you over, especially after what you did at the Vale docks."

Jaune sighed and downed his drink, slamming the glass back down on the counter. _I knew this was a bad idea._ Plenty of goons around him, most armed with cleavers and blunted bludgeons, though there would probably be a few guns mixed in. The odds weren't exactly in his favour. But if he gave in and let himself be taken to Roman… that would be much worse. Roman might leave him alone if he knew Jaune wasn't a threat, but if he was tied up right in front of him?

There was one thing in trusting someone wasn't a threat, but it was much safer to actually make sure they _couldn't_ be a threat.

"Come along peacefully and you won't be hurt," a man behind Jaune warned. A lie, naturally, not that it mattered. "Hey, you hear me?" A hand clamped down onto Jaune's shoulder. "I said ge-" He didn't get any further. Jaune grabbed his hand, twisting it before dragging forward and slamming the man's face down onto the bar surface. Red sunglasses shattered as he pulled the assailant back, kicking out of his seat and throwing the suited man into the crowd.

"Get him!" Junior roared.

They rushed him en masse. Jaune blocked the first thrust of a tonfa with the back of his forearm, twisting his hand around the weapon and slamming his other elbow into the man's throat. The figure gurgled and let go, Jaune flipping the weapon over in time to block an attack from the other side. Crocea Mors would have caused a bloodbath, not to mention the time to draw it might have seen him overwhelmed. Instead he used the metal stick like a shorter sword, locking with another who strained to push him back.

He howled as Jaune's boot struck his knee, twisting it at an unnatural angle and sending the man screaming to the floor. If there was any hope of people not noticing now it was gone as customers fled towards the doors. Jaune paid little attention to it, slamming the butt of the stick into a suited man's stomach, before cracking it under his chin as the goon bent over.

A blow hit him from behind. With his aura it did little, his return breaking the attacker's wrist, but that only left him open for another two to rain down. Jaune grunted as they struck, ignoring the pain in favour of catching one man's hand and slamming a knee into his stomach. There were too many and they had him surrounded. Where Yang or Weiss might have been able to clear them all with a single area of effect attack, he lacked the capability. They weren't a threat individually – and barely were as a group either - but he couldn't defend against everything.

Blue eyes widened as he blocked a cleaver, only to wince as another stick caught him beneath the ribs, driving the air from his lungs. He let himself be pushed back, more to create distance than anything else. Even on the way he shattered the jaw of one unlucky opponent, before disarming and knocking out another with a well-placed blow to the temple. Jaune's back struck the bar as his opponents fanned out. At least six or so were already down, many groaning and nursing cruelly broken bones. The rest seemed to be picking up their courage to charge him.

 _Not good. Back to the bar, no real options to escape – still crowds in the entrance. I need better ground…_ Jaune's free hand slapped down on the bar behind him, a small grin slipping onto his face. The suited goons charged him at last, moving on some unseen signal.

Jaune leapt for the first one, feet striking him in the chest before he kicked off and landed on a stool. The top threatened to spin, but he managed to balance it by shifting his hips, kicking a nearby man in the face and leaping atop the bar. Pint glasses shattered beneath his soles, the spray alone enough to dissuade one figure who held his arms up before his eyes. With their heads now at knee height they could only attack his lower body, while he had a one way street to their faces. Jaune hopped to the left, jumping over a sweep at his feet before landing on the tip of the man's cleaver, pinning it beneath him. A quick flick of one foot was enough to send a glass of alcohol smashing into his face, the man tumbling back in pain.

"It's happening again Junior!" Jaune shouted, though the man had already left. "Call it off and we can still do this without any more damage."

No answer. He was forced to dash across the bar surface as the gang finally caught up with him, too many weapons swinging for his knees to dodge. More glass shattered beneath him, some beer taps knocked aside as he brushed by. Ahead of him a black suited man clambered up onto the bar, but Jaune simply jumped and landed back on the bar, sliding across spilled drink like a skater across ice. The poor idiot went tumbling as Jaune's two feet struck his legs, smashing him clean off the bar while Jaune was stuck laying on his back.

A club came in for his face, the blonde rolling backwards to block it with his feet, twisting to the side and kicking the man in the face before climbing into a kneeling position. Two more came from the front with cleavers. One struck the back of his arm, the other his knee. He caught both on aura alone, disarming the first by grabbing the cleaver by the blade and pushing the hilt back into the man's face. The second blocked Jaune's first hit but was unprepared for the bottle of white wine that exploded across his skull.

There was a lull in the fighting, if only because he'd viciously cleared all opponents around him, leaving the remaining ten or so to pick their way over fallen bodies and shattered glass. Jaune remained crouched atop the bar, stolen cleaver in one hand, the neck of a bottle in the other.

"Looks like someone's causing problems Melanie," a sultry voice crooned. Jaune's eyes flicked behind the bar to where two women stood with crossed arms and coy smiles. The one in white turned to her red-dressed twin.

"Sure does Miltia. I think we should teach this hunk a lesson, don't you?"

Jaune slowly rose to his feet, pushing some broken glass off the surface with one foot. Hefting the cleaver in his right hand he tossed it aside, ignoring the sound it made as it clattered across the floor. Crocea Mors slowly whispered as it was drawn. It was amazing how familiar it felt, not just his sword but the way he was surrounded by people, the blood rushing through his veins. The music in the club had long since dwindled in his ears, replaced with nothing more than a dull thumping. His own heartbeat.

"Hmm…" Miltia Malachite hummed as she ran a single, long claw before her face. "He's such a serious little one as well, isn't he Melanie? I like bad boys," the claw flashed red, "they cry the hardest."

A gunshot came from the door. Jaune ducked instinctively, flicking Crocea Mors back, but the shot passed by overhead, shattering a bottle on the back shelf. Twin impacts told him he'd been distracted, his attention quickly taken by a vicious claw that struck towards his face. Crocea Mors parried it to the side, metal rasping on metal, but staccato footsteps from behind told him of the bigger danger.

Melanie's kick hit hard, Jaune barely catching it at the last second on his sheathe, holding it by the middle so that her bladed heels clicked against the top. Trapped between them on a thin bar surface, he felt a bead of sweat dribble down his head.

"You should give up," Melanie teased from behind. She didn't seem at all bothered by the fact her high kick atop a bar was giving everyone a free show. Her eyes instead sparkled with malice. "Otherwise we might have to cut that pretty face of yours. It would be a real shame."

Give up? Trapped between two competent opponents, already tired and with multiple untrained goons just waiting to bog him down, the odds definitely didn't seem to be in his favour.

But give up…?

Images flashed through his mind. Blake gurgling as her throat was slit, Ruby smiling peacefully as the snow turned red around her, Yang holding the enemy back while they tried to escape, Weiss touching the bullet hole in her chest, Ren smiling as the Grimm took him, Nora scythed down by Bullhead fire… Pyrrha, transfixed by an arrow atop a tower.

"They didn't give up…"

"What was that?" Miltia cooed, leaning closer. Her amusement turned to shock, however, once his eyes met hers. "Mel- arghh!" She cried out as Jaune shifted, releasing her attack and letting it through but pushing her into the blade as well.

"Miltia!" The other screamed, but the moment her twin fell back Jaune had turned, pushing her back with his sheathe and striking down with his blade. She cursed and darted back, kicking up sharply with one foot to parry the naked steel. He chased after her, intent on putting her down before the other could recover from her shock. Melanie Malachite dodged back, kicking and spinning as she tried to push him away, but since she had to lose the use of a leg to attack, he kept advancing. Eventually it happened. She swept towards his neck, only to panic and try to fall back at the same time. Her frantic hop back ended with her heel hitting a tap, a startled cry sounding out as she fell back.

Her body smashed and clinked as she and whatever else she had crushed rolled off the surface. He was about to jump down and finish her off but for a furious scream behind him. "You bastard!" Miltia's face was set in a snarl, the claws striking his sword and almost pushing past to take his eye out. There was a nasty cut across the front of her dress, though it looked like her aura had prevented him from drawing blood or outright killing her.

"I-I'm okay," the other coughed and hacked. Not good. His only advantage was in facing them one at a time. Apparently Yang had fought them both before but setting aside her being stronger physically, she also hadn't had to fight atop a slippery surface where they could attack from front and back simultaneously. They couldn't be allowed to team up once more.

Jaune twisted Crocea Mors, the blade between her claws doing the same and forcing her hand to the side. His fist came round in a wide arc, catching the side of her face with his sheathe, before he kicked her away. She dodged his kick, back flipping a few times, though the action across the shard-covered surface made her wince. He was on her a second later, silver streaking through the air as he tried to carve through her shoulder. She deflected it at the last second, the force enough to knock her off balance. Chamber and reverse, he brought Crocea Mors back hilt first to bury into her sternum. She hacked and coughed as the air was driven from her lungs.

"Miltia, above!" the other one screamed as Jaune brought his sword down. Green eyes widened, the girl beneath him managing to dodge at the last second to the side. Wood splintered as the weapon bit down and became lodged. The girl cried out in victory, slashing her claws towards his chest while he was distracted and defenceless.

Jaune grinned.

He caught them under his left arm, feeling the metal cut against his ribs before he locked his arm down, pinning her arm to his side. "Eh!?" she gasped, only to shout in panic as he turned on the spot, dragging the girl across his body and off her feet. Jaune finally pulled a full three hundred and sixty degrees, at which point she was completely off-balance and stuck following him. He saw her eyes widen as she saw Crocea Mors once more, its point buried into the bar.

Off-balance and completely under his control, he slammed her face down onto the pommel. Once, twice, three times… she stopped moving on the third but he still looped an arm under her own and threw her bodily into the drinks display at the back of the bar.

She crashed into it, smashing aside bottles left and right as she slid onto the work station, slumped unconscious among glass and booze.

"What are you waiting for?" the remaining sister screamed, "Shoot him. Kill him!"

Her goons were nothing if not good at following orders. Handguns, rifles and shotguns were aimed in his direction, all exploding in a cacophony of sound. Jaune pulled Crocea Mors back, holding the sheathe he still held in one hand out. It fanned out quickly, the familiar shield taking form once more to block the shots. He didn't use it much anymore. What use was a shield when you couldn't defend those you loved?

It still occasionally served its purpose, however. The impacts struck against it, forcing him back for a moment, but this time he allowed it. His feet struck the floor behind the bar a second later, he ducking behind it quickly. Junior was just paranoid enough to have enough metal to block bullets in his bar, as proven by the sounds they made pinging off the other side.

He waited just long enough for the noise to stop, echoed by Melanie throwing insults at them for nearly hitting her sister. That distraction was his chance. Weapons clicked back into place as he leapt back over the bar, but he threw his shield down below him, landing on it and sliding across the alcohol-soaked floor. Dust rounds passed overhead, but he was on them in a matter of seconds, kicking off his shield so that it slammed into the chest of one, before he swung. He didn't even have the time to see what damage he'd done before he was ducking another and driving the blade into the stomach of a third.

To lose was to die, to win was to live.

But that wasn't fully the case, was it? If he beat them… no, _when_ he beat them, he'd still be back where it had started. No closer to Neo or Roman. _I need that message delivered, no matter the cost._ It was just like how he normally did things. An objective, a goal - and those who dared stand between them. A cold feeling settled over him, eyes narrowing as his mind snapped back into focus. The task, the objective... he needed an opening.

And in Melanie Malachite's frightened eyes, he found it.

Her foot came up to block his strike, the girl kicking back off his arms as she tried to escape, but Jaune cut his way through the red and black dressed man that was put between them. "A little help!" she shouted, as he thrust towards her. The edges of her boots were lined with steel, just enough to make Crocea Mors spark as she parried. An elbow struck his face but he ignored it, spitting past the pain as he drove into her guard, never once letting up the pressure as she was forced back.

Until she had nowhere else to go.

Her eyes widened the moment her back hit the wall, he could see the panic in them – the fear and realisation. In desperation she reached out to catch the sword as it thrust into her stomach, eyes clenched shut as she screamed.

"JUNIOR!" Jaune roared, voice loud over the silence left behind by Melanie's howl. No one dared to move. Not the goons who remained standing, frightened as they were, nor those injured and bleeding on the floor. Jaune's breath was heavy, angry pants coming from his lips. "I know you're watching this Junior," he shouted once more, "Get out here!"

At the back of the club, behind a pane of what Jaune had to assume was some kind of dust-proof glass, Junior stood. The man looked angry, but also worried.

"This didn't have to happen, Junior." Jaune seethed, gesturing to the bodies across the floor. Many were unconscious but some weren't as lucky. Blood stained the floor. It had been unavoidable. Jaune turned back to Melanie, whose wide eyes bore into his own, rimmed with tears. His hand was clutched over her mouth, drowning out the muffled sounds she was making. The tip of Crocea Mors bit into her stomach, enough to cause pain but not to pierce her skin. "Do you want me to add her to the list?"

"What do you want?" Junior growled. What did he want? _What did he want?_ Jaune could have laughed. Would have, were it not for the adrenaline rushing through him. That and the anger… the sheer rage.

"A message," Jaune snapped. "That was all I wanted – all I ever wanted from you. All of this, every bit of this, you brought on yourself."

And this time he wouldn't have an out, either. There was no claiming Jaune had started this, not with all the carnage involved – not to mention the witnesses. Junior wouldn't even be able to report it to the authorities, not unless he wanted them arresting him for attempted murder. This time… this time Jaune was free to do whatever he had to do.

"Deliver my message," Jaune called to the man. "Deliver it and then _never_ think of interfering with me again, understood?"

"I'll deliver your message," the man spat. He looked at Jaune with hate, with the simmering anger of a man already plotting vengeance.

Not good enough.

Melaine's screams were choked off as he leaned on the blade, driving it slowly into her. The woman's aura flared, preventing the damage at first but doing little for the pain. It couldn't hold. Her hands flailed at the one holding her mouth, before falling to the sword when she couldn't dislodge his grip. There were tears in her eyes as she struggled to push the blade aside. Her legs kicked against his but she was suspended from the floor.

Even his hand over her mouth couldn't prevent the muffled scream as her aura finally gave way.

"Stop it!" Junior cried, "Stop it – I give, I give up!" Jaune pulled back, drawing the blade out of her. It made a soft, noise as it slid free. There was already blood pooling on her white dress but she would live provided she got medical attention. Junior was at the window now, both hands pressed against the glass. "Whatever you want, it's yours," he whispered, "Just… don't come back here and you'll never have to see me again. I'll deliver your fucking message."

"Glad we could do business," Jaune sighed, letting the girl go. She slumped to the ground, still leaning against the wall but falling onto her rear, hands clutched to her wound. She looked up at him with such hatred, such fear. "If you ever make a move against me or mine," he warned, "if I even _think_ that you have..."

"We won't!" Junior promised. The bearded man's eyes looked over his men, and the two defeated girls. "What use would it even be?"

Jaune nodded. No use at all… he could do this again if he had to. In fact, it would only be worse since he could plan it all in advance. Melanie's eyes fell to the floor as he stepped past her, glass linking beneath his soles. She was shaking, mascara running down her cheeks as her frame was wracked with frightened sobs.

 _This is just the one time,_ he wanted to say to her. _I didn't want to do this. I just wanted a life to myself... a life where this wouldn't be necessary._ That wouldn't comfort her, however. Nor would it comfort those that lay dead upon the floor, or the people they'd left behind. That fact had never bothered him before... was it the time he'd spent with his family that now made this scene feel nauseous? Jaune swallowed loudly, turning his head and striding away. He felt exhausted, drained.

The bouncer at the door didn't dare to breathe as Jaune brushed by, only moving to slowly shut the door behind him. Jaune's hand fell to his side, feeling the blood pooling beneath his left arm. Miltia's claw had struck him there when he caught it. Odd… he hadn't thought it strong enough to pierce his aura, certainly not enough to draw blood. The wound would be gone come the morning.

His family and friends need never know.

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 **Just so you know, no – I'm not going to have a chapter for each day, don't worry. This holiday is not simple filler. It is integral to the plot that has been laid out. But that also doesn't mean it needs seven chapters of content on it. It's just that, as always, the beginnings of these transitions are often the most important parts.**

 **Stuff happening, as stuff tends to, butterfly effects along the way.**

 **For the sake of avoiding any knee-jerk hate, no, I am not insulting anyone with depression. I suffered it myself for a while (clinical, that is, not any other form), and was on medication for it for a year or two. Anyway, it's just the four girls making assumptions on the limited information they have, but sometimes even mentioning things like that online can lead to a storm of random hate.**

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 **Next Chapter: 11th November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hey all. So today is remembrance day… bit weird to be writing on it but I suppose that's just how the date fell this year. I have my poppy proudly on display and by the point this is updated we'll have probably already have observed our moments of silence. I'd have liked to go out and watch one of the memorials but alas, working hours. I might attend one of the Sunday ones.**

 **I hope you enjoy the chapter.**

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 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 19 –** **Setting the Board**

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"I thought you got this out of your system yesterday," Jaune sighed, holding his arms out as the fifteen-year-old growth attached to his body continued to try and merge with him. Her sudden barnacle-like behaviour would have been a shock if she hadn't done as much the day before. Like yesterday, the rest of his team only watched on, amused expressions on their faces. "Is no one going to address this? We're all just going to pretend this is perfectly normal?"

Ruby had always been affectionate but _come on_ …

"I'm not exactly in possession of a crowbar," his partner drawled. Pale eyes narrowing dangerously when he sent a look to the weapon strapped at her waist. "Myrtenaster is an elegant and beautiful weapon worthy of an elegant and beautiful woman."

Taunting her would have been easy; escaping with Ruby attached to him less so. He let it go with a roll of his eyes, hands coming down onto Ruby's shoulders as he tried to push her away. She had a pretty tight grip.

He'd been rescued by Amber the last time this happened, though the fight that has come about as a result of that had been nothing short of catastrophic. Even when she refused to speak with him it seemed that his youngest sibling still didn't like to see Ruby occupying what might have been considered a younger sister position. The girl in question was suitably distracted this time, however. Her blue eyes narrowed as she cautiously looked at the two people before her, biting her lip as she glanced first to one and then to the other. It was as though the young girl was faced with an impossibly difficult challenge.

"You're… not after my brother, are you?" she finally asked.

"Jaune?" the girl laughed, "I've got Renny so I don't need a Jauney too." Nora leaned in to the smaller girl and completely failed to whisper, "Don't say anything but Ren gets _really_ jealous if I don't give him enough attention. _He's so precious_!"

Jaune looked at the other man, who could only raise an eyebrow in response. That was not the face of a man craving attention but Jaune had enough problems without inserting himself into _that_ minefield. He'd done that once, pursued a relationship with Nora that was. It had been… _interesting_ to say the least. What had perhaps been more horrifying was that Nora apparently _still_ wanted Ren to be involved in her life… even in things that should have been kept intimately private between two people.

Talk about awkward.

"Well if you're not trying to steal big brother… then I guess you're good!" Amber proclaimed, like the Queen of her own little kingdom. "Do you… do you want to go to the arcade again?"

"Do we!?" Nora cheered, grabbing the little girl in one hand and Ren in the other. His sister laughed loudly as she was dragged into the arcade they'd met outside of, leaving the rest of them behind. Pyrrha nodded politely to him. She looked a little troubled to see Ruby hugging him like she was but there was little he could do about that. At least Amber would be in a better mood now that she had some friends to hang out with. He still hadn't managed to make peace with her, even though they were a good four days into this holiday now.

"Ruby," Jaune poked her cheek, "You can't hide in my stomach when your team's come to see you."

"Pyrrha's here?" the little girl raised her head, blinking sleepily. Wait, had she _fallen asleep_ hugging him? "Pyrrha's here!" she crowed, spotting the taller girl. The redhead smiled and waved back. Ruby abandoned him in a second, rushing up to her partner. "Hey – I can't believe you're in Vale, that's so cool. I thought I was looking forward to a break but I'm already so bored and want to go back to Beacon an-"

"My, what energetic friends you've made," his mother whispered to him, the amusement in her voice clear. He gave her a deadpan look but she only laughed louder. "Well this is a bit of a larger group than we expected but I'm sure you can all have fun at the mall. Your father and I will be looking at some furniture."

"You're redecorating?"

"Just a little," she smiled. His father looked resigned, his face that of a man who had accepted the cruel fate of being forced to shop all day. "Come along dear."

"Yes, Juniper," Nicholas sighed.

 _That still leaves me with what, three teammates, two tag-alongs and six sisters?_ Jaune let his eyes rove over the sea of faces, all of which seemed to have assumed _he_ was going to be their main source of entertainment for the day.

Was it too late to try and run away with Ren and Nora? _They_ were going to get to play video games for the entire afternoon. He was no doubt going to be forced into various outfits and made to carry innumerable boxes. Where was the justice?

"How is it fair I get called a `thieving bitch` if I talk to Jaune but she can steal half my team?" Ruby grumbled, bringing him back to reality while also making him chuckle a little. He hadn't exactly planned for the appearance of the rest of Team RRNN, but it kind of made sense that Ruby would be in regular contact with them. From there it would just be a matter of mentioning Vale, which he'd always known Nora and Ren would have stayed in, and Pyrrha from there. Now that he thought about it she'd never really told him why she preferred to stay in Vale, perhaps more concern over her sponsorship deals and the rabid fans of Mistral. It didn't matter. Now all he needed was the arrival of Team CRDL, maybe SSSN and Cinder and he could have a wonderful party. How nice!

"Stop looking so tortured," Sapphire slapped a hand against his head, breaking the silence between the two groups as she came up to stand beside him. She turned to Weiss, "You said that Jaune needs a new outfit for Beacon, correct?"

If Weiss was surprised at being addressed so suddenly then she hid it well, no doubt testament to her upbringing. "That's right," she nodded, "He's currently been wearing a dress shirt and black pants, which while not a poor choice for a ball or formal dinner, offers little protection in combat. Didn't he have anything from back where you all live?"

"Ansel," Sapphire filled in, "But no." She glanced at him briefly, he nodding back as a warning not to mention anything about his past. They didn't need to know that he'd never had any interest in becoming a Hunter. That would just generate more questions. Having them know about his plans to escape Beacon was a definite no. It wasn't that they would disagree, but rather they would blame themselves and probably try to find a way to improve things. They would want to try and convince him to stay.

He didn't want them to think it was all somehow _their_ fault.

"Clothes shopping for Jaune?" Sapphire asked, turning to the rest of his sisters. There were nods and murmurs of agreement between them, though from how Jade and Hazel were whispering it was clear they planned to drift off and do their own thing. That was fine. They could look after themselves.

"I shall be visiting the bookstore," Coral said, holding up an arm and coincidentally causing Blake to drop hers once the words were said. The look on the disguised faunus' face was priceless; like her final bastion of safety had been cruelly taken away.

" _Actually_ ," Jaune interrupted, "Could you come with us, Coral? I could use some advice on clothing." Jaune spared a glance to Blake, who nodded frantically, an expression of pure gratitude on her face. Sure, he was irritated at her for the whole docks incident, but being hounded by Coral for three days straight was a punishment far beyond cruel.

"Since you asked so nicely," the bespectacled girl nodded, giving Blake a chance to slip away. He noticed Lavender go after her, but didn't intervene. Shopping was often too strenuous an activity for her, especially in a big place like this. The book stores tended to have seats she could have a rest on and he trusted Blake more than any other to make sure she was safe. The girl's moral compass was too fine to allow otherwise.

"Do you want to look at that equipment store Ruby?" Pyrrha quickly proved she'd learned enough about Ruby in their short time as partners. Silver eyes widened to frightening proportions.

"Where!?"

"And that's Ruby gone," Yang laughed. Jaune wondered if Pyrrha actually knew what she'd just unleashed. Though the younger girl was normally pretty damn mature for her age, take her to a weapons shop and she might as well be Nora on drugs.

"So that leaves Sable, Coral, your friends and I to go shopping for you." Sapphire counted, "Is that okay with everyone?" The last wasn't addressed to him, but rather the remaining members of his team.

"Sounds good," Yang said, looking him up and down. "Wonder what style we should look for."

"Something smart," Weiss slowly walked around him, like a scientist inspecting a particularly gruesome specimen. "I won't have my partner dressing like some kind of vagabond. Even if that's exactly what he is." Sable giggled and covered her lips. Of all his sisters, those two seemed most accommodating of his teammates, something he was thankful for at that moment. Amber was enough to deal with and at least Hazel and Jade's dislike seemed to be more akin to distaste at Weiss' prissy nature.

The Vale Mall was the same one he'd taken his family to the first time, back before he'd even been forced into Beacon in the first place. This time it was less stressful, even if the situation was technically worse. The large structure was arranged on two levels, with escalators leading up to a balcony above them, storefronts dotted across both floors with great fountains and chandeliers occupying the central avenue. Every now and then he could see Jade and Hazel rushing around on the second floor, but their overlarge party stuck to the bottom one, pausing at windows as the girls argued fashion, colour co-ordination and other things he had little interest in. It was actually starting to get a little heated between Yang and Weiss. Jaune rolled his eyes and looked to his sisters for help.

"Okay, okay," Sapphire strode between the two huntresses-in-training, able to subdue them not with strength but sheer force of her big-sister persona. Maybe Weiss was reminded of her sister or maybe it was just something instinctive, but both girls went uncharacteristically quiet when Sapphire spoke. "We should calm down a little. I'm not sure Jaune would look good in military dress." she said to his partner, "His hair and eyes don't really match that – least of all his personality."

"Suck it," Yang cheered – only to go silent as Sapphire looked at her.

"On the other hand, Yang, I'm not convinced anyone can pull off a Tricorne with a feather in anymore, no matter how much you think it suits the image of a bard. Also, just no… no flowing cloak."

"I liked the idea of a cloak though…" Coral mused. She would.

"Let's just go for something normal and then you can discuss how to adapt that to suit what a hunter needs, okay?"

"That is fine with me," Weiss nodded. "Come along Jaune. It's about time we sorted this out."

"Yes, Weiss," he sighed, following after her.

He didn't miss the `whip-crack` sound Yang made.

/-/

"You got better!" Nora cried, half in excitement but also in a little shock and betrayal. Ren watched it all with a practiced eye, even as the younger girl leapt up and down in victory. It would have been easy to make a comparison between the girl and his partner… to say that it said something about Nora's maturity or maybe her intelligence. Ren did not, however. He knew better.

Nora could have won if she'd truly wished to. The reflexes and reaction times of a huntress translated well to games such as these. He should know. He was a dab hand on the dance pads himself.

If anyone ever asked it was because the unpredictable motions were good for improving his flexibility; definitely not for any other reason. A full and wide range of motion was important, hence why many an arcade machine in Vale featured REN at the top of the leader board. Of course, in almost every case there was a NOR a solid amount of points above him.

"You must have gotten some practice in," Nora went on. "You weren't this good last time."

"I was a lot smaller then!" the little girl giggled. "I've had a lot of time to get better."

"That's true," Ren chipped in, "It must have been at least two years ago."

Or close enough.

"Mhm," Amber Arc nodded, "I remember it. My brother was like `I won't allow you to hurt these people` and pushed me back into you. Then he beat them all down with a toy!"

"I remember," Ren smiled, an almost uncharacteristic grin lighting up on his face. At the time it might have been a difficult situation but in hindsight the image conjured truly was amusing.

"He was a good fighter," his childhood friend said – and Ren didn't miss the confidence in her tone. Jaune _had_ been a good fighter back then, hadn't he? Nothing comparable to the standards they held now, but for his age and apparent lack of training he had been confident, quick and – most interesting of all – _familiar_ with a weapon of that length. As always, Nora noticed the things he sometimes failed to.

Back then it had only ever been the two of them. Jaune's actions, for whatever reason they had been, had left Nora talking about him for months. Ren could admit that he too had looked forward to seeing his new friend again come Beacon, even if he hadn't been quite so extrovert in that sentiment.

And then they'd found him once more, except that he was no longer the boy they had once known. _How could someone have changed so much in two years…_?

"So you're friends with Jaune in Beacon?" Amber asked. That was another surprise for him, though obviously not so for Nora. The girl had been stand-offish and, if he dared say it, rather petulant when around her brother and his team. Around their _leader_ – well, let's just say there was no love lost between Amber Arc and Ruby Rose. He'd honestly thought the girl quite childish. Away from them, however, she was friendly and chatty – a very nice girl and quite mature for her age. Poor Ruby, though… this fourteen-year-old girl was already starting to grow more than her… both upwards and out.

"We're not on his team," Nora grinned, "But our teams are like total besties. We eat and drink together, sit next to each other in class, even do homework together." The ginger girl paused to blink, "Well, _we_ do homework. Jaune just sort of pretends."

"That sounds like him!" Amber laughed, dragging Nora over to another machine. Ren followed, watching as Nora slipped some lien in for the both of them. The two girls jiggled the joysticks around for a moment, focusing on the game unfolding before them.

"Does he always do that?" Nora asked, jerking the stick to the side and crashing her spaceship into Amber's. The girl squawked but managed to recover. The move had been little more than a distraction. Though not, as one might have thought, one designed to win the game.

"Not always," Amber said distractedly, "He's never been like the _smartest_ student, but he did enough work not to get in trouble."

"Sounds like me," Nora grinned. "I'm good with the practical stuff, you know – fighting and stuff. But ugh, you should _see_ what we get for homework in history class."

"Big brother was good at almost everything. Not great, but above average in every subject."

"He must have been popular," Ren said, meeting Nora's eyes briefly over the girl's head and nodding. His childhood friend could be sneaky at times.

"Jaune?" She seemed surprised by the idea, "Nah, big brother's never had many friends, least not in school. Most people thought he was weird or avoided him, but that's only because he was too mature for them all! He's the best brother ever."

"You bet," Nora laughed. "I wish I could have had a brother like him. He could hang out with Ren and fight bullies who try to be mean to me."

"Nora, no one is bullying you… there isn't anyone at Beacon foolish enough to try." And if they had, and if they'd somehow survived what Nora did in return, then _he_ would have needed to have a quiet word with them.

"It's the thought, Renny," she sighed. "No one _wants_ to be in trouble, but you still want someone cool who'll bail you out." Ren raised an eyebrow to her, getting a silent apology and mouthed `you're cool too` in return. Still, Nora's error as to just how cool he was aside, hearing that Jaune had been without companionship in school was interesting. It reinforced the image their leader had shared with them in her messages the day before. But was his isolation cause or consequence of his mental state?

"Well he's doing better making friends at Beacon," Ren offered. Amber's face twisted curiously, a strange mixture of fear and panic, perhaps reluctance. Nora shook her head quickly, interrupting him.

"Yeah - he's quite the… well let's just say he's popular with the girls in our academy."

"Ugh," Amber slouched a little on the keypad. It seemed more from relief than anything. "He's always been like that. Well, I mean not _always_. It's kinda weird though, he only likes older girls usually."

"Well, that first girl was in her second or third year, wasn't she?" Nora asked him. Ren held his arms out with a confused expression. How was he supposed to know? The first they'd even heard of it was when a trio pyjama clad girls had come knocking on their door, asking to use the shower because their own was contaminated. Sure, he'd _thought_ to ask questions, but there just hadn't been a good time. Plus, Ruby's sister had used all their hot water – which had left curiosity the last thing on his mind and finding a kettle top priority.

Amber shook her head, "No, I mean _older_."

"Two years?" Ren asked, wondering why the girl's face was suddenly so red.

"Older," she sighed.

"Five?" Nora gasped.

Amber Arc mumbled something quietly.

"What was that?" Ren leaned forward to listen.

"… twenty years older…"

" _Twenty_!?" Nora's spaceship suddenly decided it had found true love, veering wildly off the path and into an asteroid where it exploded in a dizzying array of colours. It re-spawned a second later, only to do the same, Nora's expression still slack jawed, joystick forced to one side. " _Twenty_?" she repeated again, as though to invite a comment that she had misheard.

"Sometimes twenty-five," the smaller girl whispered. "I think there was a twenty-two-year-old, but that was Hazel's friend and she threatened to cut his balls off if he went near her again. Most of them were like… maybe thirty or so? Forty?"

Okay, Ren blinked, well that was kind of… wow… right. So, Jaune had bedded women almost twenty years older than himself? Yeah, sure… that made sense.

"Twenty?" Ren asked. It couldn't hurt to _just_ make sure.

Amber groaned into the arcade machine.

Nora gasped, "That's like… that's probably how old Miss Goodwitch is. Do you think…?"

"No." Ren answered immediately. It would take something a little more than `good with women` to handle _that_. Plus, the woman's feelings towards the blonde were pretty evident every time she called him up into the ring. If that was flirting then Ren didn't want to imagine how violent the foreplay would have been. _And now I'm imagining it,_ he grimaced. _Damn it, Jaune._

He had to remember their goal. They had to find out more about – _twenty?_ – Jaune… so they could figure out what had happened. While definitely a surprise to see how far he could go, the fact that he slept around was neither pertinent nor new information.

It was pretty damn impressive though, even _he_ had to admit that. Nora waved a hand towards him, a gesture he'd seen few times but knew intimately. It was the `Nora has crashed, please take over` gesture.

"How about a gun game?" Ren offered to the little girl, nodding towards a co-operative game were they had to hold off waves of Grimm. Her blue eyes widened, face lighting up. Ren chuckled as he took one of the plastic sub-machineguns, passing it over to her as he held the other himself, pushing some lien into the slot. The screen flared to life and Ren cracked his neck, ready to defend both himself and her to ensure they got through the game unscathed. "Did Jaune tell you he was made leader of his team?" he asked after a few quick shots. She held her own better than he thought she would, only needing him to cover her every now and then.

"He mentioned it, yeah," Amber said, "But he never really tells us anything about what's going on. That's just how he is."

"Does that happen often?"

"I dunno. Like I said, he doesn't tell us much. He doesn't even tell people when he feels bad, but sometimes when he was sick or ill we could tell. Mom used to say it was like Jaune didn't have time to be sick, how he'd just ignore it like his body was being a wuss or something." She giggled a little, "Mom used to have to force him to stay home and said he was a nightmare to keep still."

"I'm surprised," Ren admitted, "With how much he likes his sleep I'd have thought he would love that."

"Yeah… that's just how he is though. He doesn't have to make sense. He's still my brother and I love him."

"Awwwww!" Ren was quickly forced to take the lead, shooting aside claws and Grimm in a mad fashion as Nora bear-hugged the girl from behind, cooing into her hair. Amber Arc whined loudly, legs kicking as she fought to shoot at the screen. "Renny! I want a little sister, like right now!"

"I'm not sure how I'm supposed to accommodate that."

"Marry one of Jaune's big sisters?" Nora offered. Ren was about to respond to that when his little companion came to his rescue.

"Y-You can't!" Amber gasped, breaking free at last. "I mean… well, you shouldn't… ah, I… argh – the Grimm!" Ren looked back in time to shoot aside an Ursa, the pixelated monster flying away after receiving a single bullet. Not the most realistic of games but when reality was cruel and unforgiving it was easy to appreciate something a little simpler.

"Renny won't," Nora laughed, "He's not allowed to. But if you still love your big brother so much, why are you angry with him now?"

"I'm n-" The girl clammed up immediately, eyes hardening. Ren glanced to his partner, the two sharing a quick message. They'd pushed too hard.

"Ooh look!" Nora quickly distracted, pointing to the side, "Isn't that the Bullhead game we played in Ansel?"

"Huh?"

Ren smiled as the younger girl squealed happily, Nora shooting him a little grin above blonde hair. He would concede this one to her. It looked like Operation R'n'R was back on track.

/-/

"Try these." Some clothes were shoved into his hands, Weiss turning him about by his shoulders and pushing him towards the changing rooms. Jaune rolled his eyes but didn't say anything. Sapphire and Weiss, working together… it was a nightmare come true. At least they'd managed to ward off some of the more esoteric choices, quite a bit of it thanks to Coral, who seemed to have an unusual ability to make Yang and Weiss clam up. There was probably something going on there but since it was working in his favour he couldn't be bothered to deal with it.

Blue eyes scanned the changing room quickly, as they had done the surroundings outside, but the coast remained as clear as it had for the last two days. There had been no sign of Neo. Roman must have gotten his message.

Both of them.

 _It'll take him a while to figure out how I know what I know, not to mention relocate the safe houses I incriminated._ Him telling Cinder was unlikely since it would highlight his own incompetence, not to mention suggest he had a spy in his midst. How else could Jaune have known? Time travel? Yeah, this was a problem Roman was going to keep to himself, at least in the short term. And in the long term it really didn't matter.

Jaune needed the man distracted for all of three or four days, just enough to get his family out of Vale. Roman wouldn't pursue them. The man was cautious and careful, not to mention he only cared about the city itself. The crook would be nervous now… on the back foot. His actions at the Club, no matter how much they made his stomach turn, had only reinforced that Jaune wouldn't go down easily if pushed. He could and would break the mould of hunters. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

 _And how dirty they are,_ he thought, looking down at his palms. They were clean but he could still feel the blood there. It was strange how much that affected him. Time and time again, over hundreds of repeats, he'd done things just as callous. Whatever was necessary to try and protect the people of Beacon. Why was he feeling so bad about that now?

Because of his family?

It was the only thing he could think of. Hell, it was the only thing that was different so it had to be. Had he seen his sisters in the Malachites? No, not a chance. They were like night and day, not just in appearance but also personality. Did he feel guilty about his actions?

Again, no… they made their bed and could lay in it – plus, it wasn't anything he hadn't done before. He'd tried a lot of things in his time, from using dust explosives to kill Cinder, through to working for her altogether. Why he should start feeling bad now he didn't know. It didn't make sense.

But it also didn't matter.

 _Roman will be out for my head after this, even if he believes my offer about leaving each other alone._ Then again, that didn't matter either. Any hopes of keeping away from Torchwick were as good as dead given the team he was on. Whether it was JBWY or RRNN, one of them was going to get in the way of Roman and Cinder at some point or another. Odds were it would be through Blake hunting the White Fang or Ruby trying to stop a crime.

But maybe a little intervention from him could help prevent that?

He was going back to Beacon; that much was clear. By now it was also fairly obvious that Ozpin wasn't going to cave in to Jaune's plans and expel him. That bridge had been burned and his biggest ally in getting kicked out had as good as endorsed him after their last conversation. And really, who could have expected Miss Goodwitch to actually _approve_ and rate his combat skills so high?

 _If he won't expel me then maybe it's time to consider escaping on my own. This damn tracker makes that hard… The best bet would be during the Festival, either before or when it occurs._ The anklet he wore would alert the authorities, but if those authorities were already busy dealing with an invasion then slipping away would be comically easy. That wouldn't be possible if he was being hunted by Cinder or her lot, however. He couldn't draw them back to his family. That meant he needed to stay off their radar as long as possible… well, they were probably already aware of him now. But he could still prove himself nothing more than a nuisance to be ignored. He just needed to avoid their attention.

"I guess it's time to be a little more pro-active about things," he sighed, rubbing his face tiredly. He'd said he wouldn't be. This was supposed to be his holiday, his chance at living a longer life and thus having more time before Beacon, but the passive approach hadn't worked. Trying to be unassuming and literally doing _nothing_ in Beacon had just put him on Roman's radar and locked his position as team leader. The cause was fairly obvious. He hadn't been using his knowledge of the future properly – and for good reason; this entire loop wasn't meant to be about that.

But now it was, whether he wanted it or not, and coming out of it in one piece was going to require some creative movements on his part. Because if things continued as they did, then he'd be stuck smack dab in the middle of it all. _The White Fang and Blake is the first thing… that's what leads to the whole Paladin event, as far as I can remember. Can't recall the exact date but it's at least a week or so after Blake starts angsting over things, so I'll have some warning._ Options, options… he'd never worked to try and _stop_ Blake from hunting the White Fang down before. That would have gone against the point of trying to end them in the first place.

Then there would be the CCT if his memory was right… making sure Ruby didn't get involved there. After that was the mission to Mountain Glenn and finally the breach. If he could prevent all of those things, or rather prevent _his_ team from being the ones involved in them, it would give him the best chance at getting to the Festival in one piece.

"Guess I'm going to be in for a few more outings like the last one."

But before that he had to sort his family out, which meant dealing with whatever outfit was being lumped upon him. It wasn't as bad as he'd feared. Part of him had actually expected the familiar hoodie and jeans, if just to imagine fate messing with him, but obviously that would have been a bit much.

The trousers weren't jeans for one, though their colour, a dark blue-grey, might have made them look like a pair. They were well-fitted, neither too tight or loose in the leg and a little comfier than the uniform ones he usually wore. To compliment that was a black, short-sleeved t-shirt. He could sense Yang's influence there, noticeably in how the tight shirt and short sleeves would let him fight without difficulty if he needed to. In fact, the whole outfit seemed designed for that, or at least as best as could be achieved with civilian clothes. The shirt would tuck into the trousers, kept tight by the brown belt left with it – while the trousers themselves would tuck into a pair of brown boots they'd handed him.

It felt good to be able to wear a proper pair of combat boots again, even if brown wasn't normally his colour. The ones he wore now somewhat reminded him of Yang's, though thankfully they only reached up to mid shin. Pulling everything on, Jaune inspected himself in the mirror.

Not bad… he wasn't normally one for short sleeves, but his bare arms didn't look too embarrassing. He wasn't as muscular as Cardin, but his arms were lithe and strong, the definition clear if he tensed them. What was more, he still looked somewhat civilian in nature while retaining a degree of combat functionality. There was no armour, unlike what he usually wore, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. Armour would have weighed him down.

"Looking good," Yang whistled as he exited the changing rooms, walking up to the group. The blonde looked him up and down with a theatrically flirtatious expression. "Love the boots by the way."

Heh… looked like he'd guessed that one right.

"It's rather simple," Weiss hedged, one hand on her chin as she inspected him. "While I applaud not going overboard like some people, maybe he should have something a little more than a t-shirt and trousers?" Weiss sighed as she heard Yang cough, "And boots…"

"How about a hoodie?" he suggested.

"Don't be ridiculous," Weiss snapped.

"You need something a little more fashionable than that," Sapphire was less brutal about it, but the message was still the same. He hadn't been _that_ bad, had he?

 _Now that I think about it, Coco wouldn't be seen in public with me until I let her dress me up in something different._

That had been a fun time, though not something he could repeat this time sadly. Coco, for all her aggressive personality, was actually quite the monogamous woman. The only way into her bed was through her heart.

He wasn't prepared to play with those things anymore.

"How about a jacket?" Coral suggested, sashaying forwards to drape a navy blazer over his shoulders. She slid his arms into them, he not objecting as it was put on. Weiss and Yang seemed to shift awkwardly for some reason.

"It looks okay," Weiss said after a few seconds.

"It just doesn't look good," Sable finished for her, the two of them having apparently seen something he hadn't. From his point of view it seemed to work out just fine. The blue offset the grey and black, plus it worked with his eyes. Wasn't that good enough? "I'm not sure _what_ , though."

"Hey Jaune, try standing next to Weiss-cream for a minute." He raised an eyebrow at Yang's suggestion but there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it. Weiss looked up at him as he walked over to stand by her, the two of them being inspected by the four girls.

"I see what you mean," Sapphire nodded, taking the jacket from him. Jaune looked to Weiss, who shrugged in return. It looked like she was as in the dark as he was. "You two wait there," his oldest sister went on, "Don't move a muscle."

"Does she actually expect us to do that?" Weiss drawled, instantly breaking ranks to sit down on a nearby seat as the others vanished into the aisles.

"Probably not," Jaune sat down beside her, there being no other room. "Saph is just used to being the one in charge of the family. She doesn't mean anything by it."

Weiss chuckled, "I suppose in a family so large a little delegation would be necessary. They all seem to have come out quite well, so no one can complain."

"Is that a compliment?" Jaune teased, only to get a flat look in return.

"Sorry," Weiss apologised, "I mean that the _sisters_ appear to have come out well. Every family has a black sheep."

"Ouch," he laughed. With the weird way Ruby was acting around him, not to mention the looks Blake had been giving him lately – Weiss' familiar snark was a comforting presence. _And I never thought I'd say that._ "Are you going to tell me why Ruby keeps latching onto me lately? Yesterday was a bit weird."

"Ruby is just showing her affection, I would guess." The heiress shrugged lightly, not meeting his eyes. "Maybe she feels as threatened by your little sister as she seems to about Ruby." Jaune hummed in agreement, even though it felt like that wasn't the full story. You didn't spend as long as he had around Weiss without realising that pushing her on something she didn't want to talk about was a bad idea. She'd start with weak fibs and distraction but soon fall back on anger and rants if pushed. Eventually she would just go silent, crossing her arms and refusing to acknowledge your existence. It was easier not to bother. "You just thought something particularly insulting about me, didn't you?" Her eyes were narrowed, glaring into his.

"O-Of course not, who could do such a thing?"

"You are an idiot," she sighed – rather ironically doing the exact same thing in return. "But it feels like I've gotten used to your idiocy, heaven help me. I can't even imagine having a different person for a partner."

"Not even Ruby?" he asked.

"Ruby? What on- why would I have been partnered with her? I was thinking more that I couldn't imagine being with Pyrrha." She picked at her skirt as she said it, tossing her hair back. He didn't think she had ever been partnered with Pyrrha – not once in his loops, even when teams had been different. Random events could change and be influenced but the sad truth was that Pyrrha didn't _want_ to be partnered with Weiss.

That wasn't something left to chance. The redhead made sure they didn't end up together, and she was a lot better at that than Weiss was at finding her. Still, it seemed strange to hear Weiss consider him more her partner than Ruby. This was the only life she'd ever known, but every time someone asked him who his partner was he had to subdue the instinctual desire to say Pyrrha. She had been his partner almost every time… but also the first time. She would always be the person he considered his partner. Still, it was so strange to hear Weiss actually complimenting him for once.

"Is this… leading into a confession?"

" _What_!?" Weiss stormed to her feet, eyes wide. Her face went red too, though from his experience with her he knew that wasn't due to embarrassment. Whoops. Had he said that out loud? "A confession!?"

"Well it's just that you started by basically saying you like having me as your partner," he tried to explain. She cut him off by slashing a hand before her face.

"I said no such thing! I said I am _used_ to having you as my partner. People get used to having diseases, that doesn't mean they develop romantic feelings for them!"

"Wait, so now I'm a disease!?"

"You might as well be with how much you sleep around. I'd be surprised if you're not a walking bed of STDs."

"I always use protection."

"I don't need the specifics of your sex life!"

"You brought it up first!"

"You accused me of confessing to you!"

"You were being nice to me." He knew that was a bad choice of words when her eyes narrowed into slits of ice, "Not that you're not _usually_ nice," he rushed to correct himself, "or that being nice means you have feelings for someone…"

"Keep digging that hole, Arc. I'll look forward to burying you in it."

"This is the best entertainment," Yang stage-whispered. Jaune's eyes flicked away from Weiss in time to see her stood at the side, hands clutched before her chest as she watched them with a huge grin. His sisters stood beside her, each looking amused in their own right. "Don't let us interrupt," Yang chimed, "Please, pretend we're not even here."

"Ahem," Weiss coughed and stood up. "I trust you've found the article of clothing that was missing from Jaune's ensemble?"

"You trust well," Yang said with a roll of her eyes. She'd no doubt realised how Weiss became unusually verbose when she was embarrassed too. A Schnee couldn't show that they'd been caught off-guard. They knew better than to give that away. But Weiss was still only seventeen and not quite as in control of herself as she thought she was. Yang tossed something to him, "Here you go. Try that on."

He looked down at the pile of fabric in his hands. It was pretty thick, long too; a jacket that would come down to halfway between his knees and his waist. Yang must have known better than to give him something longer. It would have made drawing his weapon difficult. _We can't all have concealed weapons we carry around like Roman and Ozpin._ Pulling it on, he stood up and looked down at himself, noticing the one thing which immediately stood out.

It was pure white, with a few light grey stripes down the arms and on the edges. There was also some raised material on the shoulders, where one might have attached epaulettes. In a weird way, he felt like a dressed-down version of General Ironwood. Not that the General would be caught dead actually looking casual.

"Go stand next to your partner," Sapphire urged, pushing him with one hand to stand beside the shorter girl. The effect was clear the moment he did. With her clothing and his new jacket, they looked like a matched pair.

"Perfect!" Yang cheered.

"Very funny Xiao-Long," Weiss crossed her arms.

"No, no," the blonde laughed, "I'm serious. It looks really good. It's just similar enough to make the two of you look more in-sync, but not close enough that it's weird."

"I agree," Coral grinned, "I think it's quite the statement to make."

Weiss looked horrified by that statement – or was it the person who was making it? But Sable and Yang continued to gush about the outfit before she could say anything. Jaune knew exactly what Coral meant, however. If some people were to look at how they dressed they might think that Weiss and he were dating.

Well… either that or he was some kind of butler for the girl. Come to think of it, given his and her reputation in Beacon, they'd likely just think she had gotten tired of his crap and forced him into the outfit – and that he'd been too lazy to argue. It wasn't Atlas-wear… at least not _real_ Atlas-wear, but it was clearly inspired by it. The fashion brand must have liked the look of the coats the Atlesian higher-ups wore.

"Are _you_ happy with it, Jaune?" Sapphire asked, having remained mostly silent up until that point. "It's no good if you're not pleased."

"It looks good," he said. Colour aside, it was a pretty good coat. The length wasn't enough to cause problems drawing a weapon and if he wore it open the black and blue would detract from the whole `clone of Weiss` issue. If he got into a fight then tossing it aside would be fairly easy, at which point he'd be in trousers, boots and a t-shirt… that was a good outfit for someone who wanted to have a good range of movement. He nodded, "I like it."

"It does work," Weiss hummed, "It actually gives you something of a mature and experienced look."

"Is that a compliment?" Jaune smirked.

"No." Weiss frowned, no doubt recalling their last argument, "More my surprise at seeing you look anything other than a lazy and childish idiot. Then again, I suppose that's just another reason to be thankful for Atlesian culture."

"Ah don't listen to her," Yang wrapped an arm around Weiss' shoulder, holding tight as the heiress tried to force her off, "That's just how Weiss flirts. She thinks you look _tasty_."

"Damn it Xiao-Long, if you don't let go of me, I swe-"

Jaune's attention was dragged aside as his sister laid her arms on his shoulder, crossing them and resting her chin atop the back of her hand. "You know," Coral said slowly, "While it's nice how you're being so friendly with your team and such, but when are you going to address the issue of your darling sisters?"

"Issue?" He blinked stupidly, face only a few inches from hers. Coral was smiling but that meant little. Her eyes were lidded. "I wasn't aware there was an issue."

"Amber?"

"Other than that one," he winced. She didn't look impressed at his response, "I know there's something wrong between Amber and I," he sighed. "But I don't know what to do about it. She doesn't want to talk to me at all."

"Wrong."

"Coral, please don't give me any word games. If you know something, please tell me."

"Where would the fun be in that?" she asked. He held her gaze for a few seconds, the girl finally letting out a short sigh, "Fine… you've become less entertaining since joining Beacon. But maybe that's to be understood considering what you're doing to us all. You should apologise for that."

"What?"

"Apologise," she repeated. "My, Jaune… I've always known you played games with women's hearts but I never thought your own sisters would become a part of that."

Games? What on Remnant was she talking about? Her green eyes, normally so filled with barely concealed amusement were now firm. That didn't help him, however. Not when she was still talking in stupid metaphors.

"You don't understand?" She sounded surprised

"I think by now it's confirmed that I don't. Can't you just tell me what I've done wrong and let me apologise for it?"

"No."

"Coral." He warned.

Her nails dug into his shoulder.

"Do you think I like to see you suffer?" she whispered angrily. "Do you think I would do this if I had a different option? I cannot tell you because if I do so, you would not believe it. You won't until you realise it for yourself."

Jaune sighed. "Give me a hint at least," he said, glaring into her eyes.

"Amber," she said softly, "You said that she doesn't want to talk to you." He nodded slowly. She could as good as see how Amber was avoiding him. Anyone could. "There is a world of difference, my dear brother, between _desire_ and _intent_. You might do well to realise that."

"She wants to avoi-" Her finger pressed against his lips, silencing him.

"She intends to avoid you," Coral whispered softly. "She does not wish to."

"Why?" His lips moved beneath her finger.

"That's the real question, isn't it? And you know… maybe it's a question you need to ask yourself as well. You don't seem to know where you stand on that either and I'd hate to see you tear things further apart than you already have." So saying, she leaned forward to whisper into his ear, "I won't allow it."

She backed away a second later, turning with a smile to re-join the others. Sapphire and Sable looked uninterested, but the same couldn't be said of Yang and Weiss – who watched with almost bated breath. They couldn't have heard the words, not over such a distance. Why did they look so awkward?

"We ready to pay and go?" He held up his arms, still in the clothing they were going to buy.

"Y-Yes, of course," Weiss coughed, "As your partner I shall be the one to purchase these for you."

That was… unexpectedly nice. He didn't miss how Sable winked at him, nor the considering look Sapphire sent the white-haired girl. Oh dear, that was the last thing he needed. He'd only just saved Blake from trauma by Coral.

"Can we take a break and have a drink?" Jaune interrupted. "I could really use one."

"If you mean alcohol then you can try again young man," Sapphire said, hands on hips.

"I didn't mean alcohol," he lied. It would have been nice to get drunk and pass out, especially since he didn't tend to dream when drunk. Well, that or he just didn't remember it. "I just need some coffee or something. Wouldn't it be terrible if I fell asleep during this?"

"For you," Weiss threatened, turning to his sisters, "I take it he can't handle his alcohol. I'll have to keep that in mind."

"For your information I can absolutely handle my alcohol," Jaune protested. He'd drunk more than she likely would in her lifetime, though that was maybe a little unfair since he'd probably done a lot of things more than she would in a hundred years or more.

"He _can_ handle alcohol," Coral drawled, leaning on his shoulder once more, "It's just that _we_ can't always handle the aftermath. The last time he got drunk he got arrested."

"Thank you Coral," Jaune sighed, hearing Weiss' horrified gasp.

"I can't believe you'd be so irresponsible!" His partner stomped one foot on the ground, slamming her hands onto her hips. "Handle alcohol, indeed. I've half a mind to ban you from any within Beacon." Jaune sighed. Technically alcohol was already banned in Beacon, not that it stopped a lot of people. But even if she did ban it, well it wasn't like he had to pay any attention to that. He was the leader after all. "What did he do?" Weiss asked Sapphire, "Does he have a criminal record? I can't believe my partner has a criminal record."

"I don't have a criminal record," Jaune growled. Ozpin had been as good as his word on that regard, so as long as he didn't run away, his record would stay clean.

"He got into a drunken fight," Sapphire oh-so-helpfully answered. He knew she wouldn't mention the results of that, how he'd been dragged into Beacon. But his strict sister had no doubt found Weiss' desire to limit his vices to her liking. He knew there was a reason he'd wanted to keep her away from his family.

"Unbelievable," his partner hissed. "I mean, part of me finds it unbelievable that you'd have the energy to even _fight_ something in the first place, but to lose your common sense to _drink_?" Okay, that was a little unfair on both regards but clearly she wasn't going to let him get a word in edgewise. "It's ridiculous and irresponsible, right Yang?"

Oh dear…

Yang looked like a deer caught before a pair of headlights, lilac eyes wide and mouth slightly open. Her skin was pale too, and she only seemed able to stare into his eyes. He could see the guilt there, mixed with fear and something else. Jaune shot her a questioning look. Would she actually have the guts to admit what had happened?

"Y-Yeah," Yang broke eye contact, looking away in shame. "That's pretty messed up Jaune."

"I guess it is," he sighed, "You know me, no self-control and a tendency to lash out at random occasions." Yang flinched at each word, as though they were being hammered into her. With the attention on him, no one seemed to notice.

She seemed to shrink behind Weiss.

"Whatever," he sighed, shrugging his shoulders, "Can we at least go for a sit down and some coffee? My legs are killing me."

Gods above… it would have been a lot easier if he could have slipped off with Blake.

/-/

One of his sisters had followed her. At least it was one of them and not that Coral girl. She owed him for that… in a way she was surprised he'd intervened at all. Then again, he had been surprising her a lot lately.

"You are…" Blake tried to remember the name but there were just so many and they looked so similar.

"Lavender," the girl said with a smile, "And don't worry. I know there's a lot of names and faces to remember." Ah, now Blake recalled her – not by name but rather the moniker she had given. This was the polite one – the nice one. Where all the others had crowded for information on Jaune or her relationship to him, this had been the only sister of his to actually greet her normally. It would have been refreshing if Blake's patience hadn't been so far gone as to have been non-existent by that point.

"Why are you following me?"

"I-I'm not," the girl held her hands up, "I just wanted somewhere a little quieter to rest. I'm… not very good at shopping." Blake studied the girl for a moment, noticing not only her unusually pallid skin, but the way her breasts rose and fell a little unevenly.

"That's fine," she said, "I apologise for sounding so rude."

"It's fine… I guess you've been hounded by the others a lot, right?"

"I'm not your brother's girlfriend. I was being serious when I said that. I'm just his teammate."

"A friend?" Lavender asked, and Blake could hear the uncertainty in her voice. She considered the question carefully for a second. It was clear the girl longed for an answer so it wouldn't do to give her one out of hand. If she'd been asked that two weeks ago then the answer would have been a resounding no.

"I suppose I am," Blake said instead, eyes drifting shut. "Or rather, I consider him my friend."

"I'm sure he feels the same."

"Hm…" Again, two weeks ago she would have disagreed.

Now, she wasn't sure. _I'd ask when my team became so complicated, but thinking back on it we were always like this._ Blake could still remember the enmity she'd felt for Weiss, which had been proven oh so incorrect. Schnee she may be, but her teammate, nay – her friend, was a woman of staunch principles. Yang had seemed like nothing more than a girl looking for a good time, either by party or violence, but had turned out to be a loyal companion and someone she could trust deeply. Not to mention she had a protective streak a mile wide and an inherent dislike of anyone showing prejudice. All very good personality traits as far as Blake was concerned.

Jaune was none of those things… maybe. He was a complete idiot, except when it came to thinking up creative ways to irritate Miss Goodwitch. He was a lazy coward, except when it came to intervening in an attempt on her life. And to top it all off, he was an absolute playboy, except when it came to the people close to him…

That was a lot of _excepts_ and there were even more than that! He said he didn't care then protected Yang, he claimed to be weak but was able to fight evenly against Torchwick – well, explosions were a big equalizer in terms of skill, but close enough. He was easily the most complicated man she'd ever met, and that was saying something considering she'd come from the White Fang and had grown up around people like Adam.

But Jaune had saved her life.

"I guess you're right," she said, turning back to a nearby shelf. "We are friends."

"That's good. That's really good."

"Some of your family doesn't seem to agree."

The blonde went silent, wincing slightly as Blake pulled a book from the shelf and desperate pretended she was reading it. Why had she said something like that? Why did she care? Whatever went on between Jaune and the team was their own business. Even if it wasn't, would putting the problem on a girl like this help?

Blake sighed and placed her forehead against the hard cover of a book. _Way to take out your bad mood on someone who really doesn't deserve it, Blake. Very mature._

"My family can be… a little possessive at times," Lavender said, "Some more than others as I'm sure you've seen. For a long time it's always been just us, the family and what few people we knew in Ansel. It's quite a small place for all that it has a thriving community."

"It's fine."

"If anyone's offended you then I'll apologise for them. If anything, it's because we're just worried abou-"

"I said it's fine," Blake sighed, "I understand. You're all concerned about him. I'm not angry."

"Just frustrated?"

Was there a point in asking a question you knew the answer to? Blake ignored the question, wishing she could ignore the girl and everything else as well. She just wanted this holiday to be over. There were things she had to do in Beacon. With access to the terminals there she could try and find out more about Torchwick's actions, especially how that affected the White Fang. It just didn't make sense for them to be working together.

Jaune's sister coughed heavily, a rasping hacking noise that had Blake quickly crouch beside her, arms coming to rest on the girl's shoulders. That pale face was twisted in pain, one hand held in a fist before her mouth as her shoulders shook. Blake started to worry as tears pricked at the corners of the girl's closed eyes.

"I'm fine," she whispered, voice raspy as the attack subsided. "Sorry, I'm… okay…"

"Do you need medical attention?" There had to be somewhere nearby she could take her – a medical booth or office of some kind. The hospital wasn't too far.

"No, no – it's normal."

Blake noticed blood on the girl's hand. "That's not normal."

"It is for me."

What was she supposed to say to something like that? Should she contact Jaune and let him know? He'd be here in an instant, she could tell. Before she could make a decision, however, the girl spoke up.

"You know…" She coughed lightly, managing a small smile, "I think one of the reasons everyone doesn't believe you when it comes to you not dating Jaune is because of how similar the two of you are."

That threw her for a loop, enough so that she lowered the book to stare at the girl. "Similar how?" she asked. The younger girl smiled.

"The two of you seem to have a similar bearing. It's hard to explain. It's like you both act older than you look, more mature, quieter. From the little I've seen of you, it seems like you're the kind of person that likes to watch from a distance, to sit on the outskirts and listen." Blake shrugged at the analysis. She'd never made it a secret what kind of personality she had and it _was_ fairly obvious. "Jaune is like that too. He likes to analyse and think about things, to sit back and take his time before making a decision. Even when it's just us… he's never been the most expressive person. He cares about us, but it's always something you see in his actions rather than his words."

See it in his actions? Was it a case of looking at what he did and not what he said? That would explain away some of his more confusing comments and personality traits. He claimed not to care yet protected Yang, covered for her… now that she thought about it he'd even helped get her out of that part-time job.

He'd warned her about the man trying to look up her skirt too – and even used his own legs to block anyone seeing her own. Blake's had swam, seeming to remember little instances, little examples like that. She wanted to sit down just to process it all.

"And you think I'm like that?" she asked instead. They weren't really that similar, were they?

"You don't like us very much."

"That's not-"

"And yet you were so concerned about my health a moment ago..."

"That's not," Blake shook her head, "That's just courtesy and concern. No good person could stand aside while someone needed help." Blake knew it was a false statement even as she said it. The girl did too, judging from the look she gave her. The world was filled with people only too willing to step back and watch terrible things unfold. Most of them weren't evil, nor were they cruel. Most of them were afraid.

"You're a good person," the blonde whispered, "I think that after living with Jaune we've all just got used to ignoring how people act and looking at what they _do_ instead. You're really standoffish, but the way you act shows you care about your team. Normally I'd be too shy to even approach you, yet it feels easier than talking to the other members of your team. I think that's because you remind me so much of him."

She wasn't like Jaune. He would have had an answer… he always did, the smartass. Instead, she knelt there with a somewhat stunned expression, unsure what she was meant to say or do. A week or two ago she'd have hissed at the girl but she was sick of saying that and to be honest a week or two ago might as well have been a _lifetime_ ago in terms of what they knew about their leader. They'd barely had time to adapt let alone decide how they felt about him now.

"I'm still not dating him," Blake said at last. It wasn't her best sentence. It didn't help when Lavender started to giggle.

"Sorry, sorry," she apologised through the laughter, "It was just kind of funny. It's actually… it's kind of _nice_ to hear that Jaune has friends who mean more to him than just sex, but at the same time we're so used to him flirting with women that we just assume he would have tried it with all of you by now."

Blake nodded, willing to accept the compliment there. It came with a rather backhanded realisation, however. Jaune had not once seriously flirted with one of them. She was not sure what to think about that. On the one side, thank god! On the other hand, did that say something about them?

No, no… she wasn't going to invite that madness unto herself. She'd take her blessings where could find them.

"Has he ever talked about us?" Blake asked, suddenly curious. It might explain why he treated them so differently to the rest of the population at Beacon. He was indifferent at best, except to women he could bed.

"Not really," Lavender shrugged. "He might have mentioned names once or twice, but he never actually told us anything. We just assumed…"

"Assumed what?"

"Well…" the girl bit her lip. "We just assumed it was normal. You have to understand, him actually caring about you all in the first place is incredible, so for him not to tell us anything about you…"

"It made sense," Blake nodded. The poor girl looked mortified but Blake understood completely. They expected their brother not to give a damn about his team, to act like he always had – so him not ever mentioning them fit into that expectation. "I'm not offended," she added, noticing the look on the girl's face, "You haven't said anything wrong."

"Sorry. I mean… ah…" her face scrunched up, enough so to make Blake smile sardonically. She was a nice girl. Jaune was lucky to have a sister like her. "I'm not explaining myself very well," she continued after a long sigh. "What I'm trying to say is… thank you for being his friend."

 _That_ , she had not expected. "Thank me?" Blake leaned back. "Why thank me when I put him in danger in the first place? And I haven't even done anything, not compared to the others." Yang had been his biggest defender since he'd become their leader, something she _still_ needed to figure out a reason for. Weiss had worked hard to help him improve, to force herself into his life even when he tried to be lazy.

Compared to them… all Blake had done was suspect, criticise and ultimately endanger his life.

Those weren't things worth being thanked over. If anything she deserved nothing more than their disgust… more so because of the hypocrisy. Who was _she_ , ex-White Fang terrorist, to accuse another of being untrustworthy? Who was she to judge him from her high horse?

"I'd thank you all but you're the easiest to talk to."

Since when!?

"Also," Lavender glanced aside, an almost guilty expression settling on her face. "I wanted to say that maybe it would be for the best if that continued."

"For the best?"

"For him," his sister whispered, "No matter what everyone else thinks."

All she'd wanted was to have some time alone and read in peace. Why was it that everything about him somehow had to generate more questions in her mind? _I take back me thanking you for saving me earlier. You're still a pain in my ass._

She _really_ shouldn't ask. He was her leader and teammate, not someone she had delve into the past of, nor someone she particularly cared about.

Except that she did. Damn him for it.

"And what," Blake asked, "Does everyone else think?"

/-/

Answers hadn't become any more forthcoming as the day came to a close. Meeting up as a group once more, his family and now _seven_ new guests made their way back to the hotel. Nora and Ren continued to distract Amber, and thank the heavens for that, and with Pyrrha chatting to Ruby he even managed to escape death by hug. All of those things should have left him feeling like the day had gone well and yet they didn't.

What had Coral meant about desire and intent? They were two different things, sure. Sometimes they worked together. Someone could have both the desire and the intent to eat a cake… sometimes they didn't go so well together. An image of a girl dressed in white pinned to a wall came to his mind, of his hands _twisting_ the blade in her stomach.

He hadn't wanted to do that… but no matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise, he'd gone there with the full intent of doing it. Perhaps not specifically to her and not exactly like that, but he'd gone to the Club armed and ready to send a message. Junior had been the one to turn it into a fight that cost his men their lives, but it wasn't fair to blame the man for that.

Junior had done exactly what Jaune had known he would do.

"That's a pretty long face you're wearing there." A glass clinked down before him, some unidentified alcohol within. He didn't need to look to know who it was. Yang took the seat opposite him, the two alone in the bar of the hotel. Most of the others had already retired for the night. He'd thought she had too.

"Thanks." He let out a long sigh. It had been a while since he'd had a proper drink and the one Yang brought had the kick he needed.

"Whoah," the blonde laughed, "Now a sigh, too? What you thinking of?"

"How we first met, actually," he shrugged. Yang's face darkened almost immediately. The expression held for barely a second before it had transformed back into her usual smile. He hadn't missed it, however.

"Your dad knows," Yang sighed, taking her own drink. "I've seen him glaring at me when he thinks I'm not looking."

"Sorry about that."

"Not your fault," she shrugged, "Besides, he has every right to glare, doesn't he? I'm surprised everyone else is nice enough to me as it is."

Jaune shrugged. Neither he nor Nicholas had really gone into detail on just who the blonde he'd been caught fighting with was. It would have just caused needless drama and to be honest Jaune had never thought his family would meet Yang. Now that they had, there didn't seem much point in turning them against her like that.

"I keep expecting your mom to take me aside and slap me, to call me a monster that nearly got her son killed."

"She wouldn't do that," he lied. Juniper would, and likely more… but it wasn't nearly as much Yang's fault as she thought it was. He'd been itching for a fight as much, if not more than her. He'd chosen his words carefully, just to make sure she got angry enough that he could lose himself in the sweet catharsis of combat.

"You've got a nice family," she sighed. "They're all good people."

"They are."

She gave him a sideways look, smiling slightly. "You really love them, don't you?"

"I do."

"Heh… it shows." Yang leaned back and downed her drink, smacking her lips and letting out a long `ahh` sound. He idly wondered how many other people would have killed to be in his situation, sat drinking opposite such a beautiful woman. "Do you… are you angry that I forced you away from them?"

Jaune sighed.

"You didn't _force_ me to do anything."

"Didn't I?" she laughed. "I was terrified right from the point where Ruby decided she had to be your friend, even to when I was put in your team. I kept thinking `he's going to hate me` or `he's going to tell everyone what I did`. You never did. Why?"

"Is it even important?"

"It is to me." Yang leaned forward, settling the empty glass down. "Did you think it wouldn't be important to me? You were willing to become a hunter to keep me out of prison, to basically save my life. In what way did you think that wouldn't matter?"

He sighed and nursed what was left of his cocktail. Of course he knew she'd been affected by what he'd done. He wasn't an idiot. Back when the JBWY had been formed she'd been the only person actually on his side. She defended his decisions, fought against Cardin when he asked her to, made sure to try and give him extra time asleep, to distract Weiss. And when the Blake incident had happened, she was the last one to lose faith in him. She hadn't done any of that because she trusted him or felt he was a good person… she'd done all of that because she felt indebted to him. Because she wanted to repay him in the only way she could.

All of that and he didn't even deserve it.

"It takes two to tango, Yang. I fought you just as much as you did me." Perhaps even more so, since he could remember losing focus thanks to the alcohol and actually believing she was Cinder. That had been a dangerous mistake… he could have killed her. "Besides, you didn't make me agree to Ozpin's demands."

"I as good as did. You agreed to stop me being sent to prison." She paused for a second, eyes narrowing. "Why do that for someone you didn't even know?"

 _That's the question she wants to ask? Not about me knowing her mother or how I held my own against her?_ He'd have called it stupid but he could see the tension in her muscles. She needed an answer. But what could he give?

"I don't even remember anymore," he lied. "Maybe it was a whim. Maybe it was something stupid like you reminding me of my sisters."

"What a load of bull." Jaune shrugged. If life was a movie he could have played the amnesia card, but this would have to do. "Why forgive me at all though? Even if you felt bad and saved me out of the goodness of your heart," and didn't her tone make it clear what she thought of that possibility, "Why be nice to me when I ended up on your team?"

Because she was one of his best friends and he would have died for her - h _ad_ died for her… multiple times. She had died for him too.

"Do we have to talk about this?" he sighed, rubbing his forehead. Maybe it was the time of day, maybe it was just his bad mood, but good answers weren't coming to his mind. "I did what I did because that's what I wanted to do at the time. Isn't that enough?"

"After I worked up the nerve to finally talk to you about it?" Yang slouched in her seat, one arm across her face. "This isn't easy for me either. I nearly killed someone. I went out of control and actually attacked an innocent man."

"I had aura."

"I didn't realise that at the time! I could have killed a person if it were someone else. That's kind of a big deal."

"And still not your fault."

" _How_ is it not my fault!?"

Because no matter which way he looked at it, the incident had been his. Yang had _never_ snapped like that against an unarmed person before. He'd known her for hundreds of years, enough to say that no one knew her better than he did. Sure, he'd heard about how she beat up the bar most times, but that was only when she was attacked first. For her to have done something this time, something so uncharacteristic like that? There must have been something that changed.

And the only thing which had changed was him.

Something had pushed him onto the same train as Blake, the same thing that had caused him to win that competition to meet Weiss. It had made him bump into Pyrrha after – and probably even caused his first meeting with Ren and Nora too. Had it forced Yang into an unsalvageable situation too? Just to force his hand?

Had his friend nearly been sacrificed on the altar of his own resistance?

"Ozpin wanted me at Beacon before that even happened. That wasn't the first time he invited me." Better to try for a different tack, even if it didn't address her problem. "If I hadn't been roped into Beacon here, then it would have just happened a different way later. I got involved in the robbery between Ruby and Torchwick. I bet he would have forced my hand there instead, like he did with your sister."

"Why you?" she asked, "Why go through so much effort?"

"I don't know. About this, that look on your face earlier… the others don't know, do they?"

Yang shook her head no. It wasn't hard to tell she felt guilty over it still. That was likely why she'd kept quiet for so long; why she'd subtly tried to defend him at every turn without giving anything away. The guilt must have been eating at her.

"Don't bother now," he said. "It's water under the bridge."

"And if I snap and hurt another innocent person again?"

"You won't. You haven't since then, I bet you haven't even felt the urge to do anything like that, have you?"

"N-No…" she sighed and slumped in her seat. "I've been looking out for it but… well, nothing. I'm not even sure where that anger came from. Why it happened."

 _More evidence that it wasn't natural,_ he thought with a frown. Yang was a berserker, yes. But she was nowhere near as mindless in her rage as some made her out to be. Cinder made use of that reputation in the Festival and the people readily believed it. Jaune knew better.

"Then stop worrying about it so much. As far as I'm concerned you've paid me back for whatever you feel you owe." If not in this life, then a hundred times over in other lives. "Besides, you didn't even do any real damage to me."

"Another thing worth mentioning," Yang said, leaning forward once more with a frown. "Little Mr `I can't fight to save my life` in Beacon. What was _that_ all about?"

"I can't fight – not properly anyway," he quickly added when he saw her expression. "We _brawled_ Yang… that wasn't a fight. Goodwitch would have had us in detention if we pulled off something like that in the ring."

"Might be worth it to see her expression," she giggled. Hmm… now that she mentioned it. "That was a joke, Jaune! A joke! I swear if you head-butt me in class I'll kill you."

"Fine, fine." Maybe he wouldn't do that to her. He'd have to find another victim. "It's like I said, though. We were just fighting like idiots. If I'd had my sword then I'd have probably lost. You didn't even draw your weapons either." She made to speak but he cut her off, "You didn't _use_ your weapons. I know you deployed them but that doesn't matter if you didn't use them. If you had then you'd have kicked my ass instantly."

"You are such a pain in the ass," Yang sighed, slowly pushing herself up.

"We cool, then?" Jaune asked, making to do the same but stopping when she pushed him back.

" _I'm_ cool," she grinned, "You're lukewarm at best. But I owe you, as much as you seem to think I don't. So I'll keep your secret about how you're basically being forced into this." Yang sighed and rubbed her face, "I mean I've been keeping it up until now anyway and god knows Weiss will kill me if she ever finds out."

"She doesn't have to," Jaune shrugged, "And besides, what does it even matter? I'm here at Beacon anyway. It's not like it changes anything."

"True. Be honest with me for a second, though… are you _happy_ with our team?"

"Yes."

He was unhappy being at Beacon, he was frustrated that his plans had been thwarted. But his team? He was glad to have them around, as annoying as they could be. Yang's eyes were wide. She actually seemed stunned, as though she couldn't believe his frank honesty – or maybe the easy certainty in his eyes - the absolute truth there. "You idiot," she whispered, and looked away. He caught the pleased grin on her face, however. "Fine then," she said – unable to fully hide her giddy pleasure, "For what it's worth I think the team's pretty good too. Well, apart from the name of course."

"Naturally," Jaune smirked. "Goodnight Yang."

"Night daddy!" She cooed, faking a high-pitched voice as she walked away. He rolled his eyes, leaning back for a second before pausing.

"Yang," he called, stopping the girl just before she could leave. She glanced back, one eyebrow raised. "What would you think if I asked you what the difference between intent and desire was?"

"What would I think? I'd say one's what you want to do and the other's what you're going to do." He sighed at the rather obvious answer. "You want more? Well… I guess it's the difference between you wanting one result but knowing that it's in your best interests to do something different instead. Take you and class for instance. You want to sleep but it's not worth getting detention over so you wake up."

That was probably a poor example… the only reason he actually woke up was because Weiss made it impossible to do otherwise.

"If you want another example then there's always me," Yang offered, leaning against the door and crossing her arms.

"How so?"

"I _desire_ nothing more than to walk over there, sit down, grab you by the collar and demand to know why you're fucking lying to my face about your skills, about knowing the woman in that picture and why you've been acting like you do at Beacon."

Ah… Jaune winced.

"But I intend to turn away and walk out that door, where I'll go back to my room, listen to Ruby gush about whatever she and Pyrrha got up to and go to sleep. I don't _want_ to do that, but I'm going to do it because I trust that you've got your reasons. Reasons that are probably none of my business. I'll also trust that it won't hurt the team in any way." She paused, "Can I trust in that?"

"I don't want to hurt the team," Jaune promised.

Yang smiled sadly.

"But what do you intend to do?"

Jaune hesitated.

He intended to leave and abandon them to their fate.

"Goodnight," Yang whispered, disappearing down a hallway. Jaune remained at the table, empty glass in hand.

" _Maybe it's a question you need to ask yourself."_

His hand clenched, glass cracking a little but not breaking. He had to keep the bigger picture in mind. Yang, Weiss, Blake and everyone else… they would all be better served by him working towards a solution; towards an answer for this recurring nightmare. _And I'm so close too, closer than I've ever been before._

A fist came up to rub his eye, a yawn escaping him as he brought forth his scroll once more. Sleep beckoned but losing it was nothing new. There was too much to be done, too much to prepare for. Blake would never ignore the White Fang presence in Vale. That would cause her team to get involved, along with Sun and Neptune. It would be one of many catalysts to the Breach. He couldn't change her mind… she was too stubborn.

But maybe he could make sure she didn't feel the need to intervene. Perhaps he could take that away from her… from the team as a whole. A news report flickered to life on his scroll, illuminating a tired face in its light.

" _New_ _Atlesian technology stolen,"_ the headline read.

There was much to be done.

/-/

"Do you have anything to report?" The beautiful woman sat on the couch looked down on her green-haired charge. Emerald Sustrai didn't fidget. She kept her head down and spoke, much like how she had been trained.

"Torchwick is relocating a few of his safe houses. It looks like something has spooked him but he won't say what. From what I saw he looked _furious_ , though."

"You don't say?" Cinder Fall allowed her eyes to drift shut. "He's always been a cautious one but this seems a little much, even for him. Were you able to find out anything from his men?"

"They're tight-lipped," Emerald reported, "More so than usual. I got the distinct impression that some might have had their contracts terminated... permanently."

Cinder hummed lightly, considering that piece of information. A culling of the ranks followed by changing safe houses… the first thing to come to her mind was that a spy had been caught and disposed of. If information had been leaked, then it made sense as to why Roman would suddenly be so nervous.

She would need to have words with him on that. While she appreciated his discretion, their plan could not afford to be delayed because of his inability to keep his men in line.

"What of the other issue?" she asked.

"We did what we could to find out about the guy who intervened at the docks. There isn't much to go on. He doesn't seem to have a record pre-Beacon, at least not in any academy. For all intents and purposes he's a normal guy, not even a student before now."

"And yet Ozpin personally invited him to Beacon. You said you bumped into him the other day?" Cinder watched Emerald squirm, knowing the girl's anxiety was due to what she had said the day before. Knowing that they had interfered against that faunus runaway was bad enough. That they had nearly done so in front of a student of Beacon?

They could have ruined everything with their foolish impatience.

"There was nothing unusual there," Emerald assured, "He was friendly, talkative and didn't seem to suspect anything at all. I think Mercury and I could take hi-"

"Do not think," Cinder cut her off, getting a quick nod in response. The two _thinking_ that they could kill him was not enough. She dealt in certainties, in absolutes. Alive, he was little more than a nuisance that had interfered in one of her plans. Dead, he could be so much more… evidence, a message, a warning to Ozpin. They could not afford such things. "You are certain he had no idea who you were?"

"I'm certain. We asked him about Torchwick and he just said it was luck; he actually claimed Torchwick was the one causing all the explosions and that he just got caught up in them."

Cinder's nails dug into the armrest. Just another thing she would need to have words with the dear thief about. For now she needed him, not just for the dust but the oh-so-useful little helper he had. If she found that he had lied to her, however. That he had exaggerated this boy's input in order to mask his own incompetence?

There would be more than just words between them.

"You are to do nothing until Beacon begins," Cinder ordered, getting a nod from the girl. By the door Mercury did the same, having remained wisely silent the entire time. "Your cover, _our_ cover, is too important to risk at this time. If Roman wishes to deal with this boy then he may. But until we have more information he is to remain _Roman's_ problem. Am I understood?"

"Yes ma'am," they answered in tandem.

Cinder nodded for the two to leave, lounging back once she was alone and drawing her scroll once more. Her thumb glided across the surface, opening a file she'd kept hidden. Golden eyes scanned the details.

So innocuous, this Jaune Arc…

But now there were two teams, each led by someone handpicked by Ozpin himself. His were blue, so that couldn't be the case. However… for him to be selected _alongside_ Ruby Rose, who had those accursed eyes?

Salem would want to know.

/-/

"Didn't I tell you to take the day off?"

"You did," Glynda Goodwitch said, glancing up from the desk she was signing papers on. Her old friend and employer stood at the door to her office, his ever-present mug of coffee in hand. "The term will soon begin again, however. There's much preparation to be done."

"Hmm…" Ozpin hummed as he took a drink, walking into the room and coming to stand by her desk. She ignored him with practiced ease, quickly signing away a requisition form that had been submitted by Peter. "Certainly the festival is going to be an extra burden this year," Ozpin commented as he read a piece of paper, "There is some time until the transfer students arrive, however. Did I not already have rooms set aside for them?"

"You did, but I believe we could reduce the burden on the janitorial staff by moving them a little closer to our own." Ozpin watched her as she spoke, listening. "It might also promote closer ties between them and our own students."

"Then I can only agree with your suggestion. Good work. You are still distracted, however. What is wrong?"

Her pen clicked as she put it down, hands coming up to massage her forehead. He had seen through her, though perhaps that had not been so difficult a task. Ozpin had known her for long enough. There were few secrets between them.

"You are still concerned about what is going on behind the scenes?" he guessed. "I have Qrow investigating the robberies, Glynda. Beacon is the safest place to keep her."

"And if it means endangering the students?"

"They will be endangered anyway should something happen. We are all of us working to make sure that doesn't happen."

"I'm sorry," she said, "I shouldn't doubt so much."

"I should hope I never hear you apologise for feeling concern for your students again. "Believe me, I feel much the same. You know we can't trust this to anyone else though."

Glynda nodded. It was the truth. The Council were too political, too flawed in their thinking. The police? There was no doubt Torchwick – and goodness knew how many other mobsters – had their agents there. Even if they were as pure as fallen snow, however, it wouldn't matter in the face of a trained hunter. If they could take _her_ down, then a police station would provide little protection. Their foes were not afraid to kill in order to accomplish their goals.

And speaking of killing…

"I'm also concerned about a particular student of ours."

"Oh?" Ozpin smiled curiously, an almost amused expression. She snorted at his feigned innocence. "And who might that be? I can't recall having you bring up a certain person's aggravating performances to me for… hm, how long has it been? My, at _least_ the last staff meeting."

She flushed slightly. Okay, so she might have been more than a little verbal in the staffroom whenever she came back from hosting a class with him in it. She didn't feel there was any other teacher in Remnant who would have blamed her. "Yes, I mean Mr Arc," she admitted with a sigh, trying to ignore the amused look on his face. "Allow me to ask again, just why are you so determined to have him here?"

"I thought your concerns as to his ability had been satisfied."

"They have," she assured him, "They have. But I still question why you're so determined. You cannot have me believe you aren't aware of his actions… or why he's taking them. The boy doesn't want to be here."

"Come now. What young man wants to be at school?" She didn't share in his humour and made sure he knew from the look on her face. He sighed, "I am well aware of his feelings towards his situation here," the headmaster said, "But… when I first met him there was something in his eyes that intrigued me."

"Funny," Glynda sighed, "I saw the same but I would not say it _intrigued_ me. I'm not sure what exactly it is, however."

"You're not?" Ozpin seemed surprised. She frowned at him. "Very well, very well," he chuckled, "I would call it a look that I've seen in the eyes of many hunters in my time. I never thought to see it one as young as he."

"He has killed people Ozpin."

"He has."

"He did not appear overly concerned with that fact."

"He did not."

"And you?" she asked, tired of his games, "Are you not concerned?"

"Of course I am," Ozpin sighed, "As, I'm sure, are you. Although death and loss is to be expected in our line of work, to see it happen to one so young is not. Less so to see that said young man seems more accepting of it than even the most seasoned of huntsmen."

That was one way to put it. Glynda couldn't help but recall their conversation; the look on his face when she'd told him she knew of the people he killed. Some might have been shocked. Others might have become nervous – thinking they were in danger of being arrested. He had looked bored.

"I've asked Qrow to subtly dig for information from his nieces," Ozpin's hand touched her shoulder. "You have arranged sessions with Bart for him as well. You know our old friend won't allow a surly attitude to deter him from the truth."

"But is it safe?" Glynda asked, "Is it safe to force him here if he is capable of such things?"

"I did not force him to hijack a Bullhead in order to defend his friend," Ozpin smiled, "Believe me, if I had then I'd have asked him to be a little more subtle about the whole thing." Glynda chuckled, recalling the amount of work they'd been forced to do in order to make sure all blame was aligned to Torchwick. He was right, however. No one had forced Mr Arc to risk his life for a teammate…

That was one of the only things that comforted her. "He's dangerous," she whispered.

"He is a wildcard, Glynda. Those are always dangerous."

* * *

 **There we go. Things move on and we start to see the movements of those in the background. Jaune has also decided to take a more pro-active approach in achieving his goals, having seen the results of trying to avoid trouble altogether. Yang also confronts Jaune. I know a few people seemed to be assuming that plot piece was dead, but I always had plans for it. Why confront Jaune and not tell her team? Well, if it's not obvious from what's in here, then I would just say to wait.**

 **Naturally this isn't the end of is all just... setting the board. Pieces and players, etc...  
**

 **New Story (not mine)**

 **On an unrelated side note, I'd just like to mention that I'm working with and beta'ing a new story with one of my students. If you're interested in a Yang centric fic focused on the time skip we never see in the show, then it might be of interest. It's going to be AU, obviously, since as each new episode of the show comes out it will invalidate things. But it should be a good read and a journey of discovery for Yang as a character as she learns what it is to keep on fighting.**

 **It's called `Phoenix Rising` and is by Zero the Grimm. You can find it on my favourites list at the moment, or just search for that. I hope you'll check it out! I'm confident it will be a very good story updated fairly regularly (about a chapter a month).**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 25th November**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	20. Chapter 20

**Hey guys. I know some readers of this are very much pro-Beacon and don't like to see the plot stray from there, even if it's somewhat necessary – and believe me, the transitions we've been through** _ **were**_ **necessary. Anyway, those people should be pleased to know that Beacon will be back next chapter – without fail. We'll be going straight into it as well, from word one essentially.**

 **But quite a lot** _ **has**_ **happened in the past few chapters, especially from Jaune's personality point of view. A lot of things have been realised, both by him and by his friends.**

 **Also it's Black Friday, so argh – dramatic people starting riots at supermarkets. Last year I forgot and went for a flipping packet of rice – sodding RICE – and nearly got rugby tackled.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 20 - The Cost of Friendship**

* * *

"Happy Birthday!"

Yang joined in with the other voices as the small girl entered the hotel's function room. Streamers and balloons flew through the air, covering her blonde hair as the precocious girl looked on in awe. Beside her, Ruby's teammates stepped aside, having been asked to distract her while they set it all up. Nora was clapping loudly, cheering for the smaller girl she'd apparently become quite fond of.

Ah birthdays… Yang loved them, especially when they were family affairs like this. The little girl squealed in delight, rushing up to be hugged by her sisters and blushing as her mother leaned down to kiss her forehead. The scene was almost enough to make her sniff a little, but instead Yang settled for a watery smile. The scene was reminiscent of her own family, back when Summer had still been alive. From what she could remember their mom had loved surprise parties too, transforming the house into some kind of colourful wonderland that took days to clean up.

Things had changed when Summer passed, but each year their father would relive that tradition – pointing out that Summer had never missed one of their birthdays and even now would be watching over them. He would joke that she'd never forgive him if he didn't doll up the house to match. Yang giggled, thinking on how Zwei would try and help, inevitably getting tangled in tinsel and flying around the house in a panic.

 _That reminds me, I need to ask dad about Jaune._ She would need to talk to him tomorrow, making a quick visit back home before Beacon started. If their theory about Jaune was true, and given everything they knew it seemed to be, then her father would know more. He'd suffered through depression himself, twice if she recalled, yet he'd managed to come out of each in time. He'd have some advice for them… maybe some answers too.

A quick glance showed that the other members of their teams were doing okay, or at least surviving. Weiss was stood over by one wall, a glass in hand as she watched the display with an almost gentle smile. It was a stark contrast to Blake, who looked like she wanted to be anywhere else and had sequestered herself away in the only source of darkness in the room. The pink party hat she wore looked laughably out of place on her glowering face. Yang made sure to snap a quick picture of that, just for the teasing value.

Jaune walked up to his little sister, handing over his present. It was something Weiss and her had helped him find, a silvery necklace that was simple in design, but also elegant. Weiss had even funded him a little on it, saying that his sister deserved something that would last and that she could wear for years and years. Yang didn't miss the girl's wide eyes as she looked at it, nor the flash of awe and joy on her face.

She also didn't miss how that quickly shifted into something less wholesome as she closed the box and turned away, ignoring her brother entirely. "Sheesh," Yang sighed, rolling her eyes at the expression on her leader's face. Jaune didn't look hurt per se, but rather dreadfully confused. _When I came to Beacon I kind of expected it would be Ruby I'd have to worry about being a social wreck._ The irony there was thick, especially since Ruby was giggling with Pyrrha, the two of them listening to a story Jaune's father was telling them. Apparently he was better at storytelling than Port was.

"That didn't go as well as planned," Weiss said as she walked up to stand beside her.

"She liked the gift," Yang said, "I saw that much."

"It was never about the gift. If it was then she would not have been so difficult around Jaune for the week. From what I recall they're leaving tomorrow. If he doesn't solve this now then he will regret it."

Yang wanted to ask if Weiss was talking from experience there, but held off. Regrets were a lien a dozen and nobody needed their own dragging up like that. "Is that a hint of concern I detect in your voice?" Yang teased instead. Weiss' eyes narrowed into icy slits. "Is mommy worried about her dearest husband?"

"Repeating a joke over and over does not make it funny," Weiss snapped. That was enough to make Yang laugh. Didn't Weiss realise it was the sharp reactions she loved? "Besides, my concern for Jaune is professional in nature. I don't want him distracted or troubled when we return to Beacon."

"Sure, sure," Yang waved a hand, chuckling when Weiss glared at her. "I believe you," she promised, "I believe you. Sheesh Weiss-cream, the lady doth protest too much, no?" Yang sighed. "I'm worried too. With how he is I don't think leaving things like this is a good idea."

Weiss hummed in agreement.

"Should we involve Blake?"

Weiss shook her head, "I think Blake is providing a valuable service at the moment." Yang looked over to see what the heiress meant, wincing guiltily when she saw Blake looking more than a little awkward, being addressed by Jaune's fiancée; the same fiancée who seemed all too okay with Jaune sleeping with various other women. The blonde seemed determined that Blake should sample him, which frankly wasn't a can of worms Yang wanted to open.

"Her sacrifice will be remembered," Yang pulled off a clumsy Atlas salute.

"Back to the main problem… Jaune isn't going to solve this on his own. He's too passive."

"I thought you were going to say lazy."

"Not with his family," Weiss shook her head, "He seems more than motivated when it comes to them. I mean that he is too eager to please them… I don't think I've once seen or heard of him rejecting any suggestion they make. He dotes on them."

"Sounds like the perfect brother." Yang grinned, imagining what that would have been like. Ah man, she'd have _totally_ taken advantage of an older brother with a sister complex. Brushing her hair, trips to go shopping, using his lap to fall asleep on, head massages… the list was endless. "Having Ruby as a little sister was a blast but it would be cool to have someone I could rely on like that too."

"And if he were your little brother?"

Yang winced. The laziness, the fact that he got bullied, the way he slept around…

"Don't crush my dreams here Weiss," Yang sighed, conceding the victory to the amused heiress.

"The point I was trying to make is that while Jaune doting on his sisters is _nice_ , it doesn't enable him to stand up to or challenge them. He's so eager to please that he won't push the issue with his youngest sibling."

"And so it'll never be fixed," Yang sighed, catching onto Weiss' train of thought. It made sense. He was the perfect brother as far as she could see but every now and then you _needed_ someone to tell you that you were wrong. "He needs to stand up to her," Yang said, "And she needs to stop being so stubborn."

"And that's where my inspiration ends," Weiss admitted. "Identifying the problem is simple. I must admit, however… I don't have much experience in teenage rebellion," the white-haired girl winced, "Or rather… how to resolve it."

Yang forced her curiosity down.

"That's where I come in," she said instead, clapping the smaller girl on the shoulder. "Do me a favour and distract Jaune, okay? That should be more up your alley."

"I hope that's not another insinuation," Weiss glowered and walked off, approaching the young man. "Jaune," Yang heard her snap, "I need to talk to you about Beacon. This is going to be a new term and we need to start on a stronger footing than the last one. I propose we start trainin-"

"Classic Weiss-cream," Yang chuckled, pushing herself off the table she'd been leaning against and picking her way through the crowd. Nora and Ren were distracted, the latter looking horrified as Nora showed something to some of Jaune's sisters on her scroll, the girls cooing and laughing wildly. Pyrrha and Ruby must have reached a tense point in their tale for their eyes were wide, mouths open as Nicholas Arc's hands moved dramatically. His wife sat nearby, listening contently as her husband entertained the two girls. He probably had practice in that. Blake meanwhile continued her worthy service, distracting Coral while trying to catch Yang's eye for help. Yang gave her a quick thumbs-up and a grin, ignoring the wild-eyed signalling the girl sent back.

Ah Blake… what a partner. What a hero.

Jaune's little sister was surreptitiously inspecting his gift to her when Yang came close. The fourteen, or rather fifteen-year-old girl, lifting up the lid to look at it when she thought no one was looking.

"It looks really good. Aren't you going to try it on?"

The girl slammed the case shut, glaring at Yang as she hid it behind her back.

"No?" Yang grinned. "Maybe you're waiting for your big brother to help put it on you?"

Amber's eyes flashed, teeth showing for a second as she growled silently. Yang's wasn't deterred, however. When you fought against Grimm on a regular basis the glares of other people lost their effect. Besides, she was going to push where Jaune wouldn't.

"You don't have long, you know. You're going back home tomorrow and Jaune needs to get to Beacon the same day. We've got to be back on Saturday evening in preparation for classes on M-"

"I know." Small, tense and quiet, it was progress nonetheless.

"It's going to be at least a couple of months before you can see him again," Yang continued, "Not to mention, being a huntsman is a dangerous job. You should take the chance to talk to him bef-"

"Shut up!" Yang paused as the girl _hissed_ the words. "Just… shut up."

"Well I don't mean to be a bitch," she shrugged, "It's just that life isn't always fair or easy. If you keep putting things off then bad things can happen. Jaune nearly got killed at the docks, you know. It could have been worse."

"He got hurt because of _you_!" The girl snapped, and for a moment Yang's heart froze, "Because of you hunters and him having to be one. I know damn well what the risks are – my dad's a huntsman too and he makes sure we know."

 _Right, she means us as a team… for a moment I thought she knew about the club…_

"Don't talk to me like you understand what I'm going through." Amber continued, "What _we're_ going through or even what Jaune is going through. He's my big brother and I know him better than you do. You don't understand anything!"

"You're right."

The girl blinked, anger draining out of her as Yang sighed. She'd wanted to argue that point, to say she knew what it was like to lose someone, but that wasn't the same. Summer had known the risks and made the choice… Jaune, as much as she didn't dare admit it, had only become a hunter because he'd been forced into it, because of her stupidity.

"You're right when you say I don't understand," Yang said, "No one else is going to, since it's your life and your feelings. I'm not going to pretend to know about your life, in the same way you don't about mine. But what I _do_ know is what it's like to suddenly not have any more opportunities to tell people how you feel. I know what it feels like to take something for granted and then suddenly find that it's not there anymore – that it will never be there. I know what it's like to spend your life wondering if you should have said or done something different."

Yang sighed, pushing her blonde hair back.

"It sucks," she said plainly. "Don't make the same mistakes I did."

"It's not…" Amber hesitated, "It's not that easy…"

"Maybe it isn't," Yang shrugged. "Maybe you're in the right and he's wrong. Trust me, I've spent a few months with your brother, he's wrong _a lot_!" The small girl giggled lightly at that. "But even if he's done something bad and messed up, we both know he's the kind of idiot who doesn't know how to fix that. You're going to have to be the bigger person, even if you shouldn't have to be. Winning is nice, so is having the moral high ground, but it's a lonely place." Yang reached out to touch the girl's shoulder, smiling when she didn't pull away. "I don't know about you Amber, but I'd rather be down there with all the other losers, laughing and having fun with my life. Think about that a little, eh?"

Meanwhile she could think about why she was here offering advice to her teammate's fifteen-year-old sister and not her own. Hadn't Beacon been her opportunity to get away from all of that? _He so owes me a night out drinking for this. Maybe we can even end it without getting arrested, crashing a Bullheads or burning down any buildings._

Huh… come to think of it her team really _was_ messed up.

/-/

"Is there any reason you're trying to distract me?"

The words cut into Weiss' diatribe, a mistake that would have proved fatal in any other situation. Her partner had chosen his moment well, however, interrupting a training plan she didn't really care for implementing. Plus, he was correct in his accusation.

"You repeated that first training plan for the third time," he pointed out, "That's unlike you."

"I didn-" Weiss blinked, "Wait, you actually _listened_?"

"Was I not supposed to?"

"You were supposed to but I didn't actually expect you to." Weiss freely admitted. "I'm now debating on whether you've been killed and replaced with some highly intelligent form of Grimm life."

"And what's your conclusion?" Jaune grinned lopsidedly. She took great pleasure in shooting it down.

"That I'm not convinced it would necessarily be a bad thing."

"Hilarious," he deadpanned, "But that doesn't answer my question. First a pointless training talk and now you're actually telling jokes?" And what right did he have to sound so amazed at that? She could tell jokes if she wanted to. "Can we not beat about the bush for a change?"

"I can't believe you of all people are saying that to someone. You practically define the term at this point." There was no use delaying, however. "But fine, I am distracting you. Yang is currently talking to your little sister for you."

"She doesn't have to," Jaune sighed, only to stop as Weiss held a palm out.

"Ah, ah, ah," she stopped him, "Somebody has to do something since it's clear you won't. If Yang wishes to show her appreciation for you by helping then you should be grateful for it."

"Does the fact that you're technically helping tell me that you appreciate me too?" Weiss didn't respond with words but instead `accidentally` bumped his arm with her own, causing him to spill a little lemonade on himself. "Okay, point taken…"

"So good to see you can be trained. Why haven't you said something to your sister though?" Jaune seemed to deflate a little at that, the previous good mood between them evaporating.

"It's complicated," he sighed, "Amber is… she's… honestly I'm surprised you've been so lenient with her. I'd have expected you to storm over and have words."

Weiss raised an eyebrow at his obvious deflection but knew better than to ask. In the time she'd been forced to spend with him she had come to know he could be a masterful deflector if he felt the need. If a man who would tazer his opponent's crotch when pushed into a corner didn't want to speak about something – then you didn't keep asking.

"Maybe I simply saw a little bit of myself in her," Weiss said noncommittally.

"Are you telling me you were _ever_ like Amber?"

She flushed, looking away for a moment in embarrassment before remembering that was neither here nor there. "I was young once," she defended. Back when she'd been spoiled and attention-seeking, often starved for it because of her father and the work he had to do. Weiss sighed, not meeting his eyes as she continued, "For the longest time it was my sister and I, with her being friend, confidante and sibling all in one. I know what it's like to watch your older sibling go on some dangerous mission and wonder if they will ever come back."

Jaune watched her, for once not with his typical, apathetic gaze, but rather something else. It made her feel awkward.

"I don't know why that's such a big deal," she pushed on, "Children worry all the time and I was no different. Your sister's concern just speaks of how much she cares for you. Why would I criticise such a thing?"

"Sorry, sorry," he laughed, waving his hands in surrender. The sight made her pause, to take it in for a moment. It was strange to imagine that so much had changed in so short a time. Not three weeks ago she would have called their relationship cold at best. He had refused to listen to her, to train or to even interact as team leader. Yet now here they were, trying to help him out with his family because in some unusual way they had come to, dare she say it, care for him.

And where she would have before said he considered them a nuisance at best, she could not confidently claim he felt the same, in his unusual, twisted way.

"Idiot," Weiss sighed, uncertain of whom she was referring to. "You're going to be absolutely useless at Beacon unless this thing with your sister is sorted out. As your partner I am ordering you to do something about it."

"But I'm the leader."

"Immaterial," she slashed a hand across her chest, "Apologise to your sister, admit that you were wrong – whatever it is you've done, and bring this to an end."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" he asked, "I'm not even sure what it is I've done in the first place… or rather I've tried to apologise for what I think it is…"

"Then clearly," Weiss said slowly, "you didn't apologise for the right thing. Really, do I have to explain everything to you?" Ruby was looking more and more like she should have been the better choice of partners. At least _she_ seemed to have her head screwed on properly. "A woman, no – _anyone_ , isn't going to accept an apology if you are giving it for the wrong thing. You need to apologise for what is truly bothering them."

"But I don't know what that is."

"Then _ask_ them," Weiss said, eyes looking towards the ceiling for divine inspiration. "How difficult do you want to make this? No one is telling you to have the answer to every one of life's little questions. If you're not sure what it is you've done to offend someone then sit down, ask them and _then_ apologise for it."

"Just ask?" He looked so confused that it might have been adorable had it not been so stupid. "Don't I have to try and figure out what I did wrong myself?"

"If she wanted to wait for that then she'd be an old crone by the time _you_ figure it out." He kept looking at her. Weiss rolled her eyes, " _Yes_ Jaune, it's that simple. Really, you act as though people want to be trapped in arguments all the time. She might call you an idiot, she might even say you're a moron for not figuring it out – and she might be right about all those things. But in the end she'll tell you and then you can consider what she says and decide what to do."

It was a lesson she'd had to learn as much as any other person. The Schnee household was not one that would have traditionally been seen as full of love. Sometimes it was hard to tell if there was any affection at all… unless you asked.

"You make it sound so simple," he said.

" _You_ make it sound so hard," she replied.

He laughed.

"You're right… I guess I'll have to go and talk to her. Any ideas on how I should apologise?"

"You would know more than I what she likes," Weiss said, rolling her eyes. "I'm not here to explain every little thing to you. Why not play her a song with what limited guitar skills you actually possess?"

Weiss wasn't normally one for regrets. She'd made a lot of mistakes, she knew that, but for the most part she had gone back and addressed those in the quest for perfection. The way Jaune's eyes lit up, however, when she threw that not-so-veiled barb at him?

That, she regretted.

"I was joking!"

"No, no," he shook his head with a grin, "That's a great idea. Wait here, I'll be right back."

"No it's not." He managed to escape her grip before she could throttle him. She'd _heard_ his ability on the guitar back before initiation. She could only even call it an ability because Beacon was a school for hunters. Anything that could be weaponised in such a soul-destroying manner deserved respect.

She just didn't respect it enough to submit herself to it once more.

"Hey Weiss-cream." Yang greeted, strolling up to her with Blake in tow. The poor faunus looked like she'd recently discovered religion. That or salvation. Presumably Yang had taken pity on her and rescued Blake from that perverted fiancée.

A shame then that Weiss had doomed them all.

"What's with the long face?" Ruby asked, having followed her sister. Weiss turned to face them. It felt like she was the lowly intern who had accidentally hit the self-destruct button on a military base and now had to explain to her colleagues why the lights were flashing.

"I… may have miscalculated…" she said slowly. "Jaune is going to… `entertain` his sister with a guitar solo."

"That's nice," Pyrrha smiled. "Is he any goo-?" There was a reason the redhead stopped and it wasn't because of anything they said. It was because her partner, Ruby Rose, had promptly pulled her hood up and started to tie it as tight as she could, cutting off her ears and a good portion of her face. A quick glance at Blake showed she was adjusting her bow too, tightening it with a wince.

Pyrrha sighed.

"I suspect that answers my question…"

/-/

Jaune ignored his friends as he re-entered the function room. While their displays were amusing he had something else he had to deal with first. Weiss was right in her roundabout way. He'd been running away from the problem between Amber and him, even though he should have addressed it immediately. His parents had tried to help, pushing them together where possible. His sisters had done the same, with Coral being the one to finally draw his attention to it fully. In the end it had taken his team to fully force him into action, however.

It shouldn't have. He should have been the big brother he was supposed to be.

Interacting with people was hard… it was all so much easier when the only people you cared to talk to was the seven people you'd known for hundreds of years. He didn't _need_ to wonder what Ruby meant when she said something. He didn't need to read deeper into Pyrrha's comments. Be it anger, happiness, sorrow or even desire, he knew them better than they knew themselves. But Amber… his poor sister who deserved better, was someone he'd known for only a little over two years. Two years of probably more than a thousand years of war and death.

That didn't excuse his actions. It was simply the reason for them. The rest of the family started to go quiet as he strolled up, taking a seat on the edge of a table as he rested the instrument in his lap. The natural silence caused by that was enough to have the birthday girl look his way, if only to see what everyone else was staring at.

His fingers strummed across the strings, "This is a song," he said quickly, before Amber could find a way to ignore him, "That I wrote for my little sister."

There was a chorus of `awws` from his family.

"It's called; `sorry I messed up, I'm an idiot, please forgive me`." The name caught her off-guard, along with the rest of his family, as he took a deep breath and hit the first note.

Such was his skill and technique that the note didn't survive the blow.

The sound that came out of the instrument couldn't be called music. It was noise and nothing more, an amalgamation of bum notes and discordant twangs that had his old friend Ren reeling back in shock. That didn't stop him as he opened his mouth and sang, "I'm an idiot and I messed up. Sorry, I'm a moron and I probably should have said something but I'm an idiot." The lyrics went on, not ones he'd planned in advance, really.

Just… words and apologies, the music to which played a horrifying accompaniment as he humiliated himself before the audience.

"Make it stop!" Ruby whined loudly, cradling her ears.

"Weiss, kill him!" Yang howled dramatically.

"It's so honest and passionate," Nora clapped along. "I like it!"

At least someone seemed to like it, he thought. The guitar certainly didn't, sounding like some dying animal being tortured. Just for the effect he ended on a high wail, vibrating the string with a finger to ensure the keening noise lasted as long as possible, long after his throat gave way and his voice cracked, ending the song with a croak.

His family stared at him, mouths open. They at least knew he could play, unlike his friends, so they'd no doubt expected something resembling a tune. Amber stared at him the hardest, the frustration on her face replaced by shock and a little embarrassment. Her cheeks were red.

But the smothered snort that came from between her lips was a positive sign. The girl fought against it, shoulders shaking as she tried to hold it in.

Before she burst out in laughter.

Nicholas sighed, "That was… unique, son."

"One way of putting it," Coral drawled. Their scorn didn't affect him, however. Amber on the other hand found it hilarious, nearly bending double as she saw the pained expressions of his friends from Beacon, mirrored by Lavender – who had for once in her life seemed unable to pretend she'd enjoyed something.

Jaune put the guitar down, mindfully making sure it was nowhere near his friends from Beacon, as he walked up to kneel down before his sister.

"Forgive me?"

Her arms slammed around his shoulders.

"You're an idiot," she giggled into his chest, though even through the laughter he could hear the high-pitched tone, could feel the moisture of tears. Only two years ago he'd had no idea what to do when she cried on him, but this time his arms closed around the girl, drawing her up onto his lap. He steadfastly ignored his team, the way Weiss nodded and Yang cooed and took pictures.

He even ignored the expression on his old partner's face, which for the first time in this life looked at him with newfound appreciation.

Instead, he moved the two of them away from the crowd, so that they could sit alone. Amber didn't resist.

"Were you angry at me for not getting expelled from Beacon?" Jaune asked, stroking her back. "I did try Amber. It was just that I couldn't let my teammate die."

"I wasn't angry at that," she sniffed into his chest.

"Then what were you angry about?"

"I… I wasn't angry about anything," she sobbed. "I was trying to _help_ you."

What?

"I heard how you got stuck because you had to help your friends," she went on, "And I thought it might help you if I pretended to hate them all. I thought it would give you a chance to pretend you had to spend time with your spoiled sister… that you could avoid them and not have to worry about it. I thought I was helping you…" Jaune's eyes closed, biting back a curse. "B-but instead you didn't," Amber whimpered, "You avoided me. I didn't know what to do and I was scared… I wanted to tell you I was just pretending and that I wasn't angry but then they started to look at me like I was a stupid child and I _did_ get angry."

"I'm sorry."

"And I just didn't talk to you all week… I wasted all the time we could have spent together because I was too afraid to admit I was wrong and I'd made a mistake."

"You didn't make a mistake," Jaune said, stroking her back. "I should have talked to you. If I'd just told you it wasn't necessary then you wouldn't have felt you needed to act like that." This was what Coral had meant then, when she'd cornered him before. She'd accused him of being cruel to his sisters… she must have been referring to this, how he made Amber think he needed her help, only to leave her locked in this thankless task.

It was silly of her, childish too – but the effort hadn't been one born of malice. She had genuinely believed she was helping him… that he needed her help. And by ignoring her, he had as good as said he was choosing them over her.

"All of this could have been avoided if I'd just talked to you," he said, "So I don't want to hear you saying it's your own fault anymore."

"It could have if I'd talked to you too."

"But you were just fif- well, fourteen at the time." Jaune poked her nose with his finger. "I'm the big brother, I'm older." _And as old as I am, you'd really think I'd know enough not to ignore a problem._ He'd been distracted by other things, by Beacon and his stress over what was to come. But again, that was no excuse. This life was supposed to be for them, for his family. But he'd spent the whole week thinking about nothing more than himself.

Coral was right to accuse him of cruelty towards them. His selfishness had been as much.

But regretting that wouldn't fix anything. It would only make them all feel worse. "Here," he grinned, stealing something from behind her back, "Turn around and let me put this on you. It's too pretty to sit in a box all day."

"Kay!" Amber giggled, shifting around in his lap so that he could pull her hair back. "You're growing your hair out?" he asked, marvelling at the length. "You're going to look like Sapphire used to if this keeps up."

"I liked Sapphire's hair," Amber pouted, "It looked pretty."

"And you'll look beautiful too," Jaune promised, securing the silver chain around her neck. "Soon I'll be beating the guys off you with a sword. Ha ha ha."

"You mean a stick, right?"

Jaune continued laughing.

"Let's go dance," he finally said, lifting her up and drawing her towards the centre of the room. It would be their last night together... possibly their final night ever, if things went poorly. Even if it didn't matter, even if his little sister would never remember it. He would make sure it was one filled with happy memories.

"You still haven't said you won't kill any of my future boyfriends."

"No," Jaune agreed, "I haven't."

/-/

The clock ticked late in the evening before Amber Arc finally became tired, the girl nodding off in Sapphire's arms, only to be carried off to bed by the older woman. It was strange in a way to see a girl now fifteen-year-old girl act like that, yet it felt like every other part of the Arc family treat their oldest sister like a second mother. Given the size of the family perhaps it was a necessity.

Along with the other students of Beacon, Weiss had offered to stay behind and help to clean the room; at least enough so that the hotel staff wouldn't freak out come the morning. In a sense they had all been invited guests – simple friends of the family who had invited themselves into the event. It only made sense that they help to clear it up.

If Yang had grumbled at that she'd been quickly glared down and given up. It was only polite and besides, his family had gone out of their way to welcome them. It was the least they could do.

"You'll all be going back to Ansel tomorrow then?" Blake asked. Anyone might have thought it odd for her to be the one to speak, but given her pathological fear of Jaune's intended it made sense she would be eager.

"That's right," Juniper said, "Sadly we can't stay for any longer."

"Not much point anyway," Jaune huffed, filling a waste bag with some discarded paper cups. It was a miracle he was even helping them at all but maybe he just didn't fancy his chances lazing off in front of not only his mother but also his partner. "We're stuck in Beacon tomorrow anyway."

She thought that a strange way to say it but hummed in agreement. The school reopened its doors on the weekend before the first classes, with instructions that students were to return by no later than six on the Sunday evening. With the hotel costs beginning to rack up, Weiss had neither the funding nor the inclination to pay for Yang, Ruby, Blake and her to stay here. Jaune likely faced the same situation. At least Beacon covered their costs.

"Are you looking forward to going back?" his mother asked, earning an odd look from Jaune. He shrugged in answer, not really saying either way. Weiss ignored it. He was likely just not looking forward to the work expected of him. Now that she knew he _could_ wake up early and could put effort into things, she wasn't exactly going to let him get away with as much as he had before. He would train, he would become a better leader – and by the gods he would score higher on his theory assignments.

"I can't find it," Ruby whined loudly, cutting into her thoughts.

"Did you bring it with you?"

"I don't know… I didn't think to check."

"What's wrong?" Jaune's father asked, lifting his head from where he was knelt on the floor.

"Ah nothing," Yang waved a hand, "Ruby's just misplaced something. No worries."

Weiss shrugged and went back to her cleaning, lifting a bag filled with streamers over to one side of the room. Music notwithstanding, the night hadn't been a bad one. Too loud and rambunctious for her, but also heart-warming in the way only a happy family could be. It was a nice break from Beacon at least, and not nearly as lonely as she'd found staying in her own hotel to be. It was nice to have a little company, even if her father would have been horrified to imagine her sharing a room with someone who had once been part of the White Fang.

Better Blake than Jaune in her opinion, however… what if he'd brought back some woman while they'd been sharing a small hotel room? Well, that was obviously. She'd have sent the woman packing and then frozen him to the ceiling. But still, it would have been awkward!

"Ooh," Juniper Arc winced as she pushed herself up, one hand on her knee.

"Are you okay?" Weiss asked, dropping the bag and moving to help. The woman held a hand out, stopping Weiss while smiling brightly. Jaune's mother was a beautiful woman for sure, somehow capable of being both passionate and elegant, while still maintaining discipline over so large a family.

"Don't worry about me," she chuckled, "I've seen worse messes than this in Jaune's underwear drawer."

" _Thank you, mom,_ " Jaune called sarcastically, ignoring Nora's muffled laughter.

"It's not that," Weiss said. "Is it safe for you to be moving around so much?"

"Is it safe?" Jaune asked, appearing beside her. "Safe for what?"

"For the baby, obviously."

Really, what had he thought she meant? Weiss bent down to pick up another discard piece of rubbish and put it in her bin bag, only to scowl as Jaune's hit the ground, erupting and spilling cups everywhere. "You dolt," she sighed, "Be a little more carefu..."

His face made the words die in her throat.

"We wondered how long it would take for you to notice," Juniper laughed, touching her stomach with one hand, "We were going to tell you tonight, Jaune. But I suppose now is as good a time as ever. You're going to be a big brother again!"

It was good news, happy news, and yet Jaune's reaction was… not what Weiss would have expected. He took a step back in what could have almost been considered _fear_. His eyes were wide, like a wild animal that had been cornered.

"How?" he whispered, "When!?"

"You've slept with more women in the past year than I have in my entire life," Nicholas Arc said. "If you're about to ask me how babies are made I'll kick your ass myself."

"Now Nickie," the pregnant woman laughed. To be fair to her partner it didn't show, nothing more than a small bump which the woman easily concealed. She was probably used to doing that, since she'd given birth to eight – soon to be nine – children. "We think it happened here in Vale," she continued, "Back when we came here to visit the city with you."

"After Weiss' concert," Jaune whispered.

That was a detail Weiss could have done without, and she grimaced at the thought of her music inspiring people to… well… the less thought on it, the better.

"This… isn't possible…"

"Science says otherwise," Weiss rolled her eyes.

"As does our doctor and my stomach," Juniper laughed. "Really, Jaune, it's not nearly as big a deal as you're making it out to be."

"Right, yeah…" he took a step back, clearly trying for a calm expression but failing massively. Weiss knew she wasn't the only one watching him with some concern. Yang and Blake looked worried, while Ruby and the rest of her team wore expressions of confusion. "Nothing big at all," he laughed, "I'm just overreacting."

"Jaune?" Weiss asked, taking a step forward.

"What?" he laughed, "I'm just surprised, you know… just… surprised."

"That much is evident," Weiss scoffed. "Why don't you sit down before y-" There was a loud thud as Jaune completely failed to sit down, instead collapsing to the ground as his legs gave way. Weiss was left standing before him; hand outstretched as though holding the invisible gun which had shot him. "I didn't do anything," she said automatically, wincing a second later at how stupid she sounded.

"Is he okay?" Juniper asked, rushing forward. She could never hope to beat Ruby, however, who appeared at his side in a blue of rose petals. Yang came close behind, kneeling opposite and checking his head.

"He's fine," the blonde called, "His aura stopped the impact actually doing anything damaged. I… I think he just fainted." She tried to smother a laugh at that. "Not gonna let him live this down."

"I guess the shock was too much for him," Nicholas sighed, walking over and grabbing his son by the shoulders. He grunted as he lifted him, Yang and Ruby helping by grabbing a leg each. "I can't wait for the day I get to see some woman tell him he got her pregnant. You going to faint then as well, or can I expect something even better?"

"Be nice," Juniper warned, "I seem to remember a certain huntsman also becoming acquainted with the floor when I told him."

" _June_ ," Nicholas Arc whined, showing that yes he _was_ Jaune's father. "Let's get lazy bones here to his room," he said to Yang and Ruby, leading them out the door. "Talk about a dramatic way to get out of cleaning."

"Well," Weiss shrugged as her partner was carted away, "That was unexpected."

"Quite a lot with my son is," Juniper sighed. "I'm glad he has people like you and your team to look after him."

"He can look after himself for the most part. As lazy as he is, he hasn't lost a single bout at Beacon." There had been the one he'd forfeited for, not to mention the technical draw when both he and Yang had been stopped by Miss Goodwitch, but neither of those could really be considered losses. He'd intended both outcomes after all. She just knew it…

His reaction to his mother's pregnancy, though. That was a little bizarre. Was there something there she didn't know? Was his mother's health at risk, a reason for him to fear for her? That Lavender girl was sickly, or so Blake had warned them, which might have been reason for Jaune's obvious panic. She would have to ask him when he woke up.

 _If he'll even tell me… getting answers out of him is like squeezing fair wages out of my father._

Weiss blinked as she felt the other woman watching her, turning in time to see Jaune's mother smile. "What?" Weiss asked, "Is there something on my face?"

"Not at all," Juniper smiled, "I was just wondering how to go about asking something of you."

Weiss sighed.

"I'll keep an eye on him," she promised. Juniper seemed surprised at the sudden words. "It's obvious you're worried about him. What self-respecting mother wouldn't be? He's stronger than he gives on… which wouldn't be too hard considering how he acts… but even so, I'll try and make sure he stays safe at Beacon." Trying to comfort someone was a new experience, one she hadn't had much practice in, nor one she felt too good at, even now. She coughed awkwardly, looking aside. "You… don't have to worry."

"He is strong," Juniper agreed. "Sometimes I think he's too strong, if that makes sense. He doesn't react with hurt when someone insults him, he doesn't get angry when I feel he should."

Weiss listened, recalling that time when they'd accused him of being bullied by Winchester. At the time he'd expressed surprise, what she had assumed was him lying to try and ignore it was taking place. Had he honestly not even realised?

"It can be a relief at times to not have to worry about someone breaking his heart, but at the same time it frightens me. I've asked so many people; my doctor, his teacher, my friends who have their own children."

"Perhaps he's just more mature than most people," Weiss offered. She was no different in that regard. Her family had taught her early on to ignore what other people said, how to deal with the harsh criticism that would be laid on her simply for the last name she held. A Schnee could not afford to break down in tears after all, not when someone might take a picture and put it in a newspaper. "People can learn to ignore or not react to things like insults. It's just about having a thick skin or being confident in yourself."

"People only learn that through experience," Juniper smiled. There was something about the expression that seemed painfully sad, however. "We learn to ignore the cruel words of others because they are thrown at us. We learn to live without money because we have none."

"That's true," Weiss accepted, even if she had and would likely never experience the latter.

"Did you know that when Jaune was injured, we were sent a medical report?"

Weiss winced at that, muttering a quick apology. It wasn't their fault… or at least it wasn't hers. But she couldn't help but feel they should have found Blake sooner, or maybe been better teammates so that she never felt she could not trust them in the first place.

"When we received it we were understandably horrified. My little boy, so close to death… it was hard for me not to rush over there in person."

Weiss could imagine.

"But when Nickie managed to calm me down and we learned he was recovering it became a little easier to bear. Instead we waited for him to call us, for him to tell us what had happened so I could make sure with my own eyes that he was okay."

"He didn't call, did he?"

"He didn't." Damn him, more so for making her feel awkward as the woman beside her dabbed at watery eyes. "He never once called to tell us he was okay and when _we_ called him, he didn't even mention it. He acted like it had never happened."

"He probably didn't want to worry you." Weiss said, "He would have known how scared you'd become and I doubt the teachers told him they'd sent you a report." Even if he should have known they would… it was standard procedure after all. Surely he knew that?

"I don't think it worried him," Juniper said, making the heiress pause. What did she mean by that? "I asked him again if he'd been hurt when he met us at the station and he said he hadn't been. He said to my face… I think his exact words were ` _I came out fine`_."

"He did not come out fine," Weiss sighed, feeling a spike of irritation. Blake hadn't come out fine and she'd been on her feet the next morning. Fine was uninjured, fine was complete safety and green aura.

"To you and to me, perhaps… but my worry is that to Jaune, near-death injuries are considered fine."

"What!?" Weiss scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous, he-"

"Did your teammate tell you about the time Jaune saved my life?" the older woman interrupted. Weiss closed her mouth and nodded. Blake had shared it with them… as shocking as that tale had been. Weiss had faced her own Grimm before Beacon. The scar on her face was a constant reminder. But she'd had aura and her training to fall back on, not to mention an actual weapon. "That was when I first realised something was wrong with my son," Juniper said, "Properly wrong, at least."

"I don't think what he did was strange. He clearly cares about you and your family, mothers and fathers risk their lives to protect their children all the time. Is it really so strange to see the reverse happen?"

"Not in what he did. It's in how he acted. Did your friend tell you that he nearly died?"

"She mentioned it." Weiss said. She could already feel what little good mood she had left dwindle. Damn Jaune… damn him for making her feel like this. There was no way it was going to be good news, not with _that_ kind of build-up.

"My son lay dying on the floor." Weiss grimaced. She'd been right. "There was blood pooling around him, a monster of nightmares turning to nothingness beside him. He never cried though, Weiss. It didn't even look like he registered the pain."

Weiss' eyes drifted shut.

"He just asked… whether his sisters were okay."

Damn him… damn him to hell.

"I'll look after him," Weiss promised.

Someone clearly had to.

/-/

The night air was cold, made more so by the heavy rain that drenched the derelict area. Disused warehouses, carefully sealed containers and abandoned construction machinery. Vale had many such districts, often in a state of disrepair. This one was no different, rainwater pinging loudly off metal machinery, but the shapes that moved between them were unusual. It was more alive than it should have been. Figures looked furtively left and right, dressed in all manner of clothing but for one, common, accessory. A white mask; stylised after a Grimm.

One such man hesitated in the shadows of a crane, blond mop of hair still as he looked for others. Occasionally faunus would glance his way. Their eyes would turn aside soon enough. No one dared to look at anyone else, as though by refusing to make eye contact their identities would be kept secret should the worst happen. It was a silly hope. He thought so too as he blew warm air into his cold, wet palms.

A stone tinkled off some rubble nearby, catching his attention as he spun to look into the shadows. The pebble continued to fall, kicking up a small cloud of dust as it tumbled down a pile of broken stone and rock. It came to settle at the bottom, a faint squeaking sound as some rodent hurried off in a panic. The masked man let out a sigh, leaning back in relief, even as a pair of arms reached over his shoulders.

The man's scream was cut off as a hand clamped over his mouth. That didn't stop the muffled cry, nor the sound of his feet kicking against stone as he was dragged back behind the vehicle. "Sorry about this," his attacker said, slamming him face-first into the metal arm of the machine before throwing him to the floor. One arm flailed ineffectually before him, being casually batted away as knees settled on either side of him.

"Please w-" A fist slammed into the man's jaw, knocking his head back as all vision faded. Above him his attacker lifted him by the collar, pausing a second to make sure there was no movement.

"Huh," he said, letting the body fall, "Guess you didn't even have any aura." There was no answer from the poor guy, not that Jaune expected any. In a way, he supposed it made sense. It wasn't like the White Fang actually cared all that much about their goons and grunts. Give them a gun and point them towards the enemy. Aura was an optional extra and only for those who actually knew how to fight. They must have been different once, back when they could create people like Blake and Adam, but clearly standards had fallen.

That or desperate times had called for unfortunate measures. It wasn't any of his business. None of it was, as he reached down and removed the mask the idiot wore. A little scuffed and dirty now but it wasn't like anyone would comment on it. The biggest issue was his lack of any animal features. Hopefully it wouldn't come up… most of the people he'd seen coming to and fro had been harmless civilians, too terrified to even make eye contact let alone challenge someone on what could have been hidden animal traits.

Ozpin would have had a heart attack if he knew where Jaune was now, especially after what he'd managed the last time he'd been traipsing around an industrial district. Hopefully this time the night could end without the need for explosions, fires or flaming Bullheads. There was no need for heroics this time. Not that such had been his plan the last, either.

The docks had gone south because he'd been unprepared. Because he hadn't realised that anything was wrong until Ruby had appeared before him and not out in Vale. In hindsight the actual cause for all of that was something he'd missed.

Ruby hadn't met Penny.

Such a small thing to miss, but the effects had been huge. Things would be different this time… his little sister had taught him as much. You couldn't ignore a problem, hoping it would go away. The White Fang and Blake's involvement was a problem. It needed to be dealt with.

"One-thirty," Jaune read from his scroll, sighing at the ridiculous hour, not to mention the rain drenching his hair. Of course, the White Fang couldn't meet at a reasonable time but this was pushing it a bit much. Didn't most of these people have jobs too? With a sigh, he stood back up, gripping his victim's collar with both hands and dragging him into the footrest of the crane's cabin. He'd wake up with a splitting headache, not to mention stiff muscles, but at least he wouldn't drown in a puddle. The mask settled over Jaune's face a second later, his vision quickly becoming limited by the eyeholes. A quick wait for twenty seconds or so, just to make sure he hadn't been heard, and Jaune was out and walking nervously down the main path, mimicking those around him as he kept his eyes to the floor, posture hunched.

It was easy to mimic being nervous, since he had no real idea what he was going into. Torchwick shouldn't be there, since from what Blake had told them all before the time _she_ had caught him had been when he was formally introducing himself as an ally. If he was absent then the recruits wouldn't yet know they were working alongside humans, which would mean no Neo, Cinder, Mercury or Emerald either. It was those certainties which had given him the confidence to try this in the first place. The only real threat he could come across would be Adam, which admittedly would be the end of him, but only if he was caught. One flash of red hair and he was _out_.

 _That shouldn't be a problem, though. Even when I worked with Cinder I didn't actually see Adam until near the end._ If his theory was right, and with a little good luck, this should be little more than a White Fang meet and greet. That or a recruitment drive… small fry either way.

Jaune kept his eyes down as the crowd approached a pair of White Fang soldiers, their uniforms and weapons in place as they inspected each of the people entering. They looked bored and tired, as at odds with the weather as he was, yet Jaune watched as one man had his head lifted up and tilted to the side, the soldier nodding and whispering something as he was allowed to enter. They were checking to make sure they were real faunus. Damn.

Slipping out of the line wasn't something that seemed to bother anyone. A few people looked his way but likely decided he was having second thoughts. Even those White Fang members at the gates only glanced dismissively at him. Maybe they were happy to not have someone so easily spooked among their ranks.

The moment he was out of their sight, however, Jaune turned back, ducking behind some masonry and creeping his way to the back. The cover of darkness was useless, something more people than just General Lagune had forgotten in his time. Every single person there could see him if he stepped out of cover. Luckily, it being a ruined and abandoned warehouse district, there was no shortage of crap to hide behind.

And there was also no shortage of ways into a decrepit building. The White Fang had people manning the obvious ones, broken doorways and holes in the walls. Others were too high up for him to chance, windows on second or third storeys that might not even have floors on the other side. Someone like Ruby might have given up already and gone loud. He had all night, however. Or, well, at least another two or three hours.

 _There!_ Blue eyes narrowed in on a steel door, locked solid and with a strange device on the side. The White Fang had left it unguarded because to them it was unassailable, a locked door that required a key to gain access. Knocking it down would have required explosives or power tools too, at which point a guard to raise an alarm was probably a bit pointless.

A small blade slipped from his sleeve, little more than a cutting knife stolen from the hotel kitchens. It was strong enough to twist the screws loose on the side of the plate; removing it entirely and leaving the keypad open in the middle of a mess of wires. He bit on the knife, keeping it between his teeth as he worked. _Wish I could see in the dark… apart from the whole racism thing, faunus have it pretty good._ There was a tiny spark as a wire cut, his eyes flicking up to watch the first digit spin and flicker out of existence.

Hacking electronics was… not quite as glamorous as the movies made it out to be. For one thing, it wasn't really hacking, especially not with how he was doing it. That suggested clever and sophisticated access, maybe him finding the codes and using them to unlock the door. In truth, he was just trying to break it in such a way that the door opened. There'd be plenty of evidence left behind, if the White Fang cared for that kind of thing.

A few more sparks, a couple of muttered curses as he yielded no results, but with a soft _phut_ , the door unlocked. Swallowing slightly, Jaune pushed it open, cringing as he waited for some blaring alarm to sound.

Nothing. The building was too old for its alarms to still work.

"Guess I _can_ be lucky occasionally," he chuckled, slipping in and pushing it shut behind him. The lights were on inside, though he had no idea why. Surely a faunus meeting would have been better served in complete darkness. Was it force of habit, or maybe some way of saying they weren't afraid? Either way, it wasn't like anyone would notice the lights. The entire district was abandoned.

People were gathering over in a group in the middle of the warehouse, while others in White Fang uniform stood on the edges, one on a raised platform. The absence of the Paladins was telling. Clearly Roman either hadn't moved them or hadn't revealed them yet. That was fine. This wasn't about destroying them.

It had been, in his fevered planning. Destroy the Paladins, prevent Blake having to investigate them and thus he could rest easy that there'd be no issues for the early part of the next term. If he sorted it out before Roman got involved, then he could even avoid drawing any more of his attention.

It had taken a good night's sleep for him to realise the insanity of that plan.

One man against the White Fang wasn't much of an option. He had experience on his side, not to mention a truck load of foreknowledge, but in terms of strength and speed even Blake was better than he. If she couldn't take them out, and she knew them best, then he wasn't going to be able to.

Which had gotten him thinking of other options.

It looked like the speech would start soon. The main doors had been closed, the White Fang members guarding them moving inwards. Jaune pushed his way into what must have been a storage room, crouching behind some barrels. His hand delved into his pocket, drawing out a scroll. It was pitted and marked, older than his. Fingers danced across the screen, inputting what he knew would be the password.

`Summer`

The screen flared to life, showing an image of Ruby and Yang, younger and full of happiness, crouched before two smiling figures. The family looked so happy, so carefree… he swallowed his guilt. She'd made it too easy, poor Ruby, with her constant hugging. At the very least it was going to a good cause – and presumably there would be other copies of the beautiful picture. It vanished as he brought up the contacts list, scrolling down until he found the one he wanted.

"Ugh," the person on the other end groaned, "Ruby… seriously, it's not even-"

Jaune knew why the recipient cut off. Through the screen's camera all he could see was a dark room and the illuminated face of a man wearing a terrorist's mask.

"Who the hell are you?" Qrow snarled, suddenly awake, "How do you have this scroll – where's my niece? I swear if you've done anyth-"

"The girl is fine," Jaune growled, keeping his voice as low as possible. "As for me… consider me a friend."

"Really? Well what's say you and I meet for some drinks? My friends always go a few rounds with me."

"Maybe another time," Jaune chuckled. "I can see you're having trouble trusting me." Qrow looked unimpressed with his deductive skill, "That's fine. Trust isn't necessary."

"If you're going to waste my time then do us both a favour and throw yours-"

"Brothers and sisters!" Qrow's insult was cut off by a loud call, the faunus on the stage raising his arms in the air. The crowd went silent, as did Qrow, all of them listening in. With a subtle grin Jaune turned the scroll around, aiming it so that the huntsman could watch the scene unfolding. "Those of you who have come are brave indeed, courageous souls willing to fight for freedom – for equality and fair treatment!"

Jaune tuned it out. It was the usual prattle; self-congratulatory bullshit designed to make the speaker and those listening feel empowered and special. It was pathetic. Most of the people listening wouldn't make a difference other than to those unfortunate enough to deal with the bodies. The White Fang didn't want heroes or revolutionaries. They wanted martyrs, nothing more.

 _A little ironic to be so scathing,_ Jaune thought with a grin. He was perhaps the biggest martyr of all, though not through choice. The reminder of his… condition made him pause. There had always been a clear definition before… a clear line between those who died and those that lived. He fought to protect his friends, his team and those around him – to try and save Beacon. He would have sacrificed Beacon if that was what it took but Pyrrha always died atop that tower, something which was not acceptable. Going back had always been a relief. It was his curse, but also his gift too. It was a gift because one day it would work. One day he would find a way to fix everything and save everyone – at which point he could only hope it would all stop. But whatever it was and however it worked, there had never been any losses before. Those that died were returned to life.

There had never been a case of someone being written out of existence.

Not until his mother had gotten pregnant. His eyes clenched shut, breath coming out in a ragged gasp as he thought of that. He was going to be a brother – again. Or rather, in this life he would be a brother. Would he ever be that again?

It didn't seem possible that she'd had another child in the old lifetimes. He'd run away in each, which wasn't a situation that was going to make his parents want to expand their family. Comfort was one thing but he knew his mother and father – at least now. They wouldn't stop until they found out if he was safe. They would ask themselves if they had made a mistake, if it were something they had done to drive him away.

They wouldn't want to bring a new life into that.

 _They said it was probably at Vale too, which only happened because of me… because of that trip which was a celebration of my surviving the Beowolf._ Even if he went back, that would only occur if he spent his life with his family again, never once training and just spending his time with them. That might recreate the series of events that led to her pregnancy but there was no guarantee it would be the same child…

And what would it change?

If he dedicated more lives to time off, just to let his little brother or sister be born, then it was just another life where he was a lamb for Cinder to slaughter. He hadn't been able to beat her with a full two years intensive training before Beacon. Training where he had run away and dedicated every waking hour of every day to forging himself into a weapon. Time spent destroying his emotions, taking away everything that made him human.

That life and this child were mutually exclusive. One could not exist with the other.

But he _had_ to defeat Cinder… to save everyone – to save his family too. Cinder's revolution would take Ansel in time. Nowhere was safe. He had to train, he had to fight her, he had to do everything he could to make sure he was as strong as possible.

Which meant he was going to kill his own unborn sibling.

Was his body shaking? It felt like every muscle inside of him shivered, before finally going still, dull eyes opening once more as the speaker on the stage finally finished.

"And that is why we must gather, brothers and sisters will gather here in Vale for the final battle. But for that we need more brave warriors, more people willing to fight for what rightfully belongs to us. So tell your friends, tell your family – but only those you can trust. Remember, we are the future. You are the future. We shall all be the ones to inherit Vale."

Jaune slouched back down as the assembled masses began to talk among themselves, not dispersing but rather spreading out to mingle and ferment – as all unruly rabbles did. Qrow's face, on the other side of the scroll, was solemn and silent. "Why show me this?" he asked.

He tilted the scroll away once more, obscuring the man from seeing his face any more than he already had.

"Wait," Qrow hissed, keeping his voice quiet, "Where did you get this scroll? Did you hurt my niece?"

"Would you trust anything I said?"

"No. I'll find out for myself." The man's eyes narrowed, "You're White Fang, or a traitor to them at least. Who are you?"

"A friend."

"Like I'm going to accept that. What's your goal in all of this?"

"Don't change your number," Jaune said, reaching for the end call button, "I'll contact you again soon."

"Wai-!" The call died, the screen going black, but Jaune's fingers worked quickly, blocking the man's number – and then just in case – also the one labelled `daddy` as well. They'd be unable to reach her, though they could call Yang to find out Ruby was safe. Or Pyrrha, if she'd shared her number with them. Either way, they wouldn't be able to call this device.

But they could track it.

He put it down in the store room, pushing it back behind some barrels. Beacon had the ability to locate the scrolls of their students, a safety precaution for trainee huntsmen missing on missions. Qrow wouldn't have access to that. But he did have access to Ozpin. They'd also assume this `friend` of theirs was going to keep hold of it, why else disable incoming calls and mention that he would call again in future? They wouldn't find him, however. What they _would_ find was a warehouse the White Fang intended to use for storage of stolen military equipment.

Blake would investigate the White Fang. She was stubborn, afraid and wracked with guilt… but she only felt such actions were necessary because the authorities did nothing, because to her eyes the hunters of Vale took no action against them. He couldn't stop the White Fang meeting… nor could he stop Blake feeling she had to investigate them.

But maybe he could convince her that others could handle this.

It couldn't hurt to try.

/-/

The walk back to the hotel was a cold one. With his new, black shirt and bare forearms the rainwater drenched his form, leaving him shivering slightly. The coat had been something he'd been forced to leave in a safe spot outside the warehouse. The colour was too bright, the design styled after the White Fang's biggest enemies. It would have been too much of a risk. By the time he'd come back for it, the fabric was as drenched as he was. He was cold, wet and miserable.

But not as much as Weiss, who stood outside the hotel door clutching her own arms for warmth.

"Weiss?" he asked, worried.

His partner looked up at him. Her hair was drenched, wet and lank against both her forehead and back, the rainwater seemed to run down her ponytail, dripping past bare legs. The poor girl shook and shivered, breath coming out in visible gouts of steam.

But her eyes were as sharp as ever, going from wide-eyed surprise to rage in a matter of nanoseconds.

"W-W-Where have you been!?" she snapped, her teeth chattering loudly.

"Why are you standing out in the rain?"

It was all he could think to say.

"Isn't it obvio-" Weiss sneezed, or as Yang would have put it `schneezed`. "I decided to check on you… to see if you had r-recovered. You were gone!"

"Ah…" What was he supposed to say to that? No doubt the reason she was waiting here was because she hadn't been able to contact him. It would have been beyond foolish to take his scroll with him, knowing that Ozpin could track him. The anklet was a risk but one he was fairly sure the headmaster wouldn't think to check. After all, he hadn't tried to leave Vale.

But an answer for Weiss?

"I went for a walk. I woke up with a bit of a headache… thought some fresh air would clear it up."

"So you just…" she sneezed once more, "went for a walk, in the rain, without telling anyone?"

"In my defence I thought you'd be asleep."

"We thought _you_ were asleep," Weiss snarled, droplets flicking from her face. "You fell unconscious, you could have been hurt and yet you went out to just… _walk around town_ like an idiot. What if you'd had a concussion?"

"Were you… worried about me?" he asked, a small grin worming its way onto his face.

"Y-You are i-insufferable," she gritted through chattering teeth.

"And you're drenched," Jaune sighed, stepping up to touch her shoulder. The material was soaked through, sticking to her skin. She tried to pull away but nearly stumbled, only his quick reactions preventing it. "You'll be lucky if you don't catch a cold for this."

"Whose fault would that be!?"

"Technically it would be-" Weiss' eyes promised death if he finished that sentence, "… _my_ fault?"

Weiss sneezed loudly, shoulders hunched. Jaune shrugged his white jacket off, holding it open and out for her to climb into. Her eyes glared at it, then at him.

"It'll be warmer than what you're wearing," he said.

"And you'll be left with nothing more than a t-shirt," she shot back, "Keep it. I-I'm not," she sneezed again, "going to be responsible for you getting a c-cold."

"So stubborn," Jaune sighed "Come on now," he placed his hands on her shoulders, guiding her towards the main door. "Let's get you inside where it's a little warmer." Weiss allowed herself to be pushed inside, he with a hand on each of her shoulders from behind. She was still shaking. He could feel the vibrations through her body, which instinctively stepped a little closer for warmth. At any other time he might have teased her for that, but right now she genuinely needed the heat.

"Aren't you going to apologise?" she asked, blowing hot air into her hands. The two of them were stood in the doorway, letting the hot air from the heating system wash over them.

"I'm sorry for you getting wet."

Weiss stiffened beneath his hands, making him sigh.

"I'm sorry for making you all worry," he said, closing his eyes as her muscles relaxed. His thumbs splayed out a little, massaging heat into her cold flesh. She didn't pull away. "I should have said something."

"You should have." Her eyes glanced back into his from over her shoulder. They were stern and sharp, as they always were. "You can't just disappear like that." Weiss sighed. "It was bad enough when Blake did it… we don't need you doing the same."

"I'm sorry."

The heiress sighed, reaching behind to take hold of her ponytail and draw it before her. She didn't make him move his hands, nor did she step away. Instead she squeezed the hair in her hands, wringing water out across the floor. A nearby attendant looked like he wanted to say something but feared for his life. Good choice.

"You don't have to do things on your own all the time," Weiss said distractedly, still trying to sort out her wet, white hair. "Whether you deserve the position or not, you are still the leader of our team. We loo- the others look up to you."

They shouldn't. He was nothing compared to them, not in terms of strength or character. Blake and Weiss were the kinds of people who would likely go on to change the world. Yang would be the kind of person to make sure nothing ever happened to them. He… he was just a normal guy. He'd find a way to fix this, he'd find a way to end these repeats, and then he would fade away.

"I know that in the past when I've talked about teams it's mostly been about responsibility," Weiss sighed. "I know I've not always made it clear but… there are benefits to being on a team too. There are four of us. You don't have to do everything on your own."

She shrugged one of her shoulders lightly, dislodging his hand as she stepped away from him and towards one of the elevators. Jaune watched her go, thinking on her words. He couldn't involve them, not in the things he had done this night, nor the ones before. If he was going to be acting out against the White Fang like this then it would be dangerous. They were strong; each of them individually stronger than he, but strength wasn't always what was needed. He couldn't take her up on that offer.

But that didn't make the words useless.

"Weiss," he called, making her pause as she pushed the button to call the lift. She didn't look back, but she did cock her head to the side. "Thank you. That… means more than you realise."

"Hmph," Weiss flicked a hand dismissively, stepping into the elevator as it opened. Before the doors slid shut he caught her expression, not to mention the almost-arrogant smile. "Consider yourself welcome."

He could also imagine how much she must have been cursing herself for the sudden sneeze that transformed her features, hunching the girl over as the doors chimed shut, cutting off her scandalised expression.

Maybe... maybe the night hadn't been as bad as he'd expected it to be.

"Would sir like a mop?"

* * *

 **Well, well, well… things occur and stuff happens – as stuff is wont to. As always there is a lot of hidden stuff in there for those with the desires to dig deep. There's a lot of theory-crafting that goes on in the forums for this, not to mention some increasingly accurate predictions. They actually predicted Jaune's `intervention` plan here, though they did throw a wide net by saying it could have been Qrow, Ozpin, Ironwood or even Winter.**

 **Well yeah, sure guys, list the whole cast why don't you. Still… kudos on getting stuff right. And yes, also well done on noticing the specific colour and clothing choices of Jaune's outfit and what it means. I might try and draw it at some point.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 9** **th** **December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	21. Chapter 21

**Argh what a crazy month this is for me. I have a two week holiday coming up from work, which is nice, but in the magazine industry you need to work in advance. Obviously a January issue needs to be on the shelf on Jan 1st, but since the printers, couriers, and your own staff stop much earlier than that, you need to have everything done before that point.**

 **It basically means where in every other month I get four weeks to write five magazines, for this one I get only two. So I feel like I'm trying to fit a square block through a circular hole, except that the square block is the work that needs to be done, and the circle is my ass hole.**

 **"Push harder damn it!"**

 **P.s. New image is a new one, but by same artist.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 21**

* * *

Beacon had its familiar charm, even if his presence there was forced this time. It was hard to hate the walls and furnishings of a place he considered home. Laid on his bed with arms crossed beneath his head, Jaune pretended to be dozing off as he listened to the fruits of his labour.

"White Fang recruitment ring shut down in Vale," Blake read, eyes wide, "Reports indicate a Huntsman assault on an abandoned warehouse in the industrial district led to several White Fang supporters being captured, including evidence of intensive recruitment activities in the local area."

Qrow moved fast. He supposed he should have expected that. It had only been two days since he'd made that call, but the man wouldn't have let something like that slip away from him. Within their dorm room it was just the three of them, Yang having chosen to spend her Saturday back in Patch with her father and sister, promising to be back sometime today. Beacon officially reopened on the Saturday, which was why many students returned, to take advantage of the room and board.

In an ideal world it would have been better if he could have made it so that Qrow found the Paladins. That would have shut down not only the Fang, but also removed some of their biggest tools in the breach. The problem was knowing when and where those were, and at what time Roman transported them to the warehouse. He'd worked for Roman, but the guy wasn't foolish enough to share that kind of information. This would have to do for now.

"Nice to see the local authorities are stepping up," Weiss coughed, sniffling slightly as she rubbed a tissue against her red nose. She glared at him across the room, just as a quick reminder of who she blamed for the cold. At least it wasn't as bad as yesterday, in which he'd felt guilty enough to be roped into fetching her meals and tea all day.

"Did you think they would just ignore terrorists?" Jaune asked, hiding a small smile. It sounded like such a silly notion, yet wasn't that just what they had done? In truth it hadn't… Ozpin, Ironwood and the rest of their people had been keeping close tabs on the rise of the faction, but that wasn't something that had been obvious to them at the time. More importantly, it hadn't been obvious to Blake.

One eye cracked open as he looked towards the faunus, checking her reaction. Blake's eyes were wide as she continued to read the scroll, yellow eyes slowly shifting from one side of the page to the other. She looked healthy, however. No bags under the eyes or signs of exhaustion… that was a good sign.

"They always seemed to before," Blake whispered.

"More likely they were compiling evidence," Weiss said, "Trying to find out where and how to take them out in one fell swoop. An operation like that had to require some planning."

Weiss had no idea how wrong she was, though that could be forgiven since Qrow was a bit of a crazy one when it came to huntsmen. Most likely he'd just burst into the warehouse, slamming everyone in his way aside as he made sure Ruby wasn't there. Or maybe he'd checked before and found out she was okay… he could half-imagine the man just going there for his niece's scroll. _Guess I'll find out when Yang and Ruby come back._

Jaune's scroll beeped once, his eyes watching it with a bored expression. "Aren't you going to read that?" Weiss demanded, and the tone of voice she used said she would if he didn't.

"Yes, dear," he sighed, picking it up and ignoring her spluttering. The message was from Glynda, or Miss Goodwitch as most terrified students called her. And sadly, it was not the long-awaited bedroom call he'd been dreaming of.

"What is it?"

"Mandatory meetings with Doctor Oobleck…" Jaune held the cool metal against his forehead, releasing a short sigh. He'd forgotten all about them. He could skip… but then Miss Goodwitch would come and collect him again. It wasn't like they would disappear either. Oobleck was patient and insistent… he would just keep adding to them.

"What for?" Weiss pushed herself up on her bed, still in her pyjamas with one hand on her pillow. She clutched a warm blanket to herself, wrapping it around one shoulder. "We've been back in Beacon for less than a day… what could you possibly have done?"

"Why do you assume it's anything I did?"

Weiss and Blake stared at him.

"Ouch… talk about faith." Neither of them relented in their stares. "Okay, fine… this was something arranged before we broke up last term. It's not detentions."

"So what is it?"

"Just talks," Jaune said, turning onto his side and away from them.

"About…?"

"About philosophy," Jaune drawled, "about the sanctity of human life."

He could hear Weiss pause, no doubt trying to come to grips with what he'd said. There was no way he was going to let them know what the truth of the matter was, especially since it wasn't anything to worry about. The teachers feared he was going to go insane from grief, self-doubt or guilt – the usual problems someone might face after their first kill. The rules didn't apply to him. He'd been doing this for centuries.

Maybe it had hurt, once upon-a-time, but if so then the memory was so far back as to have been forgotten. A yawn threatened to break free, only to be stifled into his pillow.

"Guess who's back!?" Yang screamed, slamming the door to their room open.

"Yay…" Jaune cheered limply, holding one arm up when it became clear no one else was going to speak.

"You guys suck," Yang sighed, her footfalls echoing across the floor as she lowered her bag against a bed, "Seriously, no energy whatsoever. But I've brought something that might change that~"

Hm? This was new… he didn't think Yang had ever bothered to bring someth- Blake cried out in shock, while Weiss gasped in joy – as filled with cold as that sounded. Jaune turned over to have a look, chuckling slightly to himself when he saw what had caused all the commotion.

 _Ah,_ Jaune thought to himself, _that_.

"Arf!"

"You brought a _dog_!?" Blake hissed, scooting back onto her bed and looking around in panic. It only occurred to him then that they hadn't made bunk beds in the room. It never bothered him since JNPR hadn't either, but right now the fact seemed a problem to Blake. The corgi, noticing movement, ran over to investigate, placing its paws on the edge of the bed and wagging its stubby tail towards her. "Back," the faunus shooed, "Go away!"

"His name's Zwei," Yang grinned, ignoring her partner's plight. "He's my dad's dog but he said I could bring him here when I asked. It's even in the school rules, I checked."

"He can't stay here," Blake shouted, "Tell her Weiss, we can't have a dog in the dorm."

Ah Blake, poor, innocent Blake. She probably thought the heiress, ever a stickler for the rules, would be on her side in the matter. Jaune knew better.

"Oh he's so adorable," the white-haired girl gushed, sitting on the floor on hands and knees as she rubbed Zwei's stomach. "Who's a good boy? You are! Yes you are!"

"Weiss!?" Blake looked betrayed.

"Looks like Weiss is all for Team JBWYZ," Yang teased, pronouncing it Jay-bee-whizz and thoroughly making them all cringe.

"Jaune won't be," Blake said confidently. Jaune leaned back, not daring to blink as he suddenly came under the gaze of three very dangerous sets of eyes. Oh look, there was the insistent `agree with me now` gaze of Blake, the `if you dare disagree with me` expression from Weiss, and the `how could you do such a thing` eyes from Yang.

He was saved from answering by a pair of paws tapping on his leg. Zwei looked up at him, black eyes impossibly loving. He even tilted his head to the side, one ear flopping against his skull.

"Jaune?" someone whispered.

He ignored it, reaching down to place his arm beneath Zwei's forelegs. The dog kicked with his back ones, pushing his way up the trouser leg so that he could turn around in Jaune's lap three times, settling down with a plop. It was impossible to stop the smile which spread across his face as he stroked the dog's soft fur. "Good boy," he whispered, grinning as the corgi yawned and rested its head on his thigh, dozing off. He was so warm and soft; Jaune couldn't help but keep stroking him. That was, until he realised there was complete silence in the room.

"What?" He looked at his three teammates. "What's wrong?"

"It's just odd…" Weiss said, "To see you smiling like that, petting a little dog."

"You look happy..." Blake added.

"I like dogs," Jaune said, cradling the small pup in his lap.

"Zwei seems to like you too," Yang grinned, bouncing on her feet. "Yes! That means he gets to stay."

"Yay…" Blake sighed, unwittingly echoing his earlier sarcasm. Jaune chuckled, leaving them to their chatter, even ignoring the furtive looks he could feel them sending him. Zwei had woken up from the noise and was now yawning, scratching its ear lightly before pushing itself further into his stomach. The corgi shuffled a little as Jaune shifted, depositing it on his sheets as he climbed underneath to sleep.

Before slumber claimed him he felt the corgi move, trotting over to curl up against his back. Jaune couldn't help but smile. Well… looked like he was being relegated to the role of the little spoon. It wasn't a position he was used to...

But he'd let it go this time.

/-/

Ozpin sipped from a mug of coffee as the new day's sun shone through the windows of his tower. A new day and the start of a new term, as students moved about below, preparing for their day. Hopefully that peace could last. He would make it so.

The elevator door opened behind him with a quiet hiss, signalling the arrival of Glynda, but also – most curiously – of another person.

"Nice view," a familiar voice rasped. Ozpin smiled lightly, knowing what was coming.

"Qrow, it's not even nine in the morning," Glynda snapped, "You're drinking _now_?"

"I'm not the kinda guy to procrastinate," Qrow said, holding his flask out. "Too many people waste time hesitatin' or gettin' lost in uncertainty. I'm not one to do silly stuff like that."

"I'm not sure those qualities should be applied to a vice," Ozpin said, turning about to greet the man. "You're here much earlier than expected, Qrow, and I don't mean because it's before noon."

"I'd still be outside of Vale if it wasn't for a certain someone." Qrow pulled out a seat with his foot, twirling it about and sitting down on it backwards. Glynda sighed and shook her head, refusing to sit down at all.

"Ah yes," Ozpin said, sitting down in his large seat, "Our new friend. I trust that the information he provided was accurate?"

"Seemed to be," the other man shrugged, "Then again, all he did was show me what the Fang were already doin'. Not like he had a chance to tell any lies."

"Other than him being a friend," Glynda warned.

"I'm not that dumb," Qrow laughed.

"Were you able to find anything about him?" Ozpin asked, leaning forwards, "Any signs?"

"None. The asshat blocked calls on Ruby's scroll to make us think he was keeping it on him. By the time I tracked the signal on it he was long gone." Qrow leaned back and waved a hand, "The thing was hidden behind some barrels. He must have planted it there when he was done."

"Perhaps there's some evidence on it?" Glynda suggested, "Can we see it?"

"Can't," Qrow shrugged, "Already gave it back to my niece."

"Qrow! That could have had valuabl-"

"I made sure to check it," he laughed, "Cool yourself, I'm no amateur. There was nothing I could find. It was a day old and covered in dust, so no prints I could make out – if the guy even forgot to wear gloves. What's more, it was dark as hell when he called so I didn't see much more than the mask. He didn't make any other calls either."

"Curious," Ozpin said, steepling his fingers together. So this friend of theirs had known exactly who it was he wanted to call… that was a dangerous fact. More so if one considered that the person apparently knew just how to get in touch with Qrow. "Did Miss Rose have anything to say about where she had misplaced it?"

"Well she was damn pleased I'd managed to find it," Qrow looked inordinately proud to have received such adulation. Glynda rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with how wrapped around his family's fingers he was. "Other than that, she told me she noticed it was gone after they'd visited the mall to buy a gift for a friend's sister. I checked with Yang too, the story matches up and all her friends were with them at the time."

"The mall," Glynda sighed, "Literally the one place in Vale where Miss Rose could have her scroll stolen and be surrounded by possibly thousands of suspects. We have nothing to go on, then?"

"I got nothing," Qrow shrugged.

"We do have something." The two turned to look at him as he spoke, smiling behind his hands. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't our mysterious friend say he would contact you again?"

"He did. You want me to talk with him next time?"

"It cannot hurt. See what he has to offer. I trust you'll do what you can to find out more."

"He had a White Fang mask on."

"He could be a traitor to their cause." Glynda suggested. "It's not unusual for some faunus to become… disillusioned with their methods." The woman gave him a long look, no doubt thinking of a similar student already under their protection.

"A mask means little," Ozpin said. "He could be a traitor, but it could just as easily be a disguise he put on for our benefit, or simply something he used to infiltrate their ranks."

"Or he could still be White Fang," Qrow sighed, "And a loyal one at that."

"And leading us on," Ozpin admitted, "Yes, I realise. Ultimately what we gained from your little raid was nothing more than a few lowly placed grunts. The White Fang would be more than willing to sacrifice them to help a spy infiltrate our ranks. Worry not; I shan't be taking any risks with this."

"Are you going to tell Ironwood?"

"In time," Ozpin sighed, picking up his mug. His old friend would likely find out soon enough, but for now it could wait. The last thing they needed was a heavy-handed approach to a matter so delicate. "For now we should focus on the students. There's little more we can do until our mysterious friend contacts us agai-" His words were cut off by a beeping on his desk, heralding an important call. Qrow and Glynda went silent, leaving him to answer it. "Yes?"

"Sir, there's a bit of an incident in the cafeteria…"

/-/

Jaune had no idea how it had come to this. "More ammunition," Yang roared, looking to him with red eyes. He shrugged, looking around for a moment before tossing her a bowl of breadsticks. They weren't the most aerodynamic of things, but somehow she made it work.

Fate had to have had a hand in this, it just had to. From what he'd been able to determine, certain events just had to happen and no amount of work from him could stop them. That had been the case with Beacon and the docks – but he'd hardly expected it to be the same for a sodding _food fight_. He'd pulled his partner out of the way of the first piece of thrown lunch, even gone so far as to knock Yang aside too – but that had somehow just brought the blonde into the path of another. Really, it was too late by that point. Something got into Yang's hair and then suddenly the entire room was open warfare.

One loop he'd finally snap and cut her damn hair short! He'd die soon after, but at least it would be revenge. "Jaune!" Weiss snapped, falling back behind his barrier and fixing her eyes on him. "Why aren't you helping!? We're getting creamed out there."

"Heh," Yang laughed, nodding down to some cream splashed over the front of Weiss' uniform. "Nice one Weiss- _cream_."

"I didn't-" Weiss' face twisted in horror, "Never mind… get up and put some effort into this, you dolt!"

"But I'm a pacifist," Jaune whined.

Weiss and Yang's glares could have frozen water solid. It didn't help matters when Blake flew overhead, launched away after trying to fight Pyrrha with a pair of baguettes.

"I'm Queen of the Castle," Nora chanted.

"We need a plan," Weiss said, huddling beside Jaune as they heard other students try to challenge Team Rubine, all with varying degrees of failure. "Rushing in isn't going to accomplish anything."

Jaune resisted the urge to point out whether she'd realised that _after_ she'd rushed in and gotten covered in icing. There was a scream from behind, followed by the terrifying crack of what Jaune definitely _hoped_ was a watermelon. They needed more than a plan. They needed a miracle. From what he could remember the fight usually ended with Pyrrha using her semblance to launch metal cans around, only to incite Ruby into taking advantage of that with her speed.

What the hell was he meant to do when they were both on the same side?

"Why are you all looking at me?" Jaune asked, suddenly noticing that Yang and Weiss were waiting for him, and that Blake had dragged herself closer, half her face covered in pastry.

"You're the one who comes up with ridiculous plans to beat superior opponents," Yang pointed out.

"Not that we're saying they're superior," Weiss quickly added. "Or that your underhanded plans are a _good_ thing…"

Blake stared at him.

Okay, sure, criticise his plans when he used them but suddenly they wanted him to somehow fix the situation. The table they were behind shook, some white flour crashing over the top to come down atop their heads. Time was running out, it seemed.

Plans, plans… most of his strategies came about not because he was some kind of genius but because even an idiot could find an answer if they hit their heads against something enough times. He'd managed to find solutions to things like Roman, the docks, getting into Beacon and even a few other things. Cinder, Adam and the whole Vytal attack was a matter as of yet unsolved, but he'd keep beating his head against it and figure it out one day. But the food fight?

Had he ever actually won that? It felt like whatever team he ended up on, it was his fate to los-

It was his fate to lose it…

Well fuck that! Screw fate and all the nightmares it had put him through. "Weiss," he snapped, eyes narrowed, "Can you cover the floor of the cafeteria in ice?"

"No."

"What?" His face fell. Come on, he'd only just gotten started.

"I don't have Myrtenaster on me, nor enough dust for that," she explained, looking down at her stained uniform. Ah right, none of them had any weapons. "Even if I did, the amount of power necessary to cover the entire floor in ice would be beyond me."

"Right," he sighed, "Weiss' deficiencies aside, I've got a different plan."

"Oka- wait, what do you mean about my deficiencies?"

/-/

"Team Rubine forever!" Pyrrha smiled at her partner's shout, the small girl holding her arms high. Cherry juice spilling from cans gripped in each hand to fall like waterfalls of blood on either side of her. "None dare oppose our awesomeness!"

The championship fighter looked out over the ruined cafeteria, seeing the truth in their leader's words. _This is childish,_ her mind warned, but she easily buried it away. It was childish, there was no denying that. But it was fun too. There'd been no joy like this back home. No easy camaraderie and laughter. Perhaps that was worth whatever punishment lay in store for them.

"The Queen spies movement!" Nora yelled, making good use of her vantage point atop a tower of stacked tables. Pyrrha gripped her baguette, drawing it before her in a defensive stance. "I _said,_ " Nora huffed, "the Queen spies movement! Now, if my Royal Herald could do his job?"

Ren sighed, "The Queen spies movement," he passed onto them, voice deadpan.

"Ooh that sounded so good," Nora clapped.

"Be careful," Pyrrha warned her partner, the two of them stepping closer to the downed table Nora had indicated. There was no question in her mind as to who hid behind it. They wouldn't have gone down so easily. Ruby nodded, stepping to the right as Pyrrha took the left, the two of them flanking the table, culinary weapons drawn.

"Hah!" Ruby yelled, leaping over and striking down.

The confused expression on her face said no one was there.

"Behind you!" Nora yelled, warning them just in time to turn and engage two teens, who leapt from beneath a different table. Had they crawled all the way there? Pyrrha spared an eye for Weiss, who rushed her partner, before her own attention was taken by the calm face of Jaune Arc; a man who had more questions about him than answers. _But his combat skills aren't in question,_ Pyrrha thought, easily deflecting his baguette with her own before chambering her strike to his back.

Except that he'd dropped his weapon the moment she hit it. Below – a plate of beans, launched up into her face. She cursed and fell back, wiping them away as her instincts screamed to duck. She's learned to trust them long ago, hearing more than seeing something pass by overhead. How like him to try and blind her… she growled and swung fiercely at him, taking a second to wipe her face clean of orange when he backed away.

Weiss had reached Ruby, the two engaging in a fast-paced battle Pyrrha was at least confident Ruby could hold her own in. Her own opponent watched her with a small smile, not at all concerned by her reputation.

But where were his teammates?

"Intruder!" Nora yelled, leaping from the top of her tower to stab a metal post into a watermelon, swinging it like a mace. Blake Belladonna stood before her, smirking with a chain of sausages hanging from one fist. Nora should be fine… she had stamina and strength for days.

It was the last one she was worried about.

Ren fought as best he could, giving ground at every moment as he tried to keep Yang Xiao-Long, one of the strongest fighters in the school, at bay. A lesser person would have fallen in the first exchange but Pyrrha knew Ren was smart. He fought a tactical retreat, trying to divert and distract rather than to actually defeat his opponent.

Even with a chicken on the end of each fist, Yang was closer to being armed than any of them. Her fists still hurt.

"Ah, ah, ah," the blond before her warned as she tried to disengage and rush to her teammate's aid. "Your fight is with me."

"You don't even have a weapon," she pointed out, looking down at his bare hands. "What's more, do you really think you can hold against me?"

"I don't have to."

Pyrrha sighed. He was right, of course, and it wasn't exactly a strategy she hadn't faced before in group competitions. Someone would try and keep her busy while the other members of their teams tried to defeat her allies – letting them attack her together afterwards. A valid strategy, if a little sacrificial…

It hadn't worked then, however. And it wouldn't work now.

She lunged forwards, cutting down towards his neck. Jaune backed away, but she followed through with a reverse lunge, scraping breadcrumbs across his shoulder. "Whoah," he yelped, leaping back and onto one of the low tables. She cut at his feet, keeping an eye on his chest as he leapt over the blow, kicking a bowl of peanuts towards her face. Her hand knocked it aside, idly wishing she had a shield as she pushed through the rain of nuts, cutting again at his shins.

He dashed down the table, wood hammering beneath his gait and plates of food rattling and falling off with loud smashes. Pyrrha sighed and leapt up, chasing after him. He was running towards Ren and Nora anyway, and she knew failure to give chase would have him double-teaming one of them. She'd seen his fights, as underhanded as they were. He was someone who would try to win at all costs. She hated that… but she couldn't help but respect it.

His blue eyes glanced back at her as she sprinted across the table, a brief grin sending a flicker of concern through her as he leapt high into the air, landing in a two footed tackle – except facing away from her. What was that supposed to achieve?

She found out a second later. He crashed into food, plates and abandoned drinks, kicking them all into the air and creating a cloud of liquid, foodstuff and assorted detritus behind him. Pyrrha's eyes shut as she passed through it, only for her to yelp as something solid struck her stomach, launching her off the table.

"Pyrrha!" Nora shouted.

"I'm fine," she called back, opening her eyes in time to catch her opponent's cheeky grin, a cracked watermelon dripping from his hands. _He led me in, created a smokescreen knowing I'd have to cover my eyes and then attacked me the exact moment I passed into it._ Had he planned that all in advance, or was it something he'd come up with on the spot? Jaune Arc was dangerous… she would not make the mistake of misreading him twice.

Over to the side she heard Ren yelp, wincing as he was sent rolling back into some tables. For a moment she feared he was out, but several apples came buzzing out of the smoke, one exploding as it hit Yang's arm. Nora was doing fine too, swinging her mace as the quietest member of Team Jazzberry dodged and weaved away.

"Argh!" It was Ruby who cried out, however. Pyrrha glanced to the side in time to see her partner trying to halt her sprint to no avail. Weiss Schnee grinned, carefully stepping back as Ruby slipped on the wet floor, her momentum sending her shooting like a bowling ball into a wall.

Wait, wasn't that the floor beside where they'd just been fighting?

"You planned that," Pyrrha accused, noticing the shine of water on the floor. It was the drink he'd kicked up with his sliding. Weiss must have led Ruby into it, which meant she knew full well he was going to do it. One of them – and she suspected it was him – had figured out the weakness of Ruby's semblance. More speed and momentum was not always a bonus.

"Good job Weiss," he said, getting a proud harrumph and a nod from the white-haired girl. Pyrrha tightened her grip on her baguette, glancing down and picking up a metal serving tray to act as a shield. It was time to get serious. She had a partner to save. "Time for round two?" he asked, "You didn't do so well the first time."

"I'm a professional fighter," she chuckled, "I'm used to people trying to rile me up, Jaune. You can stop that now."

"Eh, I had to make the effort," he grinned, "Weiss kinda ordered me to."

"In her defence it's not a bad plan."

"Yeah," he shrugged, "I said you'd see through it though. If she asks…"

"I'll say I was very upset," she rolled her eyes. "Now prepare to lose."

She kept her footing as she charged him this time, cautiously prepared to disengage if he pulled some trick off. He was unarmed, the watermelon having fallen to pieces, but that meant little. On a battlefield like this, weapons were everywhere, and he was very creative. He dodged along the side of the table, grasping some cold soup with one hand, but she didn't allow him to blind her this time, taking it on her shield.

A relentless assault was her best option, stepping forward and launching a barrage of blows that hit him more often than he dodged. Pyrrha's eyes sparkled as she noticed yet another watermelon on the floor. She wasn't sure why they had so many, but she took the opportunity to show him he wasn't the only one who could adapt, flicking it up with her foot and kicking it against his chest. He fell back with a grunt, back slamming against a table as he looked back in horror, finally noticing how and where she was herding him. He was cornered now, grasping behind him for a bottle of ketchup which he squeezed defensively towards her.

 _Sod it,_ she sighed. _I'll have a shower after._

Taking him out so she could help her team was more important. "Crap!" he yelled, holding both arms across his face as she lunged for the final blow.

Only to find herself held back.

"Do you need me to do everything?" Weiss asked, standing before him with a swordfish held in one hand. Her other was flat against its head, trying push her attack back.

"Thanks Weiss," he gasped, pushing and rolling aside.

Weiss pushed her off, snapping the baguette in two with a swipe of her fish, flicking it towards Pyrrha's face a moment later. The champion fell back, rolling across the floor as the sharp point struck down where she had been a moment ago.

Weapon, she needed a weapon! A cucumber sufficed, a lot shorter than she would have liked but at least solid enough to put up a fight against Myrtefishy. Back on two feet and with her footing once more she was able to divert Weiss' weapon aside on the next thrust, closing into her guard and slamming the tray towards the girl's face. Pale eyes widened, only for Pyrrha to be the one caught off-guard when a foot slammed into the back of her legs, tripping her over.

"Thank you, Jaune," Weiss nodded, the two of them standing before her. Their teamwork was a lot better than she would have expected.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby cried, rushing to her aid.

"All yours," Jaune grinned, tossing the ketchup he had over to Weiss. She looked at it, smiling wickedly.

"Here," she said, passing him the swordfish in return. "You could use this."

"Ruby!" Pyrrha warned, "Slow down!"

It was to no avail. Even as Pyrrha pushed herself up she watched Ruby's eyes widen, the girl backpedalling as she tried to stop herself. Weiss upended the ketchup, kneeling down as she squirted it across the already slick floor.

"Not agaiiiiinnnnn!" Ruby screamed, shooting across the floor as though she'd been fired from a cannon.

"REN!"

Damn it… things were going from bad to worse. Pyrrha flipped up and back, launching her weapon at him as she picked up another baguette, falling back to their tower in order to regroup with Nora. They could still bring it back. She was used to facing whole teams on her own – and her teammate was a powerhouse she doubted Blake had an answer to.

Jaune chased after her, rolling en route and coming back onto his feet with a tray of his own alongside his seafood. Did he even know how to use a shield? She'd never seen him with one.

He knew… she figured that out the moment he used it to slam her guard open, lunging forwards in a move that would have ended the fight then and there, had she not all her training and experience. She spun aside, flicking out to cut a line across his brow, only for her eyes to widen as he leaned back and _launched_ his tray at her.

That was her move! Right down to the way he spun into a crouch, chambering his next attack and following after! The shock was enough that she nearly didn't block it, falling back under the assault. When she did knock it aside, she had to deflect his attack with the back of her arm, wincing at the stinging pain as he pushed by and caught his shield once more. He even mimicked her twirl at the end, falling into a stance that was so obviously her own.

Anyone else might have missed it… it was impossible for her to.

 _Is he mimicking my style on purpose?_ That couldn't be so… hundreds had tried, especially after watching her fights and seeing the fame she'd attained. Some managed varying degrees of success but her shield throw was something unique to her, not because it was hard to do, but because regaining her shield at the end of it was something she used her semblance for. He didn't have that, but even then he'd known exactly where it would fall. _Why would he even know or use my stance if he doesn't normally have a shield though?_

"Something wrong?" He looked and sounded confused by her sudden shift. Pyrrha shook her head and smiled, dispelling her frown. So, he didn't even realise he was doing it. That was interesting.

Either way, it wouldn't make a difference. He wasn't going to be able to beat her using _her_ style. That would be like trying to fight Ruby with a scythe. Pyrrha dashed in, trading blows as she pushed him back – only to marvel at the way he seamlessly fought her, despite being noticeably slower and weaker. _It's like he knows how and where I'm going to attack before I do. In fact, he is! His arms are moving to block before I move to attack!_

She was starting to see why people found facing her so frustrating, but more than that she was starting to enjoy herself. It was clear Jaune didn't care about winning or losing, the competitive edge present in her tournament opponents just wasn't there.

And she loved it.

It was a carefree fight; one with no stakes and nothing riding on it. There were no fans, agents or sponsors critically watching on. A wide smile cut across her face as she pivoted and drove an elbow towards his, nodding as he pushed it aside at the last second, trying to slam his shield into her. Laughter sounded as she increased her pace, and it took a second to realise the laughter was her own. He grinned too, their `weapons` slowly falling to pieces as they clashed against one another.

It was an admirable effort but he couldn't keep up the pace, not under her blistering and sustained assault. His technique – _her technique_ – was flawless, yet his body and stamina couldn't match. Soon his back was against the tower they'd created, ready to be cut down - which was right when Blake appeared beside him. Nora charged in a second later, chasing after her foe, but it was with wide eyes that she watched Blake and Jaune share a calculating look and a quick nod.

"Nora, no!" Pyrrha cried. It was in slow motion that she watched the watermelon cut through Blake, the clone vanishing with a silent fizzle. Nora's attack was delivered with such power that it continued through, however, smashing into the stacked tables with horrifically predictable results.

She tried to leap away, only to gasp as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, Jaune Arc having abandoned his weapons to hold onto her. "Nope," he said, grinning as he brought them both to the floor.

There was an almighty crash as the furniture fell atop them.

"Betrayal!" Nora shouted from somewhere beneath it all. "Sappers, traitors – shoddy architects! I want them all banished from the realm!"

Pyrrha rolled her eyes, conceding defeat as she let her head fall back. It was dark, what with the tables pinning them down, but they were light and with their aura the damage was non-existent. _Looks like we lost this one._ That wasn't such a bad thing, she couldn't help but feel. It had been fun… losing had been fun.

"I did it," the boy above her laughed, and was it her imagination, but his laughter sounded so light, so carefree and child-like. It was honestly enough to make her smile. To share in his happiness. "I did it Pyr, I actually beat you!"

And his smile was so wide, eyes sparkling as he looked down on her.

But that wasn't what caught her attention.

"Pyr?"

His expression fell, face turning ashen.

"What is the meaning of this!?" A familiar voice cried out.

And suddenly her skin went white too.

/-/

It never was explained why they didn't get any detentions for causing that, no matter how many times he repeated it. On that front it was perhaps one of the few machinations of fate he was willing to put up with. _Getting involved in that was pointless. All you did was get beaten up, covered in food and ended up looking like a fool._ He tapped the bruise on his arm, a reminder of the tables that had tumbled atop them. It had been pointless, that he could admit. But it had felt cathartic to prove he could still make changes… that the future wasn't set in stone.

 _It took me a thousand or so tries to win that, maybe it'll only take a thousand more to bring an end to all of this._

Well, as long as he continued to smash his head against it. Luckily no one had ever accused Jaune Arc of not being persistent. No one had ever tried to worm their way into his good books so they could try and woo his teammate either, but it looked like the day was breaking all sorts of records. "You're asking me," Jaune said slowly, pointing to himself, "If you can try and become Blake's boyfriend?"

Sun Wukong nodded, smiling brightly.

"I feel like you should be asking her."

"I will, but not yet," the blonde faunus grinned, "I mean, it would be a bit weird if I just walked up and asked her out, wouldn't it? I need to get to know her first, let her get to know me and show her I'm a cool guy she can rely on and not just some idiot looking for a good time."

"Well that's a fairly sound plan," Jaune nodded, still not quite getting the point. It was a good approach, especially with someone like Blake. She didn't appreciate people getting close or trying to be pushy around her. His success in the past had usually come from surprising her; doing something nice and catching her attention – then letting her natural curiosity do the rest. At least Sun's plan to get to know her first would stop Blake throwing walls up. "But I still don't see why you're asking me instead of her."

"See, I've been talking to Yang," Sun said.

"Oh god…" Jaune's head fell into one hand.

"Nah man, she's a pretty cool girl."

"That's one way of putting it."

"And she told me how you're like the unofficial father of the team." Jaune sighed, looking past the blonde in time to see the assorted girls and guys playing Remnant in the library, making enough noise to create a pocket of empty seats around them.

"It's a joke of Yang's," Jaune explained, "You don't need to take it this seriously."

He _really_ hoped Yang didn't send her own suitors his way.

"I get that, man," Sun quipped, "But at the same time I've seen the way they look at you. I was there at the docks when you came and saved our bacon as well. Don't think I've thanked you for that yet."

Jaune waved it off. As callous as it sounded he hadn't done it for Sun. He _would_ have stepped in to protect Sun, and definitely didn't want to let the guy be hurt, but at the time he hadn't even recalled Sun's presence. It didn't feel right to be thanked for that.

"Anyway, you're pretty cool and I know you're super protective of Blake if you were willing to do all that for her, and since you're really strong too-"

"Rumours of my strength have been greatly exaggerated."

"-I thought it might be best to get your permission, your blessing if you will. Don't exactly want to invite the ire of a guy who burns down a warehousing district to protect his daughter's chastity."

Was this what the rumours around Beacon were? Had Yang's stupid joke honestly taken hold _this_ much? She could never know. She'd be too damned smug; they'd never hear the end of it.

"You don't need my permission to try and chat Blake up," Jaune sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose. "Nor do you need my blessing."

"But what if I want it?"

"Why would you even?"

"Because I think Blake values your opinion."

"I think Blake values fish and smut," Jaune rolled his eyes. "I don't think she values anyone's opinion. She's too stubborn and won't listen to a warning unless she tries it and gets burned first."

"Hah," Sun burst out laughing, "That's such a dad thing to say!" Jaune rolled his eyes but didn't comment. "So you're saying even if a total dirt bag came up, someone who wanted to sleep with her and brag to all of his friends, you'd be fine with it?"

Jaune's eyes darkened, lips pulling down into a snarl. No he damn well wouldn't be okay with that. Blake was his friend, and in this life a teammate too. She'd been through enough, too much some might say, to have some asshole trying to play with her feelings.

"There you go," Sun said, poking his face. "That's why I'm after your blessing. I'd like to keep my internal organs where they are."

 _Oh come on,_ Jaune sighed. That didn't prove anything! Any friend would step in if another looked like they were being taken for a ride; it didn't even matter what gender they were. Sun had probably done the same for Neptune, and vice versa. "Fine," he said, "Do whatever you like."

Sometimes it was easier just not arguing.

"I will," Sun slapped a hand on his back, "I'll show you I'm a great guy and can be trusted with her, just you watch."

"What was all that about?" Weiss asked when he came to sit down beside her, shaking his head as the blonde faunus tried to engage Blake in conversation.

"He wants to seduce me so that he can seduce Blake."

Weiss blinked, "What?"

"I didn't say it made sense," he sighed, "It's Yang's fault."

"Ah." Weiss accepted that easier than she might have back at the start of Beacon, or this Beacon anyway. Sometimes it was hard to keep track which life he was in or what he was doing, hence his little slip with Pyrrha earlier. _Remember, she's not Pyr in this life… the two of you are acquaintances at best._

And speaking of acquaintances, "You and Neptune, huh?" Weiss glanced towards him, eyes narrowed. "I saw the way his eyes lit up when you were introduced. He seems interested in you." Maybe it was cheating a little, given what he knew, but with scant little happiness remaining it made sense to give her a little push.

"I did notice," she said, flicking some hair back behind her ear. "He's handsome enough, I suppose."

"You suppose?" He hadn't really paid attention, being dragged off by Sun while the introductions were going on, but usually Weiss would flush and stutter before Neptune. Had something changed, or was she just putting this face on for him, too embarrassed to admit how girlish she had been?

"He seems nice," Weiss shrugged before turning on him, "You, on the other hand, have been watching Blake like a hawk all morning. Don't think I haven't noticed. What's bothering you?"

"I'm just…" he tried for an excuse but gave up with a shrug, "How does she look to you?"

"She's as normal as ever."

"She's not…" He tried to think of a way to say it without sounding suspicious, without having to give an explanation. "I just thought she looked a little off," he shrugged, "Maybe I'm imagining it."

If she was still playing Remnant with the others, however, then that was a good sign. She usually stormed off, proclaiming them fools for not being serious about the White Fang. Had he done it? Had he managed to prevent that occurrence?

"Well there is one thing…"

God damn it all.

"I didn't know if I was imagining it," Weiss said, glancing away, "This morning she seemed a little… I suppose sluggish would be the word. Even during that silly display in the cafeteria-"

"That _you_ roped me into."

"Even during that unfortunate display," she completely ignored him, "I feel like she should have been able to avoid Pyrrha's early attacks. She was getting hit with things she normally would have had no trouble avoiding. It's like she's…"

"Fatigued?" Jaune filled in with a sigh.

"Exactly. Not as obvious as with you," her eyes narrowed at him, though there was no anger behind it, "But she certainly looks like she's been spending too much time studying and not enough sleeping."

Studying, sure… was that the excuse Blake was giving? She looked fine from what he could see, but that might have just been makeup. He trusted Weiss' judgment. She had a good eye for details. _It's not as bad as normal… usually she'd be angry and exhausted at this point. She's still acting like there's nothing wrong here._ Did that mean his actions had managed to lessen the effect a little? Maybe it wasn't that he couldn't change this, but that he needed to push it a little further.

"Leave it to me," he said, "I'll have a word with her."

"Leave it to you?" Weiss scoffed, "Who are you and what have you done with my partner?"

"Eh?" Jaune blinked down at her.

"Since when do you actively offer to _do_ anything? You'll forgive me if it takes a few minutes to process that not only are you taking an active interest in Blake's welfare, but that you're willing to do so alone." His partner fanned her face theatrically, "I must be hearing things. Maybe I'm still sick."

"So you… don't want me to?"

"No, by all means go ahead," Weiss waved a hand, leaning back to rest her head on the wall behind them. "It's nice to see you taking your responsibilities seriously. You could do to have a little discipline with her."

"I'm only her team leader," Jaune sighed, rubbing his face.

"That's what I said," Weiss raised an eyebrow towards him. "What did you think I meant?"

Damn Yang and Sun both, now he was falling into that stupid trap. "Nothing," he said, turning back to watch the game. Yang had scooted over, letting Sun sit down beside Blake – who was shooting her partner an accusatory look. It was an old scene. One he was used to seeing. It was only better now, with Blake not running away to work herself to exhaustion, but even when that did happen it wasn't unusual to see them interact like that.

Blake would be prickly towards Sun for a while but if he kept it up, she'd start to thaw. Jaune's smile faded when he recalled what would happen soon after. They'd never really survived long enough to see whether Sun and Blake went anywhere… whether anything took root between them.

"Something wrong?" Jaune flinched slightly, looking down to see Weiss regarding him with almost-concealed worry in her eyes. When had she started to show concern like that for him?

"It's nothing," he said again. "I was just thinking of my family."

"You must miss them. It's only been two days but I saw how close you all were."

"They all seemed to like you too," he said, unable to hide the surprise in his voice. At the time there had been the concern that they wouldn't, that they would hate his team for being part of the reason he was still in Beacon. It just went to show how much he'd fallen out of touch with them over a thousand or more deaths. He didn't know them like he ought to. "I'll be fine, don't worry about me. And don't worry about Blake either. I'll deal with it."

"Now I really need to find out where you've hidden my partner," Weiss muttered, "I'm not sure where all this sudden responsibility is coming from, but I won't complain."

Oh she would, if she knew what he had in mind. He'd make an effort to stop Blake, but when that inevitably failed then the only option would be to keep doing what he'd done already. He wasn't strong enough to go fight against Roman and whoever else he brought onto the scene. Qrow was, however.

But the man was also dangerous. He was Ozpin's most trusted agent, and that position came about as a result of the sheer amount of experience and cunning the huntsman hid behind his jokes and alcoholism. It wasn't the first time he'd tried to influence the headmaster with letters, ultimatums or other hidden messages. Some had been ignored, others acted upon, but it had never been the solution he'd been working towards. It had never been enough to stop Cinder's plan.

It had stopped _Cinder_ , once or twice. The woman forced to flee into hiding, chased out of Beacon.

But that hadn't stopped the calamitous events that led to the fall of Beacon. On the contrary, she had simply launched her attack from within Vale – causing untold casualties and devastation. At least when she turned on them during the Vytal Festival, he knew where she would be, what her plan was. Pushing her into hiding just added a random element he couldn't do anything about.

But the White Fang would be easier, fortunately. They were dangerous in their own right, none more so than Adam, but they were also a large organisation – which meant there were weaknesses, things that could be exploited.

"It looks like the game's wrapping up," Weiss reported, drawing his attention back to Yang's impending and inevitable victory. "Blake's patience looks fit to go with it," she added, watching as the black-haired girl stood up, saying something to Sun and Yang before storming away. It wasn't the dramatic explosion he was used to, but still a sign that she hadn't fully given up.

"I'll talk to her."

"Don't you have to talk with Doctor Oobleck first?"

"I know. I'll find Blake after. Don't wait up for me," on an impulsive instinct he flashed a teasing grin back at her, "Especially not in the rain. You'll catch a cold."

He might have caught one too, had he not looked away when her eyes narrowed into slits of ice. Still, with the clock ticking on it gave him the perfect chance to migrate to a warmer climate. His eye caught Neptune's as he passed the blue-haired teen, noticing him break away from Sun and the others to saunter towards Weiss. Some things never changed. She'd be happy with him.

/-/

"Ah, welcome Mr Arc," Doctor Oobleck stepped aside as he opened the door, beckoning Jaune in. "I've just made some coffee. Would you like a mug?"

"I'm alright, thank you."

"It's not my personal blend, I assure you. I also have water or cordial."

"I'm okay," he said, taking the chance to look about the man's personal quarters. It wasn't the first time he'd seen them, testament to his long time at Beacon, but they were still somewhat surprising. Knowing Oobleck, he'd always expected the man's rooms to look like a bomb had hit them, such was his famous energy. Either that, or there would be strange and unusual antiques across the walls, maps, charts and other curiosities.

That was never the case. The room was well-organised and free of clutter, the only sign of mess being a small stack of papers on the desk that had fallen over, a discard mug resting by them. The rest of the room was immaculate, incredibly so.

"Take a seat, take a seat," the professor – or doctor – waved to one of four couches surrounding a coffee table, sitting down himself on one of them. Jaune shrugged, taking the other but not leaning back into it.

He was tense, uncertain. This was new territory and he wasn't sure what the point of it all was. _Miss Goodwitch said counselling… what a ridiculous idea._ There'd never been anything like that before, which raised the question of what had necessitated it this time.

"Tell me, Mr Arc, do you know why Miss Goodwitch has assigned you here?"

Jaune shrugged, not meeting the man's eyes, "Mandatory sessions after what happened last term."

"Indeed, indeed. I would just like you to know that these are mandatory not only for you, but for any who are forced to go through what you did. You need not fear this as some terrible trap."

"Then why isn't my teammate going through these?" he asked. Blake had gone through the whole docks shenanigans time and time again, yet it never seemed like she had to attend something like this. He'd have heard about it… mostly because she would have refused to attend.

"I think you misunderstand," the man said, "These sessions are not for us to discuss what happened there, or how you were in danger. Huntsman and Huntresses are often expected to risk their lives, and such happens regularly during initiation. You are here because of something else. Can you tell me what that is?"

Wasn't that what Oobleck was supposed to tell him? There hadn't been anything unusual about the docks, had there? Well, one thing came to mind – making him wince.

"I didn't mean to cause all that property damage."

Well… he _had._ It had been the only way to stop Roman, but he hadn't really _desired_ to. It wasn't something he'd be repeating the next time.

"How curious," Oobleck adjusted his glasses. "I see that my colleague was correct in her analysis. Tell me, Mr Arc, what do you believe was the worst part of that night?"

"My entrance," he answered easily. "I didn't have the time to think of a better plan so I had to wing it." He could have done better if he'd had more warning, but he'd still expected Ruby and Penny to bust it without him. Speaking of, should he do something about Penny?

"As I thought," Oobleck sighed. "Do you know what I consider the worst part?"

"The fire damage."

It seemed obvious, really. He'd gone and burned much of the buildings down, many of which were still in use by companies. The economic impacts of his actions were probably still being felt. Not that he would have traded Blake for any of that.

"Not quite… I think the saddest part was the people who lost their lives there."

"Ozpin told me there was no one in the warehouses," Jaune's eyes shot up, "It was night time and the area was completely dead. There shouldn't have been any casualties!"

"And yet there were," the teacher said, "I'm surprised you don't remember them. They were claimed by your sword, after all."

Claimed by his-? "The White Fang?" Jaune asked, relaxing just a little. "I thought you meant innocent people."

"Does that distinction matter?"

"Of course it does." Jaune scoffed. "They were enemies."

"Children your age shouldn't have enemies… especially not those they are willing to kill."

"Is that what this is? Are you trying to convince me I shouldn't have killed them, that I should have let them get away with killing my teammate?"

Was this some ridiculous `love and peace for all` crap he was going to be forced to sit through? Life wasn't fair and kind like that. The Grimm thrived, the innocent people died – and sometimes you had to kill in order to protect everything. Redemption was a nice word for those who could afford to risk the lives of their loved ones on the roll of a dice. As for his age… well, he felt he was more than old enough to have a few people he needed to remove.

"I don't begrudge you your decisions, Mr Arc. On the contrary I found myself quite impressed by the distance you were willing to go in order to protect a member of your team. That is a quality I can respect. What I worry about, is how little time it took you to come to such a decision. How easily you are willing to write off the lives of others."

"So I'm a sociopath?" He crossed his arms, leaning back.

"A fool jumping to conclusions might say so," Oobleck nodded, "But I am not that. You've shown, in your roundabout way, that you care for your friends. I would not call that the actions of a sociopath. Similarly, although it is regrettable, you are not – nor will you be the last – student of ours to be forced into taking a life. That is why these mandatory sessions exist, after all." The doctor leaned forward, pointing his cup of coffee at Jaune. "I am not here to judge your actions, Mr Arc. We have already done so and judge them just. I am here to help you come to terms with them."

"I don't need that," Jaune said. It was a simple statement but no less true for it. He could understand the gist of what the man was saying. This wasn't about changing his mind or punishing him, it was just a safety net to make sure their students didn't suffer any breakdowns from guilt or something. It was a way of showing they cared. He didn't begrudge them that, it was a smart and kind thing to do…

But he still didn't need it.

How many had he killed there, before Roman had torched the rest? Three, four, perhaps? How many had he killed during his life? Hundreds, thousands? Sometimes none had to die, because he died early himself. Sometimes, when he made it to the Vytal Festival, he was forced to cut his way through swathes of White Fang terrorists. The numbers differed but the results remained the same.

"Killing them didn't bother me," Jaune shrugged. "I don't feel guilty about it."

"Miss Goodwitch said as much," Oobleck smiled, "and I can see now that she was right. That is what is so curious. You have adapted to the burden incredibly well, suffering no side-effects that aren't already part of your personality. Traditional studies might indicate your constant sleeping and exhaustion as a sign of the stress, but I am well aware of how you've been falling asleep in my lessons since school started."

"Are we done here?" Jaune asked, "You already said I don't need this."

"I said you have adapted well. I did not say you no longer needed these sessions."

Oobleck turned away from him, drawing forth a small porcelain tray with a decanter in the middle. He placed it on the table between them, slowly lifting off the lid and sprinkling some leaves he plucked from a box of premium brand tea into them. Jaune watched as the man stirred them around with a long spoon, inspecting the water every now and then.

It continued for a good six minutes; Jaune sitting silently the entire time.

"Can w-"

"Shh…" Oobleck shushed him with a little smile. "Give it time, Mr Arc. You have to allow good tea the time it needs to settle."

So the man wanted to play that game, did he? Jaune sighed, leaning back and closing his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep. Normally it would have been easy, but with Blake running around doing exactly what he didn't need her to do, this session being a waste of his time and his stupid slip earlier with Pyrrha, he felt too frustrated to fall asleep. His mind continued to whirl, plotting ideas and plans, little things he could do in order to stop Blake – to stop the White Fang.

"Ahh," Oobleck sighed, finally placing the lid back on and pouring the both of them a mug. Jaune gazed down at it, wondering for a moment if there was a little something extra in it… something to loosen his tongue. It was a ridiculous thought… he was being foolish.

To his irritation, it tasted really good.

"Let's not talk about the White Fang for now," the teacher said, "Instead, why don't we talk a little bit about you?"

"I'd rather not."

"Okay then," Oobleck gave up easily… too easily. "We could talk about the job of a huntsman if you desire?" He didn't want to talk about anything. This was just a big, confusing waste of time. "What do you think a huntsman's job is, Mr Arc?"

"The job of a huntsman or huntress is to protect the Kingdoms and people from the Grimm."

"A textbook answer, I'm surprised you've even read it. What do _you_ think is their role?"

"The job of a huntsman or huntress is to protect the Kingdoms and people from Grimm and also criminals."

"You would rank criminality on the same level as a Beowolf?"

"Depends on the case," Jaune shrugged, taking another sip of tea. "Some crimes can be petty and solved by the police… some can do more damage than the biggest Grimm. Sometimes the worst monsters are those that wear human skin."

"I could not agree more," Doctor Oobleck tipped his mug. "So it has been in history that we have been expected to hunt more than one type of prey. Did you know that is why we have sparring sessions against human opponents?"

Jaune shook his head. He had wondered, once or twice, but the thought had never really bothered him. Training against human opponents gave him what he needed to fight against Cinder. _I suppose that proves his point._

"It's regrettable really. Perhaps in the future people will look back on this and consider it all quite barbaric. Personally, I believe it an unfortunate necessity, though I doubt the text books will agree. History has an unfortunate tendency to forget the external factors that motivated people to make certain decisions."

"It's easy to judge from a high horse," Jaune said.

"That it is. The life of a huntsman is never easy… we professors at Beacon are often considered the pinnacle, but believe me, I have made my fair share of mistakes."

Probably less than he had… but then again it wasn't the same and this wasn't a misery measuring contest. Every time he made a mistake, he got an opportunity to fix it. The man sitting opposite him had to live with the consequences. What would life have been like if he'd been forced to accept a world where everyone died?

It wouldn't come to that. He wouldn't let it.

"With regards to your little episode at the docks, I believe you made the right decision. I have a feeling you would have deeply regretted failing to act."

Jaune shrugged, though he knew the words to be true. Blake's death would have resonated further than this life, because it would have been his fault. Just like it had been his fault when he convinced Blake to fall in love with him… because Adam had killed her in response.

" _I can't. I love you."_

"Mr Arc!" There was a hand shaking his shoulder, eyes snapping open as he saw the professor leaning across the table, closer than he had been before. When had the man moved, when had he closed that distance? "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jaune blinked, watching the man lean back with a worried expression. "Nothing is wrong." It was just a bad memory… he had plenty of those.

"I see," Oobleck didn't sound convinced, but he didn't push either. "If I might ask something different, would you mind telling me why you rushed off to save your teammate without alerting anyone? I don't mean to suggest it a bad decision," Oobleck added when Jaune made to speak, "Only that I'm curious as to why you didn't seek to bring any support with you."

"My team were already out in Vale looking for her."

"Why not ask Team Rubine? I understand you are all quite close."

That would have just put them in danger… something he wasn't willing to do. "I didn't think of it," he lied. There was no way he could risk Pyrrha, Ruby, Ren and Nora like that. Besides, he'd been confident he could get by, even if the difference in strength between Roman and he had been bigger than he'd expected. _Usually with two years intense training I can fight on his level, especially since I know most of his tricks._

This time the man had been just too strong, just too fast to get hold of.

"Why not ask us teachers?" Oobleck asked, "We would have rushed to the aid of a student."

"I didn't think of it," Jaune said again, shrugging helplessly. He couldn't have explained to them why he knew… not in a believable way. What's more, it might have taken them some time to prepare. Blake hadn't had that kind of time.

"I think we both know neither of those answers are true, Mr Arc," the teacher chastised, smiling over the rim of his mug. Jaune shrugged, as good as admitting it. The man wasn't a fool but at the same time it wasn't like he had an answer he could really give. "Still, this is not an interrogation. If you do not wish to answer a question, you do not have to. Were you confident you could rescue Miss Belladonna alone?"

"Confident enough," he shrugged, "It worked."

"It did," Oobleck allowed, "And in that regard, time has proven your decision correct. I just find it strange that you wished to do this all alone… you are placed into teams for a reason."

"Mine was out."

"You know what I mean, Mr Arc. You could have asked for help rather than risk your life alone. What if you had died?"

Then he would have reset. It was no big deal.

"What if Miss Belladonna had died?"

Then he would have killed them all. He would have made them pay.

It wasn't until he saw the green-haired teacher nod that Jaune realised the mug in his hand had cracked, his fingers crushing the handle. He took a deep breath and put it down, letting out in a long sigh.

"It's not unusual for teams to form strong bonds between them," Oobleck smiled, "I cared deeply for my teammates, and despite my better judgement I continue to do so 'til this day. That said, you might want to spare a thought for how they feel about you in return."

"I can hazard a guess as to how they feel," Jaune grinned lopsidedly. Usually his team was a different team, but even then his relationship with RWBY was far different from this. "Most of it to revolves around the word `exasperated`."

"That's funny," Oobleck sighed, "I would have said it revolved around love."

Love? Jaune grimaced, leaning back as he regarded the man. "Where on Remnant do you get that from?" he asked. Sure, _he_ loved his team… he loved all of them, both on Team RWBY and JNPR. In some cases he had even made love _to_ them, and been deeply in love _with_ them. But that came from his experiences… from the fact he had known them for centuries. Because his entire life, nay – his entire existence - revolved around protecting them.

Except that this life was different, because this was the first time he had ever considered doing something different – of abandoning that ideal in order to ensure a better attempt the next time. With that in mind he'd done very little to engage his team, pretty much leaving them to their own devices for the entire first term. How would that lead to them liking him?

"You look genuinely surprised," the man sighed, sounding quite sad about the fact. "Do you not see it yourself?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Jaune said slowly, uncertain.

"Are you not?" Oobleck raised an eyebrow, settling his empty mug down and checking the pot before letting out a little sigh. "The reasons why seem obvious to me, even if I am not part of your team. For Miss Belladonna you saved her life, risking your own to ensure her safety. She visited you quite extensively while you were injured… they all did."

"That's just gratitude. It's being polite."

"As for Miss Xiao-Long, I seem to recall a certain case of a man protecting her during Forever Fall, taking quite the set of injuries as a result."

"How-?" Jaune cut himself off.

"You are wondering how I know? It seems to me a certain someone else was concerned for your safety too," he smiled, "A little bird saw fit to tell on Mr Winchester, saying even though you'd asked them not to, she didn't want to see you bullied anymore."

Damn it Ruby… it just had to be. That was exactly the kind of thing she'd do with that pure, little heart of hers.

"Rest assured, Mr Winchester served substantial detention for that display. Regardless, I seem to believe a Miss Xiao-Long becoming very close to you after that."

"Again," Jaune rolled his eyes, "Gratitude." And technically that one had started sooner because Yang had been supportive of him ever since he'd given in to Ozpin and spared her a criminal sentence.

 _That was my fault in the first place._

"As for Miss Schnee, whether it is treating her like a normal person or helping to put the team back together after your little divide, it seems obvious to me that the two of you have become closer."

"And third time's the charm," Jaune deadpanned, "Gratitude, yet again."

"I'm not sure why you're so obstinate," Oobleck sighed, "Do you believe you have not done enough to earn their trust? You bled for Miss Xiao-Long, you _killed_ for Miss Belladonna."

Life and death was easy… he'd done both a thousand times before. Those were nothing compared to what he normally did for them. He tried to be the best friend he could be, he listened to all of their problems, comforted them when they were down. He trained his hardest, he protected them, he kept them safe.

He'd done none of that this time.

The teacher's scroll rang, the man looking at it with a little sigh. "And it seems that is all we have time for," he said, silencing it with a click and collecting the two mugs.

"We're done then," Jaune said, standing up.

"For now, yes. I will contact you when I have time for another talk between us."

Jaune growled, palming his face as he imagined the time that would be wasted. He needed to stop the White Fang before Blake could get involved. Hell, he still needed to talk to Blake tonight, not to mention find which rooms Cinder's team had been assigned this time, keep them away from his, make sure Roman didn't try anything with his family… so many things, and there was no damned time!

"I don't need these sessions," he snapped, turning away and stalking towards the door. "I killed those people and I don't feel a shred of regret about it. They made their decisions; they got in my way and threatened my teammate. I'll never regret it."

"I don't think you will," Doctor Oobleck remained calm, hands crossed before him. "But it remains that you will be seeing me until I deem our meetings finished."

"I don't need counselling."

"We all need help, Jaune."

Jaune paused in the doorway, looking back at the teacher who looked so calm, so bizarrely sympathetic. Help? He needed help? He'd been doing this for so long he'd forgotten what life was like without it. He knew more about how the people here died than he did about the first fifteen years of his life.

"I don't need help."

He knew what he was doing.

/-/

Blake saw her leader walk through the door long before he approached her. She'd become… not adept, but perhaps passable at reading his expressions. This one was new to her, however; an unusual mixture of frustration, humour and anger.

"Hello there," he said, sitting down opposite, "Studying again? My, someone's clearly very concerned for their theory scores." The sarcasm in his voice let her know he knew full well what she was doing, or rather what she was not doing. She didn't know how, but she didn't question it either. He had that annoying ability to just know…

"You look annoyed," she fired back, ignoring his comment entirely.

"Oobleck talks too much," he shrugged, "Not to mention there's a little issue I have at the moment."

Blake turned the page on a newspaper, discarding it when there was nothing more she needed. Her other hand jotted something down on a notepad.

"Aren't you going to ask what it is?" he grinned.

"Why bother? I have a feeling you won't go away without telling me." Another newspaper appeared before her, golden eyes scanning across the page. "Why don't you talk to Weiss about it instead?"

"Already have. That's part of the problem."

The article was obscured by a finger, Jaune covering the words as he gently tugged it away. Blake gripped tighter, trying to pull it back, but she didn't want to let it rip.

"You see," he said, "a certain daughter of mine has started to act all moody and anti-social. I said it was just puberty, but Weiss seems to think she's too old for that. What do you think Blake? What should I do?"

"Leave her alone," she gritted, finally pulling the newspaper free. "She knows what she's doing."

"That's the thing…" his eyes turned hard, all traces of humour gone as he looked down on her. "I don't think she does."

"If you're here to preach, I'm not in the mood." She'd had enough of that from Yang already, trying to make her break off this investigation. Did they not realise the danger?

"I know what you mean," he drawled, reaching for one of her discarded articles and looking through it, "Sometimes I feel the need to catch up on my daily dose of terrorism's latest too. Nice to find someone that shares my interests."

"Jaune," Blake warned, hissing his name.

"No?" He raised an eyebrow, glancing back down at the page, "Ah, I get it. You're an enthusiast on kerning, aren't you? Can't stand it myself, especially when someone doubles it up."

He was trying to get a reaction out of her. He was trying to get her angry. Blake took a deep breath, ignoring him entirely as she picked up a different newspaper and started to read it. Her hands shook as the pages folded inwards, his finger poking it as he leaned in close. "Ooh, I love cartoons. Hold it there for me."

Blake slammed her hands down on the table, pushing the newspaper down too as she glared at him.

"No cartoons?"

"Why do you have to be so aggravating?"

"You could give Yang lessons with irony that thick."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, nothing…" Jaune glanced away as he chuckled, but the way he leaned further into his seat said he wouldn't be going anywhere in a hurry. "So… I've been nominated to check on you after that little tantrum-"

"It's not a tantrum, Jaune. In case you're not aware the White Fang have been stepping up recruitment. You-" she paused, wondering whether she was right or not. It felt like she was… despite how he acted, he _knew_ things. "You know that means bad things," she said, watching his face, "It's not something to be ignored."

His expression was not an easy one to read. There was his usual stupid smile, the one he wore when he wanted her to think he was nothing more than a lazy buffoon. She didn't fall for that anymore and knew to look past it. It was his eyes which gave him away; those blue irises which remained hard and focused on her. The corner twitched just the slightest bit.

"They're not being ignored," he said, "Didn't that article last night say their place was raided?"

"It did," she allowed. That had been a surprise, not just to hear that they were stepping up activities in the town, but that the authorities were finally going to do something about it. "But that would be just a setback to the people I used to work with. You don't know how they operate, Jaune. You don't know these peop-"

" _Don't_." The clipped word cut her off. His eyes were shut now, teeth clenched as he tilted his head down towards the table. Blake's breath caught, though she wasn't sure why. When he opened his eyes once more, the oppressive aura was gone. But his little smile didn't warm her. It was colder than any winter storm. "I think I know more than enough about how they operate, Blake. I had to fight them at the docks, remember?"

That was true, not that she could ever forget him saving her life like that. The memory was enough to curb her anger, if only a little. There was no point getting angry at him… not when she owed him so much.

"It's not quite the same," she whispered, looking around to see if any others were listening. She would never normally have been so candid, but he was in the unique position of already knowing much of the truth. "My old partner, Adam… he's much worse than the faunus you fought at the docks. He was fully willing to blow up the train you were on, killing everyone there."

"I know," Jaune said. "I was there."

"He was distracted," she said, flushing at the memory of just how. "He's normally a lot more focused and I can tell you now, he _won't_ give up just because one little meeting got raided. He'll come back bigger, and with more men, until he achieves his goal."

"And what do _you_ ," he poked a finger against her nose, making her scrunch it up, "think you can do about it?"

"I can stop hi-"

"Can you?" He looked at her seriously. "You couldn't even stop Roman and those White Fang at the docks. What can you do alone against this partner of yours?"

Her eyes clenched shut, breath coming out in a rush as she was forced to accept that bitter truth. She had been a fool, true… but even had she been on top form she didn't know if she could have beaten Torchwick. Even if she could… Adam was another matter entirely. With Sun, the two of them had been beaten so soundly, left to face the harsh reality of death.

She would have died if it wasn't for…

"Help me."

"Pardon?"

She bit her lip, almost enough to make it bleed, "I said help me, please… I can't do it alone but I'm going to try no matter what. You were able to fight the White Fang," an image flashed through her mind, the sickening sight of him killing her old comrades. He'd killed them… just like that. But against someone like Adam, was that kind of brutality what was needed? "If you came with me then it would be safer… we could do it."

"Or we could die," he said. "Keep in mind that my apparent `win` over Roman Torchwick wasn't exactly real. He blew himself up."

"You know that isn't true," she snapped, glaring at him. "I was there, Jaune. I made that up to cover for you. I know full well you did that on purpose; that you went in there fully prepared to kill him."

If the accusation shocked her leader then he didn't show it, instead rolling his eyes as though that should have been obvious. _What are you?_ She wanted to ask. What kind of man was he that he could think of life and death in such simple terms? Before she had been afraid of that cold look, back when she'd seen him threaten Winchester…

It didn't bother her now. He was dangerous, yes. There was also something wrong with him, she was sure of it. But the thought of him actually trying to hurt her just seemed… it just seemed stupid – impossible, even. Jaune wouldn't hurt her. He wouldn't hurt anyone on their team.

It was with a little shock that Blake realised just how much she trusted him.

"Please," she begged, "I'm not going to force you but I _will_ do this on my own otherwise. I can't let this go, but it would be so much safer if you were there as well. That way you can kee-"

"Okay."

Blake stared at him, eyes wide. "Huh?"

"I said okay," he shrugged, "I'll do it."

What!?

"Y-You will?" she gasped, waiting for him to shout that it was a joke. He didn't. He just watched her with a serious expression. "No tricks… this isn't some kind of joke?"

"Do I look like the kind of person who would joke about this?" She wanted to say yes, but she just wasn't sure. Jaune was normally so lazy, so lackadaisical and danger-avoidant that this just didn't make sense. _But he rushed out to protect you before,_ her mind pointed out. _Is it really so strange that he would do that again?_

"Thank you," Blake bowed her head, letting out a long sigh of relief. Finally someone was listening… someone was willing to do something. "Thank you so much. I know I'm asking a lot of you but I really do appreciate it."

"Don't get excited yet. There are conditions."

"Conditions?"

"First of all, you need to get some sleep." She opened her mouth to complain but he beat her to it, "If we're going out somewhere with a chance of combat then it makes no sense for you to be exhausted. If you want to stop them, you'll need to be rested."

"I agree to that." It wouldn't be wasting time if it was preparing for them to go on a raid. Adam had forced rest on them too, before every big mission. So long as they were _doing_ something and not just letting the Fang get away with things, it would be fine. "I'll get a full night's sleep tonight."

"Secondly, you apologise to the other-"

"I will," she nodded. It had been childish of her to rant at them in the first place. This wasn't their fault and she'd already known an apology was needed… she just hadn't quite been sure how and when.

"And finally, you let me know where and what we're doing in advance – and you don't rush into danger without talking to me first. You already know you can't do this alone... the last thing we need is you going lone wolf again when we're supposed to be working together, _as a team_."

That demand was a little harder to agree with… especially since she knew what he was like. Still, now that she had someone willing to help her, someone who was capable of fighting against the White Fang – she wasn't going to waste it. Perhaps he was right too... she had a team, as much as she didn't want to involve Yang and Weiss in this.

"Fine," she said. With one hand she pushed a newspaper across the table, drawing his attention to the main story. "This is an old safe house I know of," she said, "With their last base gone, there's a good chance they'll regroup here. At the very least it should have some signs of their presence… evidence we might be able to use."

"I see… we'll go there tomorrow or the day after, but not until I see you get some rest and make up with the others."

Blake smiled in relief, collapsing back in her seat. He'd agreed… it was done. And they would be checking the place out tomorrow, or close enough to that. She'd make sure she was rested so that he couldn't make any excuses. "I'll apologise to them now," she said, "I'll make up with them and get some sleep. I'll stop doing this all on my own and I won't rush off alone like last time. I promise."

"And I promise I'll help you," he sighed.

"Thank you," Blake whispered, actually pausing for a second as she felt the uncomfortable urge to hug him. She didn't. That would probably be a little strange, but the urge was there. "I'll go apologise now. Thank you again, Jaune. You have no idea how much this means to me." He didn't say anything as she slipped by and out of the room, her hand pausing half-way to touch his shoulder in thanks.

He only watched as she left the room, sighing once she was gone and he could look down at the discarded newspaper. "Another safe house," he whispered, reading through the details. Blake wouldn't stop her hunt willingly… he'd known it was a stupid idea to even try and convince her.

It was a good job that he hadn't bothered, then.

"Sorry Blake," he whispered, putting the newspaper clipping away in his pocket and standing up to leave. "I've never been very good at keeping promises."

He had a party to crash.

* * *

 **And we're back at Beacon. The set-up in the previous few chapters is starting to show itself; first as a snowball but to become more as it rolls down the hill. We're very much in for some butterfly effects in the coming chapters, with some rather innocuous actions before causing big changes.**

 **Plenty of forum predictions on this chapter, though it may seem many didn't turn out to be true, what I would instead say is `Not necessarily wrong on some of those… just early`.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 23rd December**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	22. Chapter 22

**Busy times ahead with writing and such. I hope you're all enjoying your holidays so far and have a great Christmas. In the meanwhile, here's a chapter for NTF.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 22 - The Problem with Promises**

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The White Fang safe house was one he wasn't familiar with, tucked into a corner of the docks that had remained untouched from his inferno only a few weeks before. The multi-storey building was only remarkable because of how unremarkable it was, drab and grey with misty glass windows covered by iron grates. Every now and then a lorry would pull into the walled exterior, parking against a loading bay and shipping something inside. The air was thick with fog, a saving grace considering the night time vision of the uniformed faunus he could see moving around inside the complex.

Jaune's eyes narrowed as he ducked back behind a nearby stack of crates, stifling a quick yawn with the back of his hand. Another long night it seemed, though the threat of danger would keep him awake. There had been too much action and too little sleep in the past few days, first with his assault on the place where they'd kept the Paladins, then looking after Weiss and now another mission out in Vale. At least his team wouldn't notice his absence, since he'd made a show of flirting with an older student and telling the others not to expect him back tonight.

Weiss had scoffed and crossed her arms, turning away as Blake and Yang gave him disappointed looks.

He wasn't sure what to make of that… they'd always been quite embarrassed of his habits but never quite so personally affronted before. He shook his head, dismissing such thoughts. Right now there were more important things to consider, namely how he was going to infiltrate and scrap another White Fang hideout. Hopefully that would mean when Blake and he came to investigate, she would see yet another example of the authorities proactively shutting down her old comrades.

In an ideal world that would be enough to convince Blake to give up. The world wasn't ideal, however, and Blake was as stubborn as they came, so he'd no doubt have to do it over and over until she got the point. _Sorry Blake, but technically I only promised to `help` with the White Fang._ She really needed to word her promises better, or listen to the loopholes in his. He supposed he couldn't blame her since the thought of lazy and sleepy Jaune rushing out into Vale to take on a building full of terrorists _was_ a little out there.

"The more you think you know a person," he chuckled and vaulted over the crates, crouching down and stalking alongside the wall. A crack in it gave him the entrance he needed, it being just wide enough for him to wedge the toes of his boot in and reach up for the top of the wall. It was ringed with barbed wire but the metal was rusted and weak, easily snapped and pushed aside as he climbed over.

The gates a little further down rattled open again, another unmarked lorry reversing in with muted beeping, a White Fang with a baton waving it back. It docked a second later, two faunus hopping out of the cabin. They moved to the back and helped to carry the wooden crates from the truck into the building.

A small thrill of excitement shot through him, an emotion that seemed long buried as he realised just what this safe house of Blake's was. It wasn't somewhere to just hide… it was actually a storage facility for their dust! _I'll have to remember this for the next life._ _Shutting this down could actually hamper them._ It would do the same here as well, but with the lack of training and how weak he was, it probably wouldn't make enough of a difference. Either way, with the guards distracted he made his way towards the cabin, easing open the door and slipping inside. No mask or uniform, nor any weapons. With a sigh he reached down and pulled a lever, disengaging the hand brake.

The lorry rolled back, slamming into the wall with a mighty clang that had a few people cry out in shock. It didn't do any damage, at least not to the building. Muttered curses sounded from outside as someone called another person an idiot and footsteps echoed towards the front of the vehicle. "I put the hand brake on," the man grumbled, slamming his hands into the entrance way and pulling himself up, only to freeze.

Jaune grinned and waved at the shocked faunus. "Hey there." The man opened his mouth to shout but Jaune struck first, driving his foot up and under his chin – shutting his mouth with a loud click and also smashing his head up into the top of the doorway. The White Fang grunt fell like a sack of potatoes, slouching onto the felt seats. He would have slid out but for Jaune grabbing the jacket and pulling him in. "I'll take these," he said as he divested the guy of his white jacket, hood and mask.

With his already black t-shirt, dark jeans and boots – the white jacket and mask managed to accurately enough complete the uniform. People would notice the subtle differences perhaps, but they would probably write them off as some new initiate not taking it seriously.

"Where's Rufus?" a uniformed faunus growled as he approached. Another stepped forward alongside him, forcing Jaune to stop.

"Who?" Jaune asked, holding his arms wide, "I just arrived for the night."

"You're not with the shipment? A little late for a guard isn't it?"

"The neighbours have been getting a little suspicious of all my late night activity," Jaune sighed, waving one hand dramatically. "I had to make this scene of arguing with the missus just to have an excuse to leave. Bad enough the bastards think I'm scum for what I am, now they think me and Becca are breaking up. I mean seriously, can you ev-"

"We're on the job," the White Fang on the left snapped, giving him an angry glare. "Save your bitching for when we've got this under control. Now get inside and help the others. There's plenty of lifting to be done."

He had to supress a laugh as he mumbled "Sorry!" and pushed past them into the warehouse. That was the problem with terrorist cells. They kept their members safe by offering a degree of secrecy, but that also meant each person didn't know who was or wasn't part of their little group. Well, so long as he didn't end up coming across any of the elites, but he figured if Adam was in Vale he'd have known about it by now. The guy was hardly inconspicuous.

The interior was much of what he'd already expected, a honeycomb of stacked boxes and crates with several forklifts lazily drifting around the crowded floor. If the people working there had replaced white jackets for high visibility, and masks for hardhats then it would have looked like any other warehouse operation.

This was far worse, however, and as Jaune slipped between two aisles of crates he watched as two White Fang members checked the goods, reaching a hand into a crate of dust and letting the red particles drift between their fingers. _There's not enough here for it to be their main base… if Roman or Cinder would even be that stupid. This has to be a satellite one at best._ Over the repeats he'd learned where some of the bases were kept, but never all of them. He'd begun to doubt they even had a main warehouse, but instead had erred on the side of caution and spread their dust out over a bunch of minor ones. Roman was a professional and the with the White Fang working alongside them, they had the manpower to run twenty or thirty different warehouses.

Jaune hummed as he touched his hand to the stolen jacket, feeling for the scroll he knew would be hidden inside. With poor old Rufus unconscious in the cab it was only a matter of time until someone noticed what had happened. "Best be quick about it," he whispered, pulling out the scroll and his own and thumbing his way through the contacts kept on his. As a precaution Qrow's details were under the title of Uncle Arc, something anyone would write off as being unimportant – at least hopefully. He dialled it into the stolen one, stashing his away and taking a deep breath.

Qrow didn't ask who it was as he answered the call, though the man's eyes did widen a fraction when he saw a hooded White Fang member, blond hair peeking out from above the mask. "I had a feeling it might be you," he said, "What do you want, _friend_?"

Jaune took a quick breath as he glanced around the warehouse, just to make sure no one was close by. "Just to offer a little help," he said, trying to keep his voice gravelly. He panned the scroll around the area, showing the huntsman on the other end the various stacked boxes.

"Is that…?"

"Dust," Jaune confirmed. He stepped forward to lift the lid off one, showing Qrow the fine, blue material stacked in vials inside. "The warehouse is filled with dust."

"Shit," the man cursed, "I take it you want me to track your scroll again?"

Jaune nodded and made to place it atop a nearby crate.

"Wait, wait, wait! Who are you? Why are you doing this? If you're using me to do your dirty work, the least you can do is answer a few questions."

He would have loved to answer those questions; his hand even hesitated for a moment as he wondered if it would be possi- no, he'd tried that before, a long time ago. It had just taken a few seconds to remember. "I'm a friend," Jaune said simply, placing it down but leaving the call going. Qrow would be able to trace it from that. "That's all I am."

Something clicked behind him.

"You're no friend of ours, traitor." a masculine voice said before something struck his back and sent him crashing into some nearby crates.

Pain roared through his body, a dull ringing in his ears as instincts kicked in and hand him rolling behind cover. Something loud and yet muffled impacted the ground beside him, and it wasn't until the pain started to fade that his hearing came back to him. They said you never heard the gun that shot you… it had been a while since he'd taken a bullet. "Thank you aura," he grunted, touching his back but letting out a breath when his hand came away not covered in blood.

Any such relief was short lived as more shots rang out, White Fang shouting instructions as he heard rapid footfalls on his left and right. They were surrounding him, cutting off his escape while the first kept him pinned down.

"-okay? You still alive?" Jaune glanced down to the scroll he'd unintentionally kept hold of, Qrow's face visible in it but the background now a blur. Was he moving, running somewhere? "I'm on my way," the man shouted, "Hold on as best you can – I'll be there soon!"

Panic hit him harder than the bullet ever had, a curse slipping from his lips as he _threw_ the device aside and pushed up onto his feet, dashing away from where he'd been hidden and deeper into the warehouse.

Embers sparked around him as shots whizzed over his ears and pinged against the granite floor, but the shooters were obviously trying to avoid hitting the dust crates. That would help keep him alive and give him plenty of volatile cover to hide behind, but that didn't help with the time limit he now had.

Qrow was en route, both his saviour and doom at the same time. The huntsman must have still been in Vale after the last incident, which meant he needed to be out and away from here fast! "Get out of my way," Jaune snarled, crashing into a White Fang member who had dared to try and block his path.

The grunt hadn't the time to even raise his weapon before Jaune was upon him, driving a knee into his stomach before twisting and pushing the man back into the oncoming shots. There was a muffled cry but no time to see whether the man had aura or not, whether he was alive in pain or slowly bleeding out on the floor.

He needed a weapon… something he could use. Crocea Mors was back at Beacon, too distinctive to bring out into Vale where any errant CCTV camera might spot it.

There were hurried footsteps ahead, voices calling out orders as several dark shapes took up positions behind various pieces of unused machinery.

Jaune swore and ducked to the side, slipping slightly as a hand slapped down onto the floor and his legs kicked off. Fire rained down on his last position but he grunted as he threw himself against a metal door, slamming it open as he fell through and looked around.

Two windows, some filing cabinets and a desk; some unused office long since abandoned.

He took hold of the desk, dragging it across the floor with a loud scrape of wooden legs as he pushed it against the door. The seconds it could buy might save him, but only if he found another way out. The windows were solid, the steel bars behind them more so. His frantic eyes darted left and right but no other escape was visible.

What use did a small office have of multiple exits? Something slammed into the door, the metal frame shaking but the door refusing to open. "Knock it open!" someone shouted on the other end before another bang echoed – more people throwing their weight into it.

Jaune spun towards it, hand reaching for a weapon he wasn't wearing. He'd have to fight… he could to it too, if he got the drop on them. All it would take was disarming one and then using them as a human shield while he fired through. Nothing too hard considering he had aura and they probably didn't. But how much time would that take? His eyes swung upwards instead, a sigh escaping him. "When did my life become like a Spruce Willis movie?"

The door rattled once more, dust falling from the wall as it became clear it would give way before the metal did.

He paid little attention to it, dashing forward and leaping onto the desk, using it as a platform to reach the industrial ventilation system attached to the ceiling. The grate gave way easily, poorly maintained and falling apart as it was. His legs kicked in the air wildly, trying to propel himself as he pulled his body up and into it. A fan lazily spun behind, meaning he only had the forward route which would lead over the area he'd been in before. _They wouldn't expect me to double back… I could hop out while they're distracted and escape._

As he crawled forward it didn't take him long to come to an unsatisfying truth he really should have known already. The movies had only a tangential grip on reality…

He winced as his hand pushed down on the metal, clanging loudly as he made his way through the vents like an Ursa trying to tip-toe its way around a house of mirrors. _Screw you, Spruce Willis. How the hell did you make crawling through the vents seem quiet?_

Subtlety gave way to haste, the sound so obvious the White Fang below would have had to be deaf, stupid _and_ trying to not hear him. "He's in the vents!" one shouted, increasing Jaune's pace from panicked to `shit, shit, shit`. A lance of light pierced the metal ahead of him, dust motes sparkling in it as the hole left by the shot had him freezing still. "Open fire!"

His hands wrapped around his head, legs bunching up as he made himself as small a target as possible. Metal gave way all around him, loud bangs sounding as bullets slammed into and through the vents all around him. Each time one whizzed close he flinched, gritting his teeth as he clamped down on the urge to move – to flee.

The hail of gunfire subsided a few seconds later. "Is he gone?"

"There's no blood!"

Jaune's eyes widened.

"He must have moved!" More shots rang out, but a shaky breath of air left his lips as the holes started to appear further down, rattling the sheet metal as bullets pinged and clinked their way through the vents.

Blue eyes scrunched shut as he tried to calm his breathing, slowly coming out of his foetal position. His body ached too, testament to the fact that not all the shots had missed. _I can't stay here… eventually they'll send someone up to take a look._ But the moment he moved, the sound would alert the people below once more.

An explosion by what must have been the main entrance cut into not only his thoughts, but also the gunfire. "Well, well," a familiar voice laughed, "Look what we have here. I must be all kinds of lucky to keep running into you guys."

No… not so soon! Jaune's heart hammered in his chest, panic setting in as he heard the huntsman throw himself into the White Fang members. It would take him no time at all to cut them down. He growled as he dragged himself along the vents, trying to keep the noise as quiet as possible, just in case the huntsman heard it over the sounds of combat. The vents creaked as he moved through them, however, his clothing dragging loudly across the metal.

It clicked and creaked ominously. It was as he made his way to a new piece that disaster struck, the metal – already weakened by all the gunfire – bulged and swayed beneath his hand, his weight pushing down as something holding it to the ceiling snapped with a loud crack. The world shifted, the metal tube he was in swinging across the warehouse floor and crashing into a shelving unit of crates.

Jaune coughed and hacked as he collapsed at the bottom of it, covered in valuable dust that threatened to kill him not through elemental properties but by choking. His hand pushed down into it, lifting his head up as he wiped at the mask covering his face, clearing his vision.

Everyone was looking in his direction.

But it wasn't everyone that Jaune Arc cared about. Blue eyes, concealed by the mask, stared straight into the red irises of Qrow Branwen. The man's mouth opened, his blade lowering just a fraction. There was still a chance… maybe he didn't realise who he was.

One of the White Fang pointed a gun at him. "Kill the traitor!" he screamed, damning Jaune in an instant. All care and caution was lost, the shots that rushed towards him hitting the dust that had been scattered across the floor.

Fire lapped at his back as he felt himself be hurled into the air, slamming down a good ten or so metres away as the explosion rocked the building. He hacked and fought for breath, staggering to his feet and limping away, glancing back over his shoulder.

Qrow spun where he stood, disarming one enemy just using he hilt of his weapon, while another fell to a shot as the blade clicked to the side. He leapt into the air soon after, metal cracking and shifting into a scythe as he crashed back to the ground, one more masked foe down for the count. Through it all, however, the man's terrifying eyes remained locked onto him.

His leg roared with agony but he forced himself on. The main entrance was doomed; he'd have to pass Qrow to reach it which wasn't going to happen. He stumbled into a fire escape instead, wincing with each step as he used his hands to drag himself up the staircase.

Combat continued to sound below, but by the time Jaune had managed to drag himself to the top, he heard the door at the bottom slam open. "Wait!" Qrow shouted in a voice filled with panic. "You're the one, right? Hold on!"

Jaune gasped in equal parts pain and fear as he heard the man dashing up the steps after him. The door at the top clanged open as he fell against it, dragging himself out and onto the roof. He couldn't stop. The slanted, metal roof was slick under his hand but he managed to push himself up and limp over to the back. There would be an exterior fire escape too, one he could use to reach the bottom. Jaune reached the side, peering over the edge only to recoil back. Ocean waves lapped against a barrier far below, heralding the point at which the Vale docks began.

The door to the rooftop access exploded open. Qrow stumbled out with a cocky grin. "There you are," he laughed, "You gave me quite the run."

Jaune turned to face him.

"Your info was on point again. Thanks for that. We'll close this place down, reclaim the dust too. It should push their operations back." The huntsman sheathed his weapon, holding his hands out to show that he was unarmed. The fact didn't make him any less dangerous… in fact it only made things worse considering how low his aura was after the fighting and the explosion. "Now that we've got a chance to talk, how about you tell me why you're doing this?" Qrow took a step forward. "Are you upset with what the White Fang's been doing? Are you even part of them?"

A quick glance back showed that he was already near the edge of the roof, trapped between oblivion and the very real threat of imprisonment. "I'm just a concerned friend," he called back.

"I get that, I do. You've been good to your word so far too, so how about you and I sit down and have a drink together, eh? It seems to me we're both after the same thing so I don't see why we need to have all these secretive little calls."

Work with him? Heh… Jaune's eyes drifted shut. The thought of it was enough to make him long for it, but life was never that simple. This wasn't the first time he'd tried to subtly feed information to Ozpin and his people. It wasn't the first time by a long shot. Sometimes he did it too early and the headmaster didn't believe him… so he'd tried again the next times, choosing his moments and working to win his trust first. Like all his other plans he'd ironed it out not with clever planning and strategy, but rather he had brute forced the issue, trying whatever he could until it eventually worked.

"Let's work together," Qrow offered.

Jaune took another step back. He had tried over and over – and he'd explored every angle. Qrow was a good man… the best of men… but he wasn't the only one in their group. Whether it was Ozpin, Ironwood or something else, working alongside them didn't work out. He would be interrogated, kept aside, allowed to offer information but not participate. Cinder would win, his team would fall and Pyrrha would die alone atop a tower, fading into ash. He took a deep breath, letting it out in one, long gasp.

Qrow seemed to understand what he'd decided; the conviction perhaps obvious – even with most of his face obscured. The man cursed and dashed forward, arm outstretched, "No, wait!" Trapped between a huntsman and the deep blue sea… one would result in certain incarceration. The other might kill him. Sometimes there were no good choices.

Jaune held his arms wide and took another step back, closing his eyes as the world shifted beneath him.

/-/

Weiss yawned and stretched her arms as the scroll beneath her pillow vibrated. She caught herself a second later, looking around furtively to see if anyone had caught such an impolite display. Luckily the others were all in various states of torpor and her display had gone unnoticed. A Schnee did not yawn widely, nor did they stretch or show such weakness. She held a fist before her mouth, stifling the last vestiges of sleep into it and standing up.

Yang and Blake moved about with the grace of the undead, shambling back and forth as Blake pushed Yang aside and stole the shower – a wise precaution with how long the blonde could take. Yang mumbled into the door, hands scratching on it like a zombie who had scented blood on the other side. All of that Weiss ignored, however, when she noticed the recumbent form asleep in the bed beside her own.

When had her partner returned? The last she'd seen of him was when he was flirting with some stupid floozy, working his way into another's bed. The clock on the wall told her it was nearly eight, leaving a little over an hour for getting ready and breakfast.

She made her way over to his bedside with a put-upon sigh, looking down on him as he slept on his side, shoulder moving gently in his sleep with his back turned to her. Yang's dog was asleep at his side, curled into the crook of his body in a manner that almost – okay, definitely – looked adorable. That wasn't her being un-Schnee or anything… Zwei was just unusually cute. She reached out a hand to shake Jaune's shoulder, only to pause as she caught sight of his face.

He looked so peaceful, yet at the same time exhausted. Without the annoying look on his face or the constant eye-rolls, his face showed clear signs of fatigue. Her hand moved away. Maybe he could sleep just a little longer if he was tired…

Her eyes narrowed a second later, recalling just _why_ he would be tired and just _what_ he'd probably been doing with some stupid girl the night before. She grabbed him by the shoulder, shaking him wildly. "Wake up, dolt," she snapped, "We've got breakfast and lessons."

He grumbled but didn't move, prompting her to frown and try harder, reaching across to poke his cheek. His eyes snapped open, body twisting as his fingers latched about her wrist.

Pain shot up her arm, a flinch and gasp escaping her as she felt the bones there shift together. His eyes were bloodshot as they stared at her – or past her.

Before she could say anything Zwei was up and on him, forelegs on his chest as the dog licked at his face. Jaune spluttered and tried to push the corgi away, letting go of her in the process. "Zwei," he spluttered, "Oi, stop it – bad… okay hey, no kisses!" He descended into muffled cursing a second later, glaring balefully at the happy corgi as he sat up.

Weiss could only stare at him, still cradling her arm.

"Ugh," he yawned, stretching with his arms before smacking his lips audibly, looking about the room.

Her eye twitched, not only at the casual dismissal of what he'd done but also the way he could get away with acting like that while her reputation would have been ruined. "Nice to see you're awake," she snapped, "Weren't you out picking up an STD?"

"I always use protection," he said, missing the point entirely. "I came back early… someone interrupted our little party and it suddenly became a bit too awkward to keep going."

"That must have been embarrassing for them."

"It was awkward, yeah," he yawned again, sitting up. She couldn't help but notice the red in his eyes and the way it took him a little longer than usual to stand.

Irritation flared in her eyes as she scoffed and crossed her arms. What concern of hers was it if he got tired sleeping around? Let him make his mistakes and deal with the consequences.

"Is your arm okay?" Jaune asked, finally noticing her holding it.

Weiss looked down at it, letting go and holding it behind her back. "I bumped it earlier," she lied. He didn't seem to recall grabbing it. And despite his clear exhaustion, he was smiling and petting Zwei; part of her didn't want to ruin that scene. "Anyway, it's gone eight now and we have lessons. You need to be up and ready for breakfast. No excuses!"

"Yes, Weiss," he sighed, moving away to wait for his turn in the shower. Zwei fell onto the bed as he did, wagging his tail and trotting up to look at her.

"Good boy," she whispered as she rubbed his head. He nosed at her arm, which she showed with a little smile. "My arm's okay. I was just surprised, that's all." Her aura had prevented any damage, but the shock of seeing her normally lazy partner's eyes like that had left her unsettled. She spared another glance for him, watching as he leaned heavily against the wall beside the entrance to the bathroom, eyes drifting shut and open again as his head kept falling down before he would start and look back up.

She tilted her head, wondering if she should stand nearby, just to catch him if he fell. Something was wrong with him… again. She sighed and palmed her forehead. Why was it always her who needed to keep an eye on her team? "I suppose someone has to," she grumbled.

It might as well be her.

The others noticed something was wrong with him the moment they saw him, though she was sure they wrote it off as his usual issues. Jaune responded to conversation where expected and otherwise ignored it where he wasn't, which was to say he blatantly ignored anyone not a part of Team JBWY or RRNN. He prodded and poked at breakfast, drinking his orange juice but barely grazing the grapefruit he'd picked off the stand.

He even had the audacity to ignore the porridge she forced onto his plate, despite how she'd gone out of her way to collect it for him.

He was no better in lessons either, though again it seemed less malicious and more just him being unusually tired. He fell asleep in Oobleck's lesson – again, not unusual – but he took a little longer to be roused once the teacher caught him. How he'd gotten out of that without a detention she had no idea, but part of her suspected it was because he was already having private talks with the man.

"You need to be more mindful," Weiss hissed as they left the classroom. "If you fell asleep in Miss Goodwitch's class she would kill you!"

"If his opponent didn't first," Yang laughed. It wasn't a very funny joke, though Nora somehow felt compelled to giggle. "Oh cheer up mom," the blonde teased, "You're just jealous dad was about sleeping around again."

Weiss' temper flared at that ridiculous comment. What he chose to do with his various strumpets was no concern of hers. She would have told Xiao-Long precisely where she could go and throw herself, but before she could the blonde moved past to wrap an arm around her partner's shoulder.

"Still though pops, having to walk back alone through the halls? Talk about a walk of shame… so, how did it feel?"

"How did what feel?"

His blatant confusion annoyed her to no end. She crossed her arms and glared at him. "I'm not sure he even knows what shame feels like," she said. "I would wager that he can't even remember the name of the woman he slept with."

"Er..." He couldn't meet her eyes. Hmph, just as she'd expected.

"Pst," Yang whispered into his ear – though not so quietly that they couldn't _all_ hear her. "I think she's high-strung… you should just sleep with her already."

The worst part was that Weiss couldn't even find it in herself to be angry at the taunts… not because they were true, of course, but because Yang had been throwing them out _all_ week. "Haven't I told you before that repeating a joke doesn't make it funny?"

Yang stuck her tongue out in response. How very mature.

"Should the two of you be arguing so much?" Ren asked, unwittingly putting himself directly in the line of fire for both of them. "Aren't you working together for the school dance?"

"Weiss is ruining it," Yang instantly reported.

Ruining it? Weiss' eyes narrowed as she squared her shoulders, planting hands on her hips as she spun to face her nemesis. "I am not ruining the dance," she said, "If anything your constant demands for more theatrics are going to ruin it. No one will even be able to _see_ the dancers if we employ a fraction of the smoke machines you want?"

"No one will be able to get into a dress for all the petticoats if you have your way."

"It's a formal dance – it's supposed to be traditional. You wouldn't even let me bring an orchestra."

"Because we want people to _dance_ , not die of boredom."

"Why you-"

Ruby appeared between them, the rose petals that floated behind her heralding the use of her semblance. "Guys, guys," she laughed, "We're not going to fight before Miss Goodwitch's lesson, right?"

"Ruby's right," Pyrrha said, "Besides, the dance is going to be a great event I'm sure."

"I'm going with Ren," Nora cheered, throwing an arm around her partner's shoulder. The look on his face said he'd not been clued in on the fact but that it didn't surprise him in the slightest either. "Who are you all going with?"

All conversation between the group died. It should have been obvious from the start but as they glanced around it wasn't hard to notice that their teams consisted of six girls and two guys, one of which had already been claimed.

"Sun has been asking me," Blake said, in the kind of voice that hinted she still hadn't decided if she was going to accept the invitation or not. The faunus turned to Weiss, "He's been asking about you too."

Weiss raised an eyebrow, "Has he?"

"Not for himself," Blake hurried to add, "I think he's been asking for his friend Neptune."

"Wait, so _I'm_ the only one going stag?" Yang looked and sounded horrified, lilac eyes flicking between them as though searching for someone to come to her aid.

"Don't worry," Ruby cheered, "I'm going alone too. We can be alone together."

The fact that her sister – her _younger_ sister – said that didn't seem to help. The blonde wilted, swaying to the side as though a light breeze might knock her over. Weiss chuckled, glad to see Yang on the other foot for once.

"You could always go with Jaune," Ren suggested.

"Nah," Yang waved a hand, "That would be weird. Besides, Jaune's gonna go with Weiss, right?"

"And when was that decided?" Weiss asked as she crossed her arms.

"Well it hasn't been… but it just seemed obvious."

"Just because we're partners doesn't mean we have to partner for the school dance too."

"That's not what I mean-"

Weiss rolled her eyes, cutting the girl off by raising her hand. It wasn't like Jaune had shown any inclination to want such a thing anyway, nor had she. They both had more important things to do. Jaune, however, surprised her by speaking.

"Neptune will ask Weiss."

She didn't know whether she should feel flattered at the certainty in his voice. It wasn't that she had ever doubted herself; she wasn't quite so dramatic as to stand in front of a mirror and waste time on doubt. But it was unlike him to get involved in such things.

"He hasn't asked her yet," Blake pointed out.

"He will." Jaune shrugged, apparently uninterested in the disappointed looks both their teammates were giving him. He looked to her instead, taking a deep breath and releasing it with a sigh. "I won't be going with anyone either, Ruby, so don't worry about it."

Weiss half-expected Ruby to suggest they go together, but it seemed even the socially awkward Ruby could tell when something would be just a little _too_ socially awkward. She laughed and nodded instead, though Weiss didn't miss the relieved look on Pyrrha's face. She hadn't shown any interest in guys at Beacon… it looked like a lot of them would be going without dates.

"Why are you going single?" Yang sighed, "You have more girlfriends here than full meals."

Weiss' eye twitched at that comment, though it definitely wasn't an incorrect assessment. "I wouldn't call them girlfriends," she spoke for him. "That suggests a level of emotional intimacy that isn't there. I'd be surprised if any woman in Beacon would dare risk their reputation to go with him."

"Weiss!" Ruby rebuked.

"No, she's right." It was Jaune that came to her defence, grinning lopsidedly to show he hadn't been offended. She'd known he wouldn't be, of course. She hadn't meant it like that. "People want to go with dates they care about and who care about them. It's not the same as what I do."

"You shouldn't sell yourself short," Yang sighed.

He blinked and looked between them all. "I'm not," he said. "I'm not upset about this. I'm just stating facts. Besides, it's only the school dance… it doesn't mean anything."

"Only the-?" Yang shook her head, blonde hair whipping across her face. "How can you be so casual about one of the _biggest_ parts of the school experience? Your first dance – _the first dance-_ "

Weiss almost jumped when her partner burst out laughing. "Are you about to say how the person we go with is who we'll end up marrying in twenty years' time?" He shared a look with her, Weiss rolling her eyes in return. "That's surprisingly naively romantic of you. Did you read it out of one of Blake's smut books?"

Blake's eyes narrowed.

"Hey," Yang coughed and looked away. "It's just the mood, okay? I know it's silly but it's still the school dance. That's a big thing."

"Pft," Ruby stuck her tongue out. "No it's not. I'll be going like I normally do."

Weiss didn't miss the look on Yang's face when Ruby said that. _Looks like someone's going to be ambushed and forced into a dress._ She'd have warned the girl but technically a Yang aimed in another direction was a Yang she didn't have to deal with.

"It's not like everyone is going to judge you on your past," Yang turned back to their leader. "I bet Weiss would go with you."

"Sure," Weiss rolled her eyes, "Sign my relationship status away. Not like I'm standing right here."

"Neptune is going to ask her to go," Jaune repeated, as though that answered everything.

"He hasn't asked her yet – and there's no guarantee Weiss would even accept."

"She will." Jaune said, turning to her, "Right?"

Weiss hesitated, wondering why he was looking at her so intently. She didn't know. It hadn't even happened yet, despite how confident he sounded. "Maybe," she said, ignoring Yang's frustrated look. "I don't know. Do we have to keep talking about this?"

"We shouldn't," Blake came to their rescue, stepping forward with a sigh. "Miss Goodwitch isn't going to be very forgiving if we're late to class. You know how she can be around Jaune."

"Blake's right," Pyrrha agreed. "Ultimately who we all do or don't go with isn't going to matter if we're stuck in detention." The others nodded and agreed, Pyrrha leading the procession as they followed. Yang gave her a frustrated look as they left, though for the life of her she couldn't figure out why.

It was like he said… it was just a dance.

/-/

Miss Goodwitch's combat class tended to come at the end of any given day, the better for them to work up an appetite and not have to attend lessons exhausted or covered in sweat. The latter was a boon though for him the former didn't change. Two, maybe three hours' sleep, and even then, it was only after he'd dragged himself from the ocean, half-drowned and shaking like a leaf. The tumultuous waves and dark waters had prevented Qrow from following him… hell, they'd almost prevented him from reaching shore alive.

He was glad he had, of course. Drowning wasn't all that bad a way to die, it was strangely peaceful and floating – but so soon into Beacon would have been a pain.

From there it had been a sodden slog back to Beacon, sneaking through the Emerald Forest to avoid detection, fighting a few Grimm en route, only to arrive back at five in the morning. Honestly, he was lucky Zwei was the only one to notice him as he collapsed into bed.

But it was done… he'd managed to shut down that damn place. Through all the exhaustion, all the pain the difficulties he had keeping his eyes open during the day, that simple victory kept him going.

Blake hadn't even noticed and didn't seem to now. She was engaged in conversation with Yang and Sun, though clearly trying not to humour the latter. Sun, for all his foibles, took it like a champion – shrugging off her rather rude behaviour and flashing Jaune a grin at the same time. _He's persistent; I'll give him that._ Getting into Blake's good graces was going to take a little more than that, however.

"Hopefully Miss Goodwitch doesn't ask for you to fight," Weiss mumbled to him.

Jaune fought back a little smile, raising an eyebrow towards his partner.

"If you're about to make a crack about my concern, save it. You're exhausted and liable to collapse at any moment." She gave him a look up and down. "Are you sure you're not ill?"

He wasn't, in all honesty. The water had been freezing and the chill temperature at night hadn't made his trip home any better. Avoiding Ozpin's security cameras was also a chore, though thankfully one he was a little more used to. You tended to learn where the main ones were after going through them so many times. "I don't think I'll be called up," he said.

"Let's hope not," Weiss sighed. "You're distracted when you're tired. What happens if you miss something or make a mistake?"

"Then I get knocked around the ring a bit," he shrugged. "Don't worry, I'm fine. I just didn't get much sleep. It was a busy night."

She scowled at him for that, turning her nose up and ignoring him as she walked away to talk with Ruby and Pyrrha. Whoops. He'd forgotten what she thought he'd been doing for a moment… or rather _who_ she thought he'd been doing.

"Welcome to a new term," Miss Goodwitch called, silencing the students with her voice alone. "You'll have no doubt noticed that our numbers have grown on last year. I hope you'll take the time to welcome our transfers from other schools with open arms."

Oh, he'd noticed alright. His eyes narrowed as he glared towards one end of the hall, where he could see Cinder, Mercury and Emerald standing just away from the main procession of Haven students. Just the sight of them made his blood boil and teeth grind together. He had to remain calm, however. Doing anything else would just draw attention on himself and his team… he wasn't strong enough to stop them and even if he killed them right now it wouldn't change anything.

"Mr Arc," the woman's voice cut into his thoughts, though he wasn't sure what he'd done to draw her attention. Oh wait, why was everyone else sat down? Weiss was scowling and motioning for him to sit. "While I applaud your choice of a new outfit, Mr Arc, there's no reason to show it off to everyone such."

"You noticed? Have you been checking me out? We could skip combat class and meet in your office in ten minutes."

"Thank you for volunteering for this fight," Miss Goodwitch didn't miss a beat. "Now, if we can have a volunteer to ki- I mean spar with Mr Arc, that would be appreciated."

He had to admit, there was a certain sense of pride that shot through him as he saw every single Beacon student lean back nervously. Team Cardinal even whimpered.

"No one?" Miss Goodwitch seemed less amused, hands on her hips as she shook her head, thoroughly disappointed with the mettle of her students. "Then I suppose one of the new students must suffice… ah, Mr Wukong." Sun looked around as if to see whether there were any more Wukongs in the crowd. When the teacher's frown turned a little sharper, however, he practically flew up onto the stage.

"Hey man," Sun waved a hand awkwardly.

Jaune took one look at him before turning to the blonde woman. "Can I have a different opponent? This one keeps flirting with me."

"Hey! I wasn't flirtin-"

"Denied." The woman's crop slammed into the palm of her hand. "The bout will continue until your aura hits the read or I call it finished. Am I understood?"

Sun nodded while Jaune rolled his eyes. She repeated it for every single fight but then again, he supposed there were a few people who kept trying to push it.

"Also, Mr Arc, all previous rules specific to you remain in force. Am I understood?"

Okay, now that was just unfair. "Understood," he sighed.

"Specific rules?" Sun suddenly looked nervous. Maybe he was remembering what happened at the docks – or at least what he must have been told when he woke up. "He isn't going to crash a Bullhead into me, is he?"

"Repeat the rules for us, Mr Arc." A few people in the crowd started to mutter and giggle, mostly the new students who hadn't seen what he'd done for the past few fights.

Jaune sighed, "No forfeiting, no calling time-out and then attacking people, no calling my teammates up to fight in my place, no running into the spectators to use them as human cover." The laughter stopped as some of the transfer students started to look a little nervous, "And no bringing weaponry into the ring like a Taser and using it on his balls."

Sun crossed his legs.

"And…?"

Jaune blinked. That was it, wasn't it?

Miss Goodwitch frowned, "There will be no commandeering military vehicles for use on your opponents."

"Oh, thank god…"

"That wasn't officially made a rule," Jaune said.

"I thought better of it," she said and stepped back. "Now that you know the rules – begin!"

Sun drew his weapon immediately, holding it in staff form in front of him but not making any move to attack. If anything, he looked uncertain whether he should or shouldn't. His eyes kept flicking past Jaune, back to where his team sat.

Ah… so he wasn't sure what to do in case it upset Blake? "You know," Jaune said, "If you surrender I can see about convincing Blake to go on a date with you."

Sun's eyes widened but a different blonde cut in before he could agree. "Ahem... I believe we just covered that you cannot have your teammates fight for you."

"I'm not asking her to fight..."

"Fine... then consider the act of pimping out your teammates banned henceforth."

Jaune rolled his eyes, "Okay… if you _don't_ surrender I'll-"

"I should not have to say this but obviously _refusing_ to pimp out your teammates is also banned, Mr Arc. If I might make a suggestion - try combat."

Oh, come on…

"Heh, no hard feelings eh?" Sun twirled his weapon, the staff making a quiet hum as it spun through the air. He didn't attack, however. Perhaps he was waiting for his opponent to draw their weapon.

Jaune sighed as he stepped back, arms wide and without a weapon as he turned to face the faunus. Sun watched him carefully, not at all fooled by the fact he had nothing in hand. Come to think of it, Sun didn't know anything about his reputation as being lazy, weak or stupid. All he knew was that Jaune Arc was strong enough to fight off Torchwick and the White Fang.

Miss Goodwitch coughed loudly, the threat clear. Sun sighed and dashed forward, feinting up before falling to one knee and sweeping at Jaune's legs.

He felt the wind against his legs as he leapt over it, drawing Crocea Mors with a whisper of steel. She flicked out towards his opponent's face.

Sun knocked it aside with the tip of his staff, leaping back to put some distance between them.

Jaune frowned as he chased after the faunus. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do in a situation like this. All the other fights had been pre-meditated, things he'd known about in advance and could figure out a trick to. "You know," he said as he ducked under another swing, "I wonder what Blake would think if you beat up her old man like this."

Sun winced, not following through with his next strike and giving Jaune an opening to land a blow instead. The blond faunus reeled back, clutching his chest where the pommel of Crocea Mors had struck. "Not cool man," he sighed, "Not cool."

"All's fair in love and war."

Sun didn't seem to agree, breaking his staff in two and squeezing off two quick shots before rushing in to use them as nunchaku.

Jaune's vision blurred as he dodged, breath already coming out in sharp pants. His muscles burned despite the lack of activity, the pain from the previous night racing through him. For a moment, the sword in his hands swayed and he thought it might drop. He took a deep breath and shook his head, gripping Crocea Mors tighter and snapping back to the real world.

The hesitation nearly cost him. The Haven student struck like a meteorite, driving him back with a flurry of aggressive blows. Jaune gasped as one broke past his guard, catching the side of his knee and knocking it aside. He caught himself on one knee, glancing up in time to catch Sun's foot against his cheek.

Pain flashed through his head as he struck the mat, struggling to drag himself up. Why was he so out of it? A blow like that would have normally done nothing more than wind him.

"Hey," Sun called, sounding more than a little worried, "Are you okay?"

"Mr Arc's aura is still in the yellow," Miss Goodwitch answered for him. It still gave him the time needed to pull himself up. His vision swayed a little more, there seeming to be two Sun's for a second before he shook his head. _You can sleep tonight,_ he growled inside his head. _For now I need you to fight._

One thing was for certain, this couldn't go on any longer if he wanted to come out of it in one piece. His muscles were still aching, not from where Sun had hit but general fatigue. The fight, the swim and then the long, wet journey through the forest. He felt so heavy.

"Miss," his opponent shouted, "I don't think he's feeling well. Can we call this off?"

No, no, no! Jaune shook his head and tried to force himself into a more confident position. The last thing he needed was for them to decide he was sick and in need of a stay in the infirmary. Normally that would be fine but Blake was going to go running off without him if he wasn't ready for their little jaunt. That would undoubtedly lead to her doing something stupid and drawing Roman, Cinder and god knows what else down on them. "I'm fine," he snapped.

Sun looked unconvinced, crouched down a small distance away with his staff propped up beside him. "You sure, man? You look really out of it. We can have a spar some other time if you want to go all overprotective dad on me."

He _was_ being protective and it was for Blake, but not in the way Sun seemed to think. His vision cleared as he took a deep breath, drawing Crocea Mors back across his body and dashing forwards.

Sun flipped back, showing agile grace that had to be partly because of his faunus heritage. He landed on two feet, turning sideways and flicking his weapon out and into Jaune's stomach.

Pain flared in his ribs, air bursting from his lungs. He narrowed his eyes and fought past it to land a strike on the faunus' shoulder.

To Sun's credit he took it well, wincing but ducking his shoulder so that the blade slipped off and couldn't hit his neck. In such close quarters their weapons were a liability and Sun seemed to realise that.

Jaune winced as a knee struck him in the sternum, the next blocked as he brought his own leg up to catch it. He grasped Crocea Mors by the blade, using it two handed as more of a short sword as he tried to push Sun back. He could see the faunus' eyes, narrowed and focused yet free of anger.

"Not… bad…" Sun gasped, managing to twist to the side so that the sword slammed down into the matting. "Don't push yourself if you're sick though. No point fighting just to show off."

"Isn't that what you're doing?"

Sun's cheeks flared as he let out a guilty little laugh. "Maybe," he admitted. "That doesn't make it bad advice though… just means I'm too dumb to follow it."

 _No, you're just a teenager._ Just a normal guy wanting to impress a girl he had feelings for. Yet despite that he still had enough empathy to see a guy clearly struggling and stop to help. He was a good man. Sadly, good men didn't always win and right now he had to make sure this didn't end with a trip to the infirmary. If Weiss or Yang thought he was even the slightest bit in need of recovery then he'd never be able to keep an eye on Blake.

His eyes flicked towards his scroll. His aura was still firmly in the yellow, Sun's quite a bit higher and still green. He was too tired to drag out the fight for much longer, which meant he needed an immediate win if possible. Ring out, surrender or something that Miss Goodwitch would accept as a clear victory.

Well, one of those was easier than the others.

Sun's eyes narrowed, the faunus hopping back and clamping his weapons back into a single staff. He fell into a guard stance as Jaune charged in.

He slammed into the faunus with as much force as he could muster, pushing his tired muscles as he forced Crocea Mors down in an overhead slash.

Sun caught it on his staff, hands either side of the blade as he twisted his body to the side, letting the sword slam down beside him. "Got you!" he yelled, spinning and cutting in towards Jaune's legs.

It hit like a truck, a surprising among of agony spearing through the limb, but he grit his teeth and ignored it, grinning as he allowed himself to fall to one knee. Sun raised a foot to kick him in the face, which was when Jaune dove forward, sliding between the teen's legs and grabbing his prize.

"Erk!" Sun Wukong went dangerously still.

"So," Jaune asked conversationally, resting flat on his back with sword discarded beside him. "How sensitive is this thing anyway?" His hands were clamped together above his head, a tuft of blonde muscle and fur trapped between it.

Sun gasped, pulling his staff up and making to slam it down.

"I'm going to pretend that was a gasp of pain and not orgasm. I've already asked you to stop trying to seduce me."

"What? Of course it was pai-"

Jaune gave the tail an experimental tug.

"H-Hey," Sun yelped. His arms spasmed and his fingers twitched, the weapon falling from his hands and slamming onto his own head. He made no move to catch it as it clattered to the ground. If anything, he seemed paralysed. "Let go!"

"I'm not feeling very motivated to let go. I might be tempted if you surrender."

"This isn't exactly fair," Sun growled, wincing as he tried to move away only to stop when his tail tugged. "I can't surrender!"

"I'm the only one actually banned from giving up."

Sun's eyes flashed towards Blake, or rather Jaune knew that was where she was. Seriously? Even now, the guy was more worried about making a bad impression. "This wasn't the epic fight I was looking for… can't you beat me in a way that _doesn't_ make me look like an idiot?"

"You clearly don't know me very well." He gave another tug, making Sun flinch. "Look, you either forfeit or I stand up, still holding your tail, pick up your staff and beat you with it."

He couldn't believe that Sun actually took a second to think about it. "I forfeit," he called out a few seconds later, his head drooped and sulking as the teacher called the match over.

Jaune sighed and staggered to his feet, reaching out a hand to clap the guy on the shoulder. "You did well," he said. Sun had fought skilfully, he just hadn't been prepared for such a dirty move. "Don't beat yourself up over it. It's just a spar."

"Indeed, Mr Wukong," Miss Goodwitch strode up to them. "You have learned a valuable lesson from this."

"I need to cover my tail," he nodded.

The woman blinked, "That too," she said, "But I was thinking more along the lines of not showing mercy to an opponent who appears winded or wounded. They could very well be faking it in order to gain an advantage." Somehow Jaune felt that advice was aimed more towards him than any other `injured person`. The look on her face almost suggested she'd wanted to say `don't show _him_ any mercy`. "On another note, please consider groping your faunus opponents _banned._ In fact, before I end up regretting this - groping non-faunus opponents is also banned."

"Saving me for yourself?"

Last term she might have erupted. Maybe it was a sign of how she was getting used to him but she just rolled her eyes and turned away, ignoring him completely. He shrugged either way, smiling slightly when Sun laughed, his bad mood already forgotten. The faunus hopped off the stage, exchanging some quick jokes with his partner who patted his back comfortingly. At least they weren't going to take it personally. Sun was a good guy like that.

Jaune made to head to his own team, only to gasp as pain shot up his leg. He almost staggered, catching himself at the last second as he swayed to the side.

"Hm?" Miss Goodwitch turned towards him. "Are you okay, Mr Arc?"

"I'm fine," he laughed, straightening up and walking purposefully away. His eyes glanced up to his aura gauge as he did. Still firmly in the yellow. Still in the safe zone.

/-/

Blake still couldn't believe he'd agreed to come with her. The comparisons to the last time she'd done this were obvious. Each time she'd been closely followed by an irritating blond, and yet this time she had been the one to invite him. "Don't you think it would have been better to come in different clothes?" she asked, glancing towards his white coat and then indicating her own, different, outfit.

"I would if I had any," Jaune said as he crouched low behind her. "Besides, with your outfit and mine we almost look like a pair. It's like a father-daughter bonding session. How cute is that?"

She rolled her eyes with a groan, turning away so he couldn't get a reaction out of her. She couldn't complain, of course. She'd asked him to come and despite all her expectations he'd kept to his word. He wasn't even causing trouble either, other than a little light ribbing. He kept low to the ground, followed her lead and otherwise kept mostly silent.

He seemed to know what he was doing. That raised more questions than it answered but she'd promised before that his past could be his own. He was willing to help her and that was all that mattered. "The building is close by," she whispered, "It's surrounded by a perimeter wall so we'll need to find a way to sneak over that. We'll cut around it first… get a lay of the land."

"Sounds good to me."

Really? No reluctance, no suggestions they take it easy or not try and sneak their way in? Technically he'd only promised to help her have a look and see what was going on. She'd expected a real fight when she tried to actually infiltrate their base. _No use looking a gift horse in the mouth. I'll take what I can get._

The road to their left and right was empty, Blake dashing across and motioning for him to do the same. His gait was a little clumsier, staggering slightly.

"What's wrong?" she hissed as she crouched down beside him.

"Just a little sore from the fight with your boyfriend. Don't worry about it."

"He's not my- ugh… forget it." As far as the dorm-room banter went she had a new mother, father and sister… so it wasn't surprising if they'd go further and imagine an entire family. She'd probably have six children by next year. "Will you be okay if we have to fight?"

He turned his head to the side, staring at her from the corner of one eye.

"Not that we should have to," she hurried to add, wondering why his expression made her feel guilty. "I just mean _if_ something goes wrong. Will you be able to fight?"

"I'll be more than capable," he said, "Somehow, I don't think that will be a problem though."

Hopefully it wouldn't, but you never knew. Blake shrugged and moved on, ears perked as she heard him quietly make his way behind her. The area would get emptier as they approached, at which point any and all people would likely be White Fang – whether they were in uniform or not.

Or rather, that was what should have happened.

She knew something was wrong when she saw the flashing lights. An empty pit opened in her stomach, careful approach turning into a quick jog as she dashed along the wall. "Wait," Jaune hissed. She didn't. And as she burst free from an alley between two warehouses, her eyes widened.

"Get back," something grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back into the shadows. "Do you want to be seen?"

Blake fought to free herself, hair flailing wildly as she broke free from his grasp and crawled to the edge once more, peeking out. Red and blue lights flashed far ahead, though the sirens were turned off. She could see at least twenty, along with various vans parked around the building. People milled around while others entered and exited – but there was no mistaking the uniforms for her former colleagues.

"Looks like the place has already been raided," Jaune whispered. He didn't sound nearly as shocked as she felt.

"How?" she hissed, "When?" The safe house had stood for _years_ – she had known about it for at least four but it probably existed long before then. How had the police suddenly found it?

"Recently by the looks of it," Jaune said as he poked his head out above her. "I can't imagine they would still be investigating if it was a week ago."

His words were true, she knew that… she still had trouble processing them, however. Never before had the authorities had any success in hunting the White Fang. Adam had gotten very good at hiding their tracks and made sure that every one of his subordinates knew the same. And yet now… within a matter of a single week, they had raided not one, but _two_ different encampments? She made to stand, stepping out from cover.

Jaune caught her by the wrist and dragged her back. "What are you doing?" he hissed, "What do you think is going to happen if they see a faunus approaching?"

"We're hunters," she whispered back, still a little dazed.

"We'll still probably end up spending a night in the station until they figure that out. Even then, what would it achieve? It's not like they'd let us root around the place first, is it?"

Blake's eyes scrunched shut, one hand coming up to rub her face. "Right," she said, "Sorry… I'm just… I'm not thinking straight." She felt his hand let go of hers. There was no point going out there, he was definitely right about that.

"What do we do now?" he asked. "Do you know of any other places?"

"Not well enough to just approach them," she sighed, "I can find some more if I have a day or two…"

Going back to Beacon empty handed… it wasn't a good feeling. She glanced up as she felt his hand settle on her shoulder. "Maybe we should stop for a drink first," he suggested, "You're looking a little out of it."

She wasn't sure what she expected when he offered a drink, but a cosy and quiet café still open late at night hadn't been the first thing to come to mind. He pushed her down into a seat, walking around to the other side and collapsing in himself. A waitress came along to take their order, he getting some tea for the both of them.

He even knew how much milk and sugar she liked.

"You feeling a little better now?" he asked once she'd taken a sip.

The heat from the mug suffused into her hands, the warmth helping to loosen her muscles and release the tension that had built up inside her. She let go a little sigh, leaning back. "Better," she nodded. "Just a little surprised."

"I could tell. You nearly ran straight up to them."

"I wasn't thinking straight… thank you for stopping me."

He waved it off, leaning back himself. "Is it really so bad?" he asked, "That the police got there first? I thought that was what you wanted."

"It is…"

"Then why are you so bothered by it?"

How did she explain? "I'm pleased the authorities are starting to take notice… it's just that I'm worried by what that means." She glanced up to look into his eyes, but he didn't seem concerned. He didn't understand. "Think about it… why now of all times? What has made them act when they were so willing to ignore it before?"

"You think something is going to happen?"

"Maybe they've found something out," she nodded. "Maybe when they closed down the first place they discovered something huge… something they couldn't ignore."

Her fingers drummed on the mug, eyes narrowing.

"But what could it be?"

"It could be nothing." Jaune met her gaze as she looked to him. "Hear me out," he urged, "The White Fang have been increasing their activity in the last few weeks… we also know from the docks that they've partnered with Torchwick in order to steal dust, right?"

She nodded.

"Well we _could_ assume that means the hunters and police have found something out," Jaune held one hand out, " _Or_ we could take a more practical approach and just ask if the increased activity has just drawn more attention to the Fang. Think about it, if they've been doing more raids and robberies then it makes sense the police have been forced to act."

"But surely they would have done something before if they knew? The White Fang are a terrorist organisation and on the wanted list of both Atlas and Vale." To go from not caring enough to do anything to two raids in a week? _That_ suggested a certain degree of haste on the part of the local hunters.

Jaune leaned forward, "You're assuming again that they _chose_ not to before. If we go with my example again, the White Fang have been acting out more and more, doing more crimes, stealing more dust… taking risks. Sooner or later they were bound to make a mistake."

Her eyes widened. Could it be…? Adam was always cautious yet the amount of dust they were stealing was far beyond anything they had done before. It wasn't inconceivable that someone down the line might have made a mistake… gotten captured. Been interrogated. "And the first raid results in more prisoners," she realised as she looked towards her leader. He nodded in return.

"And those prisoners give up some evidence on the _second_ safe house," he finished. "If we're lucky then they might have found some evidence here as well. This could become a chain reaction which ends up with the White Fang being expelled from Vale entirely."

The mere thought of it was enough to have her heart beating wildly. Could she finally be free of them? Would this be the end of whatever they had planned? "It won't be enough," a wide pit opened in her chest as she spoke. "My ol- Adam has ways of doing things. He likes to keep everyone safe by making sure one cell only has limited information on any other. Only those in really high positions know anything, and they're not going to break if captured."

Even now they would likely be abandoning any nearby locations, shipping dust to new buildings or spreading them out further. The White Fang was a well-oiled machine at times, like an ant colony reacting to a flood they would steal everything away to a new home.

"You knew about this one," Jaune said.

Blake laughed bitterly. She should have known he would realise. "I was quite high up in the organisation. Adam… trusted me. He shouldn't have."

"Do you feel guilty about this?"

Her eyes widened, "No… yes- maybe… it's…" she sighed, "It's stupid of me."

"You're seventeen. You're allowed to be stupid."

Wasn't it funny how old he sounded when he said that? If it were anyone else she might have pointed out how they were the same age, but sometimes he really did feel older. "I don't regret leaving the White Fang," she whispered as she stared down into her own tea. "They changed from what they used to be… and I don't just mean from peaceful to militant. When that first started, things still weren't so bad."

They had decided to fight but it was only the biased media which told a tale of protests to murder. They'd started with theft first… robberies on people who abused faunus, always with no casualties or injuries caused. They would partake in criminal damage too, smashing up SDC stations and stealing whatever they could – just to send a message. Adam and she would only fight when pressed, always in self-defence and usually against robotic foes.

It wasn't harmless but it was… somewhat ethical. The only blood shed was their own.

"It didn't work," she whispered, "Peace didn't work so we included some violence, but when that failed I suppose we just thought a little more would do it. None of us were evil… at least I don't think we were."

"You just fell," he said sympathetically. "On a slippery slope."

"Yes…" Her eyes drifted shut as she sighed. "Something like that."

"There's nothing inherently wrong with wanting change, Blake. Nor is there any evil in being willing to fight for it. Everyone always says we should be willing to fight for what we believe in, yet hypocrisy kicks in when we see someone fighting for something _we_ don't believe in. Suddenly they're not brave or courageous… they're monsters that need killing."

She couldn't help but stare at him, to listen.

"We preach tolerance yet it seems like there's not much of it when someone comes to us with a different idea. Make no mistake," he looked up, eyes serious. "I _hate_ the White Fang. But I don't hate the people in it."

 _I don't hate you._ That was the message inside, even if in some way she already knew it. He was their team leader, her teammate. "Adam wasn't always cruel like that," she whispered. "He used to be a young man standing up for a frightened girl, taking a thrown rock to protect her. I don't regret leaving him but I still feel bad that he trusted me and I let him down. It doesn't make sense."

"Emotions rarely do," Jaune shrugged. "For what it's worth I don't think there's anything wrong with feeling that way. He was an important part of your life, and from what I'm getting, a good friend too."

"Sometimes I wonder if I'd stayed… could I have convinced him to come with me? Could I have changed his mind and made him change too?"

"I think you already know the answer to that one."

Blake's eyes drifted shut as she smiled down into her drink. He was right… she did. Adam would never have changed, no matter how much she might have wished it. He was determined and stubborn. But more than that, he fully believed in their methods. There was no doubt within him. "You're right," she said – and to her horror her voice almost broke for a moment. "It's just wishful thinking on my part." She sighed, "Thank you for coming out with me tonight anyway… thanks for trying to help."

"I'd like to imagine this means you're done," Jaune sighed, "But I've got a feeling I know you better than that."

Maybe he did, she thought, as she fought back a laugh. "You're probably right about the hunters and police," she said, "But that doesn't mean the White Fang are done for yet. I want to see a little clearer… I need to know what it is they're doing. I won't ask you to come with me b-"

"I'm coming with you."

Blake's eyes widened as she looked up, face filled with hope. "Really?" she asked. "You don't have to, Jaune. You've done so much already an-"

"You need to stop trying to do things on your own and god knows what you'll get up to if you don't have someone clear headed to watch your back. The same rules apply, however. I want to know where it is we're going and what for."

"Of course," she nodded happily. "I'll tell you as soon as I have something to go off. I really do appreciate this."

She knew it was a pain for him… she knew he didn't want to do it. And maybe, in a selfish way, she was taking advantage of that. She wasn't sure. This wasn't about her own vengeance, however. This wasn't about satisfying her curiosity. The White Fang were planning something… she could see all the hallmarks of it. And if that ended up threatening her team? Her new life?

It couldn't… it just couldn't.

"Far be it for me to leave my apparent daughter in trouble," Jaune drawled, "Why don't you do your old man a favour and get the bill?"

"Sure thing _dad_ ," she fired back, grinning despite her sarcasm. "Are your old bones still hurt from your spar, or are you just too broke to pay for two cups of tea?"

He faked a growl and made a dramatic gesture as she chuckled and paid for their drinks. The tension had already seeped away, the fear and panic from their discovery of the police gone. It _was_ a good thing that they were taking the White Fang seriously, no matter how much her instincts told her otherwise. Perhaps it was just an age-old loyalty acting up.

She had a team now, a school and friends – but more than that she had a family… of sorts.

"Ready," she nodded as she came back, waiting for him to stand. He made a show of finishing his drink, pausing for effect as she rolled her eyes. Eventually, however, he put it down and placed a hand on the table to lift himself up.

Her eyes widened when his leg bent beneath him, hand slipping as he fell to the side.

She caught him quickly, supporting his weight as he cursed. "What's wrong?" she hissed. He was glancing down at his leg and she looked too, noticing instantly how the foot hovered off the floor. He was afraid to put weight on it. "Are you injured? You moron – why didn't you say something?"

"It's fine," he winced, "Just a reminder of the fight with Sun."

The spar from earlier? But their aura had been fine – and it was just a spar. What could have gone wrong there? _He was limping earlier… but that doesn't make sense. He shouldn't have taken any lasting damage from Sun, even if he hit as hard as he could._ Jaune's aura hadn't entered the red at all.

"Do you need me to take you to the infirmary?"

"No," he answered quickly. Too quickly. "Blake, it's fine. Your old man is made of stern stuff, okay?" His jokes didn't help either, not least of all because it was clearly meant as a distraction. Her eyes narrowed, the hand she wrapped around his shoulder tightening. "It will be gone come the morning," he sighed, "If it's not then I'll go see Miss Kitsune myself, I promise."

She glared at him from the corner of one eye, "But will you keep that promise?"

Jaune laughed.

"I'll keep it the same way I kept this one."

Blake nodded and turned to help him out of the café. That was good enough for her.

* * *

 **Gosh, I can't believe how the dates have fallen this year. Christmas day comes on a Sunday, which means an update on that day, also work for the update on boxing day - and if I want to do something special for Christmas day, a totally unrelated story there too. How fun! -_-"**

 **And wouldn't you know it, I get the horror most fear... the dreaded trip to visit distant family. Oh yay...**

 **Note: Had a few comments already so thought to clear it up. Blake in the above is not "absolving the White Fang of all guilt" she is referencing a slow decline. Though we know in the show they were peaceful and then with a new leader became militant, I doubt it was an instant thing. Things would have slowly progressed... making it easier for those on the fence to get used to the idea of being militant. She is referencing those times - where their "violence" was confined to self-defence. But its the first step on a slippery slope, etc...**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6th January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	23. Chapter 23

**Another second Friday and another chapter of not this time, fate – I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 23 – When Paths Converge**

* * *

 _His lungs burned in his chest as he forced himself up the endless staircase. Outside a night sky lit with fire roared away and the heat from it threatened to burn him to a crisp._

 _An explosion sounded from far above, followed by a shrill scream and a dull thud._

 _No, no, no, his feet slammed against marble as he ignored his body's desperate pain. Blue eyes remained locked on each doorway before him as he barrelled through, until eventually, with an angry scream – he burst onto the rooftop proper._

 _Pyrrha looked towards him with an expression of purest shock. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a torrent of blood. She fell forwards, transfixed._

 _Jaune's legs collapsed as he caught her, the girl's slight weight driving him down as he cushioned her fall and cradled her head in his arms. Angry tears burned in the corners of his eyes. "I'm sorry," he gasped, "I'm so sorry. I won't let it happen again."_

 _His partner smiled a beautiful smile as she reached up to touch his cheek with one hand. She tried to speak but the blood prevented it._

 _Every muscle in his body screamed in agony as he forced himself up the endless staircase. Outside a night sky lit with fire roared away and the heat from it threatened to burn him to a crisp._

 _An explosion sounded from far above, followed by a shrill scream._

 _Not this time, not after he'd promised. Jaune Arc screamed in anger as he tripped and fell. He crawled the last few steps and threw himself towards the door and out onto the rooftop._

 _Pyrrha's knees hit the ground as she looked down at the arrow that jutted from her breastbone. One hand came up to grip the shaft, as though she might pull it free._

 _The heat from her body was familiar as he cradled her. His hands desperately – futilely – tried to staunch the blood that pooled atop her. He knew it wouldn't be enough. "I won't let it happen again," he sobbed atop her. His forehead pressed against hers as tears coursed from his eyes._

 _His partner smiled a beautiful smile as she reached up to touch his cheek with one hand, but the words she tried to speak were lost._

 _His body was dull and his mind duller as he took the steps two or three at a time. The pain had long since ceased to mean anything, the ache in his muscles nothing more than the whimpering cries of a body that longed to die. He did not let it. Outside the fire roared and the heat from it threatened to burn him to a crisp. Like it always did… like it always would._

 _An explosion sounded above him._

 _The tower of Beacon was a familiar sight, even with its great cogwheels and broken masonry. Pyrrha turned to regard him with an almost calm expression. The blood that bubbled from her lips didn't seem to surprise her, nor did she reach for the arrow that killed her._

 _Jaune's mind was numb as he caught and lowered her to the floor once more. The tears no longer came, though something like fire burned away at his heart. His breath escaped him in a gasp as he stared into her emerald eyes. "I won't let it happen again…"_

 _His partner smiled a beautiful smile and reached up to touch his cheek with one hand. This time there was no blood and the words she spoke were clear._

" _You will, Jaune. You always do."_

 _/-/_

The morning trill of birdsong mixed with bright sunlight that streamed through thin curtains, bathing the room in a ruddy glow. The window, left open from the night before allowed the soft scent of jasmine to waft inside, and in the distance the first signs of waking life could be heard as early risers made their way to breakfast.

It was, in a word, a really shitty morning. Jaune yawned for what felt like the tenth time as he staggered over to the dorm room's only desk and fell into the seat. His hands fumbled with his shoes that fought against him, while his eyes tried to close time and time again. The plan to stop Blake's interference in the White Fang was progressing… that was all he could say, since it didn't seem to be going well or bad; it was just progressing. Things were happening, and so long as those things didn't involve his team drawing the ire of Roman and Cinder, that was all well and good.

He just wished things could progress a little faster, preferably so that he could go back to having a realistic night's sleep. "Are you sure you're not sick?" Weiss asked as she watched him. "It was bad enough yesterday but you look even worse now."

He sighed and tried to buffet her hand aside, only to miss and hit her hip instead. "I'm fine," he said. He didn't think she bought it from the way she frowned at him, but that didn't make it any less true. He wasn't sick, he was tired – and the nightmares hadn't helped. It felt like his fights against the White Fang had brought his mind back to what was going to happen, whether he liked it or not.

"What were you and Blake doing last night anyway? You both came back late."

"Father – daughter bonding."

"We did no such thing."

"Sex, then?" Jaune tried. Weiss didn't even raise an eyebrow, though Blake did let out an indignant squawk. "Well how else would you explain it?"

"F-Father – daughter bonding works well…" Blake surrendered.

"Adorable," Weiss rolled her eyes, "Either way, perhaps you might want to avoid any late-night jaunts in the future if this is the result. I can't believe I'm saying this about you but… maybe you need more sleep."

"I'm fine. Seriously, you're acting like this isn't completely normal for me."

"You've always been tired and lazy," Yang laughed, "But Weiss is right; you've never looked so… _spent_ before."

A yawn threatened to break free but he smothered it as best he could. It wasn't so much the sleep itself, but the consecutive nights of action with no time to rest. His leg still ached from the spar with Sun, while his eyes stung from the early morning light. "This is nothing. I'm just tired and didn't get much sleep. I'm not sick and I don't need medical attention, nor you guys fussing over me."

It was unbelievably aggravating how the three girls exchanged long looks above his head, some obvious unspoken message passing between them.

"Why not call off sick?" Blake suggested, "I'd have thought missing a day of school would be up your alley."

 _And trust you not to rush off and investigate the White Fang alone?_ _Not a chance_. He shrugged. "Because I'd have to go see the doctor and she'd be able to tell I'm not sick. I'm tired, not cruising for detention. Also, the doctor is a psychopath."

"Didn't you sleep with her?"

"Psychopath in bed," Jaune said and held one hand up, he then turned to the other, "Psychopath with a hypodermic needle. One is less good than the other. You should know given your taste in books."

"We don't need to hear about your disgusting conquests," Weiss growled, "Nor Blake's questionable reading tastes. In fact, I recall saying any talk of such was banned."

"Blake started it."

"Wha-!?"

"Well _I'm_ finishing it." the heiress said. "Your performance in yesterday's spar was nothing less than horrifying. You didn't even have some dirty trick prepared to beat Wukong and that's just not you."

Jaune blinked, uncertain whether that was a compliment or an insult.

"I don't think you should come to class today. I think you should visit the infirmary."

Normally the thought of such wouldn't have been too bad, even with Kitsune's `experimental` medical treatment. Blake and the White Fang were still a thing, however, and he wasn't going to relax on this until the dance started. He had to find out if Blake had another location in mind and make sure Qrow got to it first. Whether Weiss liked it or not, he was going to be in lessons with everyone else.

"Looks like mom's mind is made up," Yang completely failed to whisper. "Does dad need his bestest and most beautiful daughter to take him to the infirmary?" To add insult to injury she clasped her hands before her chest and smiled down at him.

"You're enjoying this entirely too much."

"Oh?" She cocked a hand to one ear, "Is something wrong? Is a certain someone getting annoyed because everyone is trying to make sure he's okay?" Blake and Weiss shared an amused look, while Yang continued to blink prettily down at him.

Jaune sighed and glared up at her. "You know, _daughter_ ," he said, "You're not so old that I can't bend you over my knee."

"Oh really?" Yang laughed, "Do I need to be punished? Is daddy going to spank me with his own ha-eek!" Yang's words were cut off as she stumbled forward when he grabbed her blazer. She fell across his legs as he reached down and slapped a hand firmly against her backside. He then lifted it and spanked the other side too for good measure, before letting her stand up. She stood ramrod straight, one hand rubbing her behind as she stared at him.

Blake's book slapped onto the floor with a dull thud, the girl's shocked, yellow eyes locked onto him. Weiss seemed to be trying to close her mouth too, with limited success. As far as distractions went it was a fairly successful one.

"Bad Yang," he warned and pointed a finger at her. "Now say sorry."

Lilac eyes flashed to red in an instant as a bare leg caused the chair he'd been sat on to _explode_ into splinters. Her hair seemed to glow and her white teeth were grit in a furious snarl. Not that he'd expected any different.

Jaune grinned and whistled at the heat he felt from her aura as he slipped under her arm and towards the door. "Well, now that discipline has been dispensed, I'll see you all in class," he waved.

"Wait, you're going to the infir-" Weiss tried to stop him only to accidentally trip Yang as the blonde sought to pulverise his skull. The two girls went down in a tangle of limbs as Blake stared on in horror. Jaune waved once and slipped out the door.

Sometimes it was just too easy.

"Hey Jaune," Ruby greeted as he stepped into Oobleck's history class thirty minutes later. "You weren't at breakfast…"

"I ate earlier," he lied, all the better to avoid her worried frowns. He didn't have much of an appetite and had eaten the evening before. "My team aren't looking for me are they?"

"If by team you mean my sister and by looking you mean trying to kill you, then yes – they are looking for you." Ruby gave him a dirty look, an odd emotion for her since it made her look like a cute puppy whose toy had been taken away. "What exactly did you do to Yang?"

"Nothing she didn't deserve or ask for." Though for good measure he made sure to sit firmly between Ruby and Nora. Ren would have capitulated at the first sign of female wrath, while he wasn't convinced Pyrrha wouldn't betray him if she thought the reason good enough.

It wasn't a moment too soon either, as Yang burst into the room, eyes still red and hair a vibrant gold as she looked around for him. It wasn't a difficult task on account of how Nora waved one hand in the air, the other pointed at his head.

"Thank you, Nora…" he sighed.

"You…" Yang seethed as she stalked up to him and planted her hands atop the desk. "You…" she repeated.

"Me," he nodded.

"Jaune!" Weiss shouted as she pushed her way into the room.

"Indeed…"

"Jaune," Ruby sighed, head in hands.

"Students," Doctor Oobleck interrupted as he let himself in. "If you wi-"

"NORA!"

The classroom went silent as they all looked towards the girl stood with one foot atop her desk. Beside her, Ren held his head in his hands.

"Quite…" the teacher sighed and sat down. It didn't take him long to notice that not everyone had, however. Perhaps the fact the table Jaune was sat at had started to smoulder was an indication. "Miss Xiao-Long, if you could take a seat?"

Jaune raised an amused eyebrow as he watched his teammate actually consider it, as though it were a suggestion. She seemed to struggle with the thought that detention for knocking him out might be worth it, but in the end she sighed and sat down on the other side of Ruby, though not before she glared at him.

"Sir," Weiss said, "I think our leader is ill and needs to visit the infirmary."

"Mr Arc?" The teacher looked up towards him.

"I'm fine," he called back, and he didn't fail to note how Weiss' eyes narrowed dangerously. No doubt he'd be hearing later from her for that. "I'm just a little under the weather. I'll be fine."

"There you have it Miss Schnee. Why don't you take a seat?"

His entire team glared at him as they took their own seats.

Jaune sighed and tried to ignore the guilt that wormed its way through his stomach. They were worried and concerned for him… and it was heart-warming, it really was. They were exactly what every teammate should be; what every team should be. _I'll make it up to you guys,_ he promised.

He would make it up to them when he saved them all.

/-/

Weiss and Yang continued to hound their leader later that afternoon. Yang's punishment for his impromptu spanking had been to glare balefully at him for over two hours, then forget all about it. She _did_ step on his foot once or twice as they walked, but otherwise her temper burned as hot and short as it ever did.

Blake could admit to her own amusement as she struggled to hide her little chuckles. She sympathised with her partner, she really did. If Jaune had done that to her… well, she'd been itching to introduce the hilt of Gambol Shroud to the back of his head too. Despite that, and although she'd never admit it… the sight _had_ been a little funny. _Yang must never know…_

The humour in the situation wasn't enough to distract Blake from the gnawing sensation that ate away at her, however. Guilt was not a new sensation for her… she'd experienced it often enough, particularly when the White Fang began to move away from vigilantism and towards terrorism. She'd felt it too when she abandoned Adam… even if he had abandoned the ideals he once preached.

Her leader and teammate Jaune Arc was both like and nothing like Adam Taurus. He sat slouched between Yang and Weiss at that moment. His eyes were open yet it seemed like a chore. He yawned loudly, only to pause and smother it before anyone else could notice.

Blake's eyes drifted shut as she let out a short sigh. She had noticed, and she dared to imagine her teammates had as well. As much as he tried to hide it, as much as he tried to avoid causing them any trouble, their friend was not at his best.

It shouldn't have been a big thing… people got ill all the time and a short rest and some antibiotics would likely be enough to see him back to normal. All he had to do was avoid any strenuous activity, stay warm and get a good night's sleep.

Which was exactly what she didn't want… hence the guilt.

The White Fang were being pushed back by the hunters and police, but that would only make them desperate. She needed to find out what was going on before a huge mistake was made. Doing so required Jaune to come with her, if only to prevent another disaster like the docks. She had another location in mind and had intended to visit it that very night.

Golden eyes narrowed as she sighed and tried to fight down the frustration she felt. Her hands slowly clenched into fists. Was this her fault?

It was a question that had plagued her since that morning. It struck the moment she saw how tired he was, and only got worse when Weiss mentioned their little trip the previous evening. They hadn't gone far and they had been back before midnight, but the exhaustion he showed was obvious. He'd been limping too on the night… she'd noticed, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. She'd noticed it when he ducked under Yang's punch too. It was just the slightest lurch, something that could have been written away as a stumble had she not been looking for it.

There was something wrong with Jaune, and the promise he had made to her only made it worse.

Had she exploited him with that? The thought of it made her bite her lip and look down to her desk. She knew from the docks that he would risk his life to protect her, so had she taken advantage of that when she asked him to help her? At the time she would have said no, but right now she wasn't so sure. He had promised to help and he had… at the cost of his health. A little illness wasn't so bad, but when it interfered enough that he got injured by Sun, when it might interfere in such a way as to endanger his life when they investigated the White Fang? Then it became a problem.

Could she honestly, knowing all of that, ask him to accompany her again tonight?

No.

Could she, knowing what the White Fang were like, afford to ignore them?

No.

But she'd promised Jaune not to go at it alone too – and also to let him know in advance, and she felt an unusual desire to keep her word. She groaned and buried her face in her hands. _Normally I'd not think twice at breaking a promise… why am I refusing to break this one?_ There was no choice… the White Fang would have to wait. She only prayed they wouldn't take advantage of that. But at the end of the day, Blake decided as she looked to her friends, her team came first.

"I'll let it go," Yang growled, "But only because you're sick and injured. Try it again and I'll realign your spinal column."

"Now I'm injured!?" Jaune rolled his eyes. "Wow, my day apparently keeps getting worse."

"We've all noticed how sore your leg is," Weiss snapped, "Stop trying to pretend otherwise. Your machismo isn't necessary here and I'd rather not be stuck having to wheel you around."

"Didn't you promise me you would have it looked at?" Blake joined in and shrugged apologetically when he gave her a betrayed expression.

"I didn't quite say that…"

"You said it would be gone by morning. You said that if it wasn't, you would visit Miss Kitsune yourself." Sometimes it helped to have such a good memory.

"Uh-oh," Yang grinned, "Busted."

Jaune sighed and leaned back. He looked towards his teammate with narrowed eyes. "I will go visit her," he said, "But not now. I never said when."

Blake scoffed and shook her head, even as Ruby started to berate her friend for playing games with his words. In a way she supposed he was right, he'd never explicitly said when he would go. It wasn't breaking a promise… just twisting it into something unrecognisable. "And when will you go?" she asked.

"Later," he said evasively, "I need to know when I have a free evening."

She caught on immediately and the shame she'd felt earlier surged back. He meant when she wouldn't try and drag him out to risk his life. Was that why he refused to keep this promise to her; because it would conflict with the first he had made? Her eyes narrowed as she firmed her resolve. "Then you can go tonight," she said, "I have a quiet evening planned myself."

"You sure?" He gave her a suspicious look.

"I promised, didn't I?"

"You did…"

He met and held her gaze for the longest time, no doubt running through the promise she'd made in his mind. She had sworn to let him know in advance and not to rush off alone like the last time. She wasn't going to break that now, not and risk his wellbeing.

"This is one of those conversations with subtext, isn't it?"

Blake blinked and looked around, suddenly aware of the number of eyes watching them with curiosity. Yang wore a shit-eating grin, the kind which suggested she'd made up her own mind on what they were talking about and come to the completely wrong conclusion.

"Care to share with the class?" Yang teased. "Or is this another one of your precious father – daughter bonding secrets?"

Oh Gods, what was she supposed to say? Blake's eyes widened as she noticed how everyone, even Nora and Pyrrha, were watching her with amused looks. She couldn't absolutely destroy the mood by saying they had been running around after the White Fang, nor could she admit to hiding that from the rest of her team. To her horror, there was only one option. "It's a father – daughter thing," she cringed. Jaune actually sniggered, the asshole.

"Oh I bet it is," Yang smirked and turned to Pyrrha, "Jaune and Blake were out _bonding_ all night."

To Blake's horror the redhead look towards her and blushed. "Whatever you're thinking, you're wrong," she hissed. "We weren't doing anything."

"Mommy!" Yang called in an exaggerated tone, "Blake was out making kissy-face with daddy!"

Blake's hands slammed down on the table as she stood up. "I was not!"

"Um… guys?" Ruby tried to interrupt.

"Jaune and Blakey, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-"

"Oh?" Blake's brow twitched but she managed to smile, "Should I tell everyone how you squealed when he bent you over his knee?"

Yang's chair clattered back as she stood up. "Try it."

"Guys…?"

Blake ignored Ruby and glared at her partner. If she even dared to keep going, Blake wouldn't be responsible for what terrible secrets passed her lips. _Don't test me,_ she tried to telepathically send, _I'll do it…_

"Will you both sit down before you make a scene?" Weiss cut into their impending argument with a snarl, "Seriously, I expect this kind of behaviour from Yang and Jaune, not _you_ , Blake."

Her eyes widened in horror as she realised what Weiss meant. Her ass hit the chair with a thump as she shot back down. More than a few people had started to watch, no doubt catching on that there would be some good drama and entertainment about to happen. Damn it, damn it, damn it – how on Remnant had Yang managed to goad her into something like that? "Sorry," she whispered in humiliation.

"Do you have anything to add?" Weiss asked Jaune. "You _are_ the team leader after all."

"Listen to your mother." he rebuked.

"Not what I meant!"

Blake couldn't help but lower her head as the heiress began to tear into Jaune for _that_ comment. Ruby giggled from nearby, "It's kind of weird how like a family you all are… a really dysfunctional one… but still a family."

"It's like a sitcom," Nora agreed.

Blake groaned as she hid her face behind her book. _This was not what I expected my life at Beacon to be like._

Any further embarrassment was cut off as another team came over to provide a convenient distraction. Blake didn't recognise them at first, though something about their hairstyles said she ought to. Fortunately they didn't challenge her memory but instead walked up to Ruby. "Hey Ruby," the green-haired girl among them grinned, "The cafeteria is pretty full. Mind if we sit here?"

"Oh, sure," Ruby laughed – and waved for the tree to sit, "Guys, this is the team from Haven I met the other day. This is Emerald, that's Mercury and their leader is Cinder."

"Charmed," the black-haired woman smiled to each of them.

Blake didn't respond and quickly looked back to her food. New people had never been her cup of tea and while she definitely did recognise them from somewhere, she couldn't recall it as being a bad thing. Nothing White Fang related, at least.

"I remember you!" Yang crowed, "You were the guys we met at that book shop."

Ah, that was it. Blake remembered now that her partner had pointed it out.

"Yeah, Yang, wasn't it?" the tanned girl checked. "I wondered if you'd remember. And it's Weiss, Blake and… John, was it?"

Blake hid her smile and waited for their leader to respond. After he'd spent so long purposefully getting her name wrong, she wanted to see how he'd react to the show being on the other foot.

He didn't say anything. His eyes were firmly locked on the small plate of chicken as his fork pushed some meat around it. He didn't eat, he rarely did, but he seemed to be giving the food his utmost attention. And was it her imagination, or were his shoulders a little stiffer?

"It's Jaune," Weiss stepped in before the silence could become any more awkward, "And please forgive him, he's been feeling under the weather for the past few days."

"Got it," Emerald said, "He did look a little out of it in that spar. Got to say, I didn't expect it to end with him grabbing that guy's tail."

"That's nothing," Yang leaned forward and quickly drew the girl into an epic retelling of some of his more dramatic spars. Blake tuned it out with the patience of someone used to doing so with Nora. Instead, she found herself curiously interested in the way the leader of this team kept her eyes locked onto her teammate.

She was a beautiful woman, even Blake could admit. Why was she so focused on her teammate, though?

Weiss seemed to notice and coughed once to draw the woman's attention away. "Jaune didn't mean any offence," she said, "We've been trying to convince him to go see the doctor all day. He's not normally so quiet, please don't take it personally."

"Oh not at all," the woman smiled beatifically. "I think I can see it myself. He looks quite fatigued." She leaned forward to touch a hand to the blonde's arm, and Blake didn't fail to note how Weiss bristled at such an action. "Perhaps you would like us to escort you there?"

"I'm fine." Jaune's clipped reply was perhaps the biggest sign of his health. Normally, if so beautiful a woman was touching him so, he'd have shown a far different response.

" _I_ can handle it just fine, thank you," Weiss stepped in with a smile far too polite to be honest. She tugged Jaune aside and away from the woman's hand, which fell to the table. Jaune didn't seem to resist in the slightest, if anything he allowed it. "I don't believe we've met before, do you know Jaune from somewhere?"

"Not personally," Cinder smiled, "But I've heard _all_ about him from a close friend of mine."

Heard about…? Oh dear… Blake felt the urge to slam her head into the table, particularly at the coy look this woman was sending his way. She probably meant someone he'd slept with… she hadn't realised he had managed to bag someone from Haven already. Seriously, that had to be a record – the transfer students had been here less than a week.

Weiss flushed too and she glared briefly at Jaune before turning back to the woman, all smiles. "I'm sure whatever you've heard has been exaggerated," she said.

"Perhaps," Cinder smiled, "Either way, I wouldn't mind seeing for myself."

Well that was certainly forward…

"He's ill."

"Of course, I meant when he was better." She leaned forward once more, this time past Weiss to place a hand on the blonde's cheek. He stiffened under her touch but didn't move away. Blue eyes met amber as the woman smiled. "You should visit the doctor if you feel unwell," she whispered, "My personal belief is that a problem left unattended can grow into something far more dangerous. Better to deal with it immediately, rather than let it get worse."

Jaune's chair clattered against the floor as he stood up. His eyes were wide and his chest heaved, and for a moment Blake wondered if he was going to be sick. "I'm going to go see Miss Kitsune," he gasped, "I promised I would and now's as good a time as any."

"Shall I-?" Weiss hadn't even managed to stand before he held a hand out to stop her.

"It's fine… I'm fine. I just need some fresh air."

Blake watched him go with a little worry, though she soon realised she wasn't the only one to do so. "Oh my," Cinder Fall cooed, "I do hope it wasn't anything I said."

/-/

For once he'd managed to keep a promise he'd made. That wasn't to say he'd received treatment or actually spent any time at the infirmary, but he'd promised to see Tsune and he had poked his head in and said hello. That she hadn't had the chance to return it, or really understood why he was doing it at all, it was still a promise fulfilled.

If not in the spirit, than in the wording… Actually, come to think of it, hadn't he said he would keep it in the same way he had the other one? In that case, perfect – he'd twisted both into unrecognisable compromises. Consistency had been achieved.

His scroll flashed to life, and as words opened across the screen he smiled and flicked through them. Well, Blake had proven true to her word again. Another location that they would check out… she even included a suggestion that they do so in two or three days. That gave him plenty of time to pay a visit beforehand and make sure Qrow dealt with the place. _They've got to be feeling the pinch by now. Hopefully this will be the straw that breaks their back._

Before his broke, anyway…. Anger met with a dull ache inside his heart as he violently scrubbed his arm where _she_ had touched him. He couldn't believe she'd dared approach like that, but at the same time as far as they knew, he shouldn't have had any idea who she was. That was why the monster had been smiling… she'd enjoyed her subtle wordplay, unaware that he had been able to see beneath each and every one.

So he was an illness to get rid of, was he? He shook his head. It wasn't a bad analogy, whether Cinder knew it or not. Right now he was nothing more than an irritation, a bad cold – but with his gift he would be able to remain with her forever. She'd never get rid of him… not until he finally grew strong enough to kill her once and for all.

He'd been compared to less favourable things in life than a disease.

 _Still, keeping her unaware for as long as possible now would be the best bet. If I die here then all I really achieve is a little extra knowledge on one or two new White Fang facilities._ He would wake up a few months before Beacon, too little time for him to make any significant changes. It would likely take him another ten or so lifetimes just to get back to the two year mark, and that was only possible because he knew what series of events to take in order to achieve it. _Better that she ignores me until I can get out of here…_

He paused in the hallway as a yawning chasm opened up deep inside his stomach. His head swam and for a moment he feared he might fall over.

When was the last time he'd thought about getting expelled? When was the last time he'd focused on his plan? His hands shivered as he clenched and unclenched them before his eyes. The plan was to get expelled and escape the oncoming disaster… not to run around hunting down the White Fang like it would make a difference.

It wouldn't… he already knew that. All of this was to prevent Blake and the others from drawing Cinder's attention. That was to let him have more freedom to slip away when the time came. This was supposed to be so he could spend more time with his family.

His family… when was the last time he had even talked to them?

Jaune's hands fumbled with his scroll as he drew it before him and checked the calls log. The last ones had been to his team, mostly messages between Blake and he – though the occasional one from Ruby too. He hadn't called his family since he'd last seen them, a little over a week or more ago. Hadn't he promised to call them each and every day? His fingers danced across the screen as he fought down a panicked breath.

" _Jaune?"_ Sapphire's face appeared on the device. Her eyes widened when she saw him, and a relieved smile blossomed across her face. _"Thank god,"_ she whispered, _"Jaune, we were so worried – we haven't heard from you in so long!"_

"I'm sorry," he rasped in a voice thick with emotion.

" _Are you okay? You sound strange…"_

"I've… I've been ill." He hated himself even as he said it. "Sorry I haven't called Saph. Please forgive me."

" _Always. The others didn't want to bother you… we assumed something must be happening. Ugh, they're going to be insufferable when I tell them you called me,"_ she rubbed her forehead with and sighed, _"They can be so petulant sometimes."_

"Everyone is well, then? Nothing's happened?"

" _Did you expect something to?"_ He… there'd been a certain fear. _"We're all fine,"_ she laughed, _"Hazel and Jade have been telling people about your team. Well, mostly about how you're with that singer girl – it's gotten exaggerated, as most stories do, I'm fairly sure everyone thinks you're sleeping with her now."_

Jaune relaxed against the nearby wall as he felt the earlier tension ebb away. "Most people would recognise her as the heiress of the SDC. I don't think she's sung anything since coming here."

" _You know how Ansel is,"_ Sapphire shrugged, _"We're practically a backwater settlement. Either way, I think most people believe you're either engaged or married to her. Mom heard some of your old conquests talking about how you moved to Beacon to be with her."_

Weiss would kill him if she ever found out. Still, he couldn't help the ragged laugh that slipped past his lips. Home, it felt so far away and it hadn't even _been_ his home for the last thousand years or so, but he missed it already.

" _You look tired… are you okay?"_

He was tired. So very tired.

"I'm fine," he managed a smile for her, "I feel better for seeing your face."

" _Charmer,"_ Sapphire smiled. It was true, though. Just the sight of her made him feel a little stronger, a little more resolved. _"Take it easy though, we don't want to hear about you getting in danger again."_

"Take it easy? Hey, you know me, when have I done anything but?"

" _I know you… which is why I can tell when you're lying. I love you, you know? We all do. Please be safe."_

"I love you too. Give everyone else my love as well."

" _I will,"_ Sapphire sighed. She had noticed what he refused to say. _"Good luck, brother."_

The screen flashed black and yet there was a certain strength that had returned to him as he stowed it away. _This_ was why he was doing all of this. They were the reminder he needed. They were the reason he would keep on fighting.

And it was time to do just that.

/-/

"Is that Jaune?" Yang asked as Weiss' scroll went off. Blake watched the heiress answer it, though it appeared to be a message instead of a call.

"He says he's sick," Weiss drawled, "Who could possibly have guessed? Apparently it's a seasonal bug… Miss Kitsune recommends rest and no heavy activity."

Blake felt the weight on her shoulders lift just a little. Not too much, and not enough to absolve her completely, but it was easier to breathe. She'd made the right choice in choosing to delay their next foray. Still, that meant him following her the previous night _had_ made the situation worse – and that was completely her fault. _I'll have to make it up to him somehow…_

"Why, that absolute…" Weiss seemed to struggle for words, "That _cad_!"

"What now?"

The heiress tossed the scroll down atop her sheets and turned away. She crossed her arms and scoffed loudly. "I asked him if he would be coming back here to rest," she snapped, "and he had the temerity to say he wouldn't be coming back at all tonight."

"But he needs to rest," Blake said.

"And he will," the Schnee heiress snapped, "Likely in the arms of some cheap floozy. Ugh, that man!"

Blake looked to Yang in time to see the blonde looking back. The two shared a long exchange between them, before they sighed and turned back to Weiss. "That's just how he is," Yang said, "Don't take it personally."

"Personally? I'm not taking it personally at all. Who cares what or who he does with his spare time?"

Blake coughed and looked away.

"I mean, it's not like he's ill or should be looking out for his health or anything," Weiss went on. "Nor is it like we're worried and want to make sure he gets some rest. No, it's fine – he can just run off into some bimbo's arms. That's just peachy."

Blake shrugged helplessly and left Yang to go calm the volatile girl down. In a way, she was upset as well. Every time he did that it was like he tossed aside their concern and ignored them entirely. Still, it was better that he did this than risked his health further with her.

And since he would be busy for the rest of the day, she could sneak off and go out alone.

All she would have to do was break her promise… it was so easy.

 _He kept his,_ the treacherous little voice in her mind whispered. _But then again, who would expect a violent terrorist to keep her promises?_ Blake's teeth grit together as she scrunched her eyes shut. No, she would keep the promise she'd made. She wouldn't break it. It would have been too easy, and no doubt would mark the first step on a long journey of losing everything she'd worked for. _I'm a different person now. I can be a different person._

 _You can't run away from what you were._

It wasn't running, she wasn't running. She was doing the opposite and choosing to face her past, to face the White Fang. That had to count for something. And it would! What did it matter if she did it today or in three days' time?

It just meant that the White Fang had more time to continue their plans.

She bit her lip so hard it almost bled.

Wouldn't it be better if she could handle this without him? He wasn't well and if she continued to make him accompany her, then he might not get a chance to properly recover. She couldn't give him weeks and weeks – the White Fang wouldn't allow it. But maybe she could work around that?

It was a disgusting thought, especially since she knew he would never do the same, but maybe she could _twist_ the words of her promise?

She had promised to let him know of each location in advance… and she had! But she had also promised not to go out alone like the last time. He obviously meant that she should go with him… but those words had never technically been spoken.

And he _did_ need his rest… the fact he would be absent for the evening was simply too good an opportunity to miss.

/-/

Another day, another White Fang base… there ought to be something wrong with that sentiment. Jaune sighed and adjusted the hood that kept his face concealed in darkness. Really, what the hell were the authorities doing if they couldn't find any of these places? Today's place of choice was an old manufacturing plant for – if the sign was to be believed – industrial cranes. It was closed down and boarded up, yet even the blindest of people could have seen the lights that emanated from within.

"At this point the police _have_ to be under Roman's sway. This is pathetic."

And, of course, it wasn't like hunters had all the time in the world to patrol the streets. The people would see something odd and report it to the police, who would promise to investigate. Somewhere along the way the message was clearly being interrupted, which prevented any hunters getting involved. All it took was one person in the right spot, he supposed. Roman would know better on that front.

Qrow, Ozpin and Ironwood couldn't be blamed, not unless they had an army of informants they could task to monitor every building in the city.

Jaune sighed and slipped the mask back onto his face. The night air was chill and the moisture in it suggested rain. Either way, many of the White Fang members who approached had their own hoods up against the cold. That helped to keep his cover as he walked past the first set of guards.

They didn't even think to check or question him. One nodded and the other kept his eyes locked on the road, weapon clutched in hand. They were stiff and uncertain, which made sense when he considered that they weren't soldiers. Both probably had far more mundane jobs they kept during the waking hours.

Jaune's sympathy died an ugly death as he fingered the hilt of a small knife he'd hidden beneath the stolen uniform. They had chosen this path. If they got in his way, they'd soon face the consequences. No matter who they were or what they had once been, they were still his enemies.

Ahead of him more people milled back and forth – many in casual clothing. They clung together in small pockets which increased in size as he entered the building and looked around. There had to be at least two hundred people, maybe more.

So many? He forced himself to remain quiet as he leaned unobtrusively against a nearby wall. _It can't be one of their operations, not with so few in uniform._ His senses tingled yet he didn't think it was a trap. They wouldn't need nearly so many, and they'd all have been armed. This was different than the last time, however.

"You there," a uniformed soldier pointed towards him, "Help me get the gear in position. We need to give these newbies a proper show."

He desperately wanted to ask what this `gear` the faunus spoke of was, but managed to hold it back. Someone in his position probably should have known. "Right," he nodded and followed after the terrorist. "Where are we putting it all?"

"By the back wall," the man replied and pointed to a raised area. "We want them in the background for a bit of extra inspiration. Most of these people don't know what they're dealing with or how. It's time to show them how serious we are."

"About time…"

"I know," the grunt sighed. He waved one hand and led them outside, to where a number of large flatbed trucks waited. They had blue tarps strapped haphazardly across the top of their cargo and the White Fang seemed to be making good use of the crane facilities machinery to lift them into a standing position. "Guide them in," the man shouted over the noise. "And for crying out loud, make sure they don't bump into anything."

Over six metres tall and shaped like some vague humanoid, Jaune's mouth went dry as he realised what they had to be. Had he done it? Had he found them? The thought had excitement racing through him, but it was tempered by fear as well. If these were what he thought they were…

"Careful you stupid animals," that familiar drawl sounded out, "These are worth more than _you_ are. Now I admit, that wouldn't be hard, but what _will_ be is looking at yourself in the mirror if you drop them." Roman sauntered forwards with cigar in one hand, cane in the other. His green eyes traced over the assembled terrorists with not a shred of fear.

And who could blame him…? Roman was powerful in his own right, but where he was present, his dangerous shadow would surely follow.

Jaune's shoulders stiffened but he forced himself to remain calm as he waved his hands and walked slowly backwards. A masked figure leaned out of the crane's cabin and looked past a broken windshield to watch and follow his instructions. "Come on, keep going," he called as he led the concealed weapon back into the building. It would have been oh so satisfying to have this guy knock them down like a set of dominos. Less satisfying would be Roman and Neo's quick response. "Lower," Jaune shouted, "Careful now..."

The crane whirred and chuntered as the huge bipedal figure was set down with a loud clang. Nearby, faunus in various casual clothes looking on in awe and curiosity. The driver disengaged the hook with practiced ease and leaned out the cabin once more to give him a thumbs up as he reversed back out.

Jaune's heart leapt as he heard some sarcastic applause behind him.

"Nice," Roman deadpanned, "Very well arranged. You're a credit to your parents, ancestors or whatever nonsense you animals believe in. What was it you're all fighting for again?"

"Equality, sir," Jaune tried to keep his eyes down.

"Ah yes, equality… how cute. Well, keep doing good work like this and I'm sure you'll get some of it sooner or later."

Jaune felt a surge of anger at the bastard's taunting smirk. He knew _exactly_ what the man meant. Those who would be fooled into the Mountain Glenn mission… none of them were expected to survive. Even if the train hit, it would erupt with enough force to kill the faunus on board. Roman meant the equality of the grave. "I'll look forward to it, sir."

"I'm sure you will. Hey, tell you what, why don't you stand on stage with us while I'm telling the rest of these people why they need to step up, eh?" Roman's grinned charismatically and leant on his cane. "The kiddies here aren't going to feel so hot answering to a human like me, but I bet a big, strong, freedom-fighter like you will be a hit."

"If you want me to…"

What else could he do?

"Ah, ah," Roman cocked an ear, "Where was it?"

"If you want me to, _sir_."

"That's what I like to hear," Roman clapped a hand onto his shoulder. "Now then, why don't you go scurry off and meet me back here before it starts."

Relieved, Jaune nodded and moved away – half-expecting an attack from behind as he did. Roman whistled and sauntered off, however. It was fine… he had the mask, the outfit and the reason to be here. There wasn't any reason to be worried. It was no different from every other time. Jaune headed back towards the cranes, changing course at the last second as he bumped into a woman with some small horns, "Sorry," he said as he helped her up and patted her down.

"I-It's fine," she stammered and stepped past him, "Excuse me."

He watched her go for a second. She seemed young… a shame. He patted the scroll he'd stolen off her, now secured in his front pocket as he stepped back out into the darkness. Another crane trundled by, another Paladin loaded and covered hanging from the line. "Anyone need another driver?" he asked a group of White Fang.

"You can drive?"

Jaune planted his hands on his hips. "No. I just thought I'd randomly offer."

"Fine, get in. The rookie here will guide you."

"Long as he doesn't cause me any trouble," Jaune grunted and climbed into the cabin. The keys were already inside and the engine didn't so much roar as splutter fitfully to life as he turned them. The damaged window made it almost impossible to see outside, but he was able to manoeuvre it into position so that the others could hook the winch up.

The window also gave him the cover he needed to hammer in a familiar number.

"You're still alive I see," Qrow said as his image appeared. "I figured you would be. I guessed it was you when I got a call from someone I didn't recognise."

"Well aren't you the detective."

"Am I? Lately I've been feeling like I'm a certain someone's clean-up crew. You found another mess for me? What is it this time, cereal on aisle three?"

"Stolen Atlas technology on aisle four," Jaune made sure to keep his body language casual as he leaned out the window, the flickering scroll hidden in the crook of his arm. He heard the man on the other end gasp as he saw the hidden, but distinctive shapes. "I take it you're interested."

"Interested?" Qrow shook his head with a laugh. "You could say that. I'm also kinda interested in you. You got a name I can call you by, or am I going to have to give you one?"

A name…? He hadn't thought of that, and didn't have anything prepared. Did he even want to give Qrow a moniker to use? So long as he chose one with no connotations to his identity, he supposed it couldn't hurt.

"Silver." A name, a colour, it fit all the requirements – yet at the same time he couldn't help but remember his father's face when he'd talked about an aunt Jaune could have easily loved.

"Silver, eh?" Qrow worked the name around his mouth. No doubt he tried to place a face to it, to see if it correlated with anyone he knew. It was just obvious enough, just unambitious enough, however, that there was nothing. "Alright then Silver… I take it we're doing this the usual way. You gonna stay there long enough for us to have a chat, or am I going to have to chase you across a roof again?"

"That would depend on how fast you can be," Jaune smirked and stowed the scroll beneath the seat. The White Fang outside called the go-ahead and he slowly brought it inside, keeping a watchful eye on the young terrorist who waved him in.

The Paladin settled down with a clank and a wobble – the eyes of many going wide before its weight brought it to a halt. Down on the ground one of the men in uniform rushed up to whisper something to Roman, who stood waiting nearby.

Jaune crouched as he dropped from the vehicle, the hard ground sending a jolt of pain up his injured leg. Roman's eyes remained locked onto him as he walked up but he smiled and held one arm wide.

"Well there you go," the flamboyant thief said as the two ascended the steps up onto the stage. Four or five Paladins stood behind it, still obscured from view. "Tell you what, why don't you do me a favour and pull this rope when I say. You can do the big reveal."

"Understood," Jaune nodded and accepted the thick rope. All he had to do was wait now. Qrow would surely be enough to deal with Roman, but it was far more likely the crook would make a break for it as soon as the shit hit the fan. There was a reason he'd been around long enough to become the biggest criminal in Vale, and it wasn't because of his brave last stands.

"Good man," Roman laughed and turned away, "If only all these little dogs were like you. We'd actually get stuff done around here."

Lights throughout the factory began to shut off and the one above their head seemed to shine all the brighter for it. The eyes of over a hundred people turned towards the stage, to where a human of all things stood. Some in the crowd began to mutter angrily.

Jaune shook his head as Roman grabbed their attention and twisted it to his side with a grace that almost seemed effortless. He insulted them to their faces, yet few even noticed. It was somewhere between sickening and impressive – Jaune wasn't sure which. Either way, the crook had them wrapped around his finger long before he gestured behind him.

"And what do I bring to such an alliance?" Roman asked, in that charismatic, theatrical manner of his, "Why, I would not dare come empty handed, my friends. If you please?"

Jaune knew better than to refuse. With a great tug he pulled down on the rope. It fell from one of the loops atop the vehicle, causing the blue tarp to flutter and fall away. The crowd gasped and began to chatter excitedly as the huge bipedal robot was revealed.

"Atlas' greatest weapon," Roman laughed, "Now in the hands of the White Fang. With these, you shall achieve the freedom you've long since dreamed of." He turned towards Jaune and smirked, "The equality you've been fighting for."

The crowd went wild. Say what you would about Roman, and there was a lot to say, but he knew how to manipulate people.

"Of course," Roman continued, "There are those who would stand against such a glorious future," the crowd shouted out angrily, "Who would stand against our union! Both external threats, huntsman, huntresses – Atlas and the people of Vale."

The crowd booed and hissed, working themselves into a frenzy.

"And also internal threats," Roman finished as his hands fell. The faunus in the crowd went silent. "Naysayers, cynics – and dare I say it – even traitors."

Cool steel teased his throat as a heavy weight settled onto his shoulders. Jaune flinched and glanced back into a pair of mismatched eyes. They were glinting happily, as though pleased to see him.

"Isn't that right, friend?" Roman asked as he turned to face him.

Jaune's knees hit the floor as Neo forced him down, one foot planted firmly in the middle of his back. He tried to move, only to freeze as the blade nicked his skin. It was all he could do to look up as Roman's footsteps brought him closer.

"You were good," Roman said, "I almost didn't notice it, wouldn't have noticed it, if I weren't looking for it." He brought Jaune's face up with his cane. It was a new one, Jaune noted. The old one had been lost at the docks. "Did you think we wouldn't start to pay attention when we lost a base? Did you honestly think we'd still be ignorant when we lost _two_?"

Jaune grit his teeth and maintained eye contact, all the while he cursed himself as a fool. It was the one thing he tried so hard to remember, the one thing that prevented his life being easily solved…

People adapted.

If life or time travel had been so easy he could have gone back and fixed it all by now, but people reacted to changes and made new plans. How damned stupid had he been? Of course Roman would get anxious when he kept losing safe houses. Of course he would start to take steps to make sure that didn't happen again.

"Even then," Roman grinned, "I still wasn't so sure. You blended in well; you knew where to go and what to do. But do you know what your mistake was?"

The crook seemed disappointed when Jaune didn't chip in. He pushed the teen's head away with a shove before turning away.

"You called me _sir_ ," he whispered. "A bit disciplined for this rowdy bunch of racist fools, don't you think? And equality?" Roman laughed, "They don't want equality… they want vengeance, nothing more. I'll tell you what though, I was honest about what I said; life would be easier if half of these idiots were as good as you. But then again, finding you would have been more difficult too. You take what you get." Roman spread his arms wide and walked back towards the crowd. "Traitors in our own midst," he shouted for the benefit of the silently watching crowd, "Perhaps those whose resolve faltered... Neo, if you would."

Jaune closed his eyes as his hood was torn aside to reveal a mop of mess blonde hair. He felt the girl run her hand through his locks.

"Or," Roman laughed, "Some infiltrator in a uniform. Maybe next time you'll all remember to check one another for faunus features." His footsteps echoed as he strolled back to the restrained man and gripped him by his hair. "Either way, this one's responsible for the imprisonment of your brothers, for the failure of our operations. What shall we do with him?"

The pain that flashed through his scalp was agonising. Neo kept the blade at his neck still, the promise in that sharp edge ever-present. His eyes scrunched shut in an attempt to ignore not only the pain, but his own rising nausea. He'd failed… again. He didn't have to pay attention to hear the crowd's response.

They roared for his death.

"Any last words, traitor?"

Last words? Something snapped within him, the anger and the loss mixing together into something unrecognisable. He pushed forwards against the blade at his throat. "Do you think this goes anywhere, Roman?" Jaune hissed, "You may think you're hot stuff, you may think you're going to ride this revolution and escape when the going gets tough, but that's not going to happen."

Roman's humour faded as an angry sneer took hold of his features.

Jaune's anger fed off it. "You'll die like you lived, Roman; insignificant and alone, nothing more than fodder for the Grimm. You'll die because of her plans – and I'll be there to laugh when you do."

"You're awfully well-informed, aren't you?" Roman sneered, "I guess if you know _her_ then you know what she'll do to you. Guess I'll spare you the wait."

The barrel of Melodic Cudgel was cold as it was pressed against his forehead. There was no fear. He'd died a thousand times already, what was one more? There was, however, something else. A devastating sense of loss, of grief…

He wasn't going to just lose his life. He was going to lose the family he had come to love, the memories they had made together, the team he didn't think he had ever experienced before. Blake, Yang and Weiss would be gone too… or at least the girls that he knew in this life. They would all be gone in a flash of dust and white sheets.

Something foreign and unfamiliar burned in his eyes. There seemed to be moisture there too.

"I won't ever stop," he whispered, "Not until I've killed you, Roman Torchwick. Not until I've removed the stain you and your kind represent. I'll come for you."

"Even if I kill you?" the thief asked with a cocky grin. It was wiped from his face with Jaune's next words, however. Or was it the cruel, manic smile they were delivered with?

"Even then."

"Tch. I guess we'll have to test that theory." Roman growled and pulled the trigger – only for his aim to be thrown off as the world exploded and the ground shook. Two hundred pairs of eyes shot towards the source of the explosion, while Jaune threw his body to the side and off the stage.

/-/

Weiss shivered as she felt the cool air creep under her skirt and against her bare legs. "This is it?" she asked of their faunus teammate. "This is definitely the place?"

"It is," Blake agreed, crouched down behind a wall. "Thank you both for coming… I appreciate this."

"Better us than Jaune," Yang whispered from nearby, "Honestly, I'm kinda surprised he'd agree to this at all but I suppose it makes sense when you consider the docks. Father – daughter bonding indeed," she chuckled.

"Someone had to do something… the White Fang are a threat that can't be ignored."

"I couldn't agree more," Weiss said. It was why she'd agreed after all, though there'd been a part of her that had decided to go along with it just to prevent her partner having to. The dolt would have pushed himself while sick again, and reaped all the rewards of such. "You were right to tell us, Blake, and right to bring us here instead of him."

"I'm not sure he will agree…"

Jaune wouldn't, Weiss knew that. But it was for the stubborn fool's well being, so she would force him to swallow it. He couldn't run around driving himself to exhaustion like he was doing… he needed to take a break. And so what if they'd used his stupid booty call as an excuse to sneak out and do this? If it meant he didn't need to later then all the better. She just wanted him to slow down a little.

"It's gone quiet," Yang reported, "The guards have all gone inside."

Weiss snorted at their lack of discipline. Atlas soldiers, even the SDC security forces, would never be so foolish as to enter a building without leaving someone to secure the perimeter. It just went to show how unruly these terrorists truly were.

Blake led them across the road and into the factory's main compound. The wall was broken down in several places and it looked like it had collapsed on the western side, the place where they had seen several lorries ship goods into the building. As they approached, voices piped up from within the factory itself.

Her back pressed against the cold brick as she listened as best she could. "Some kind of speech," Weiss whispered. "No doubt some rousing rally for brainwashed martyrs."

Blake spared her an irritated look but thought better of commenting.

"Do we go in?" Yang asked. "You said this was just to scout it out, right?"

"We need to see what they're doing," Weiss hissed – to a nod from Blake. "We haven't found anything out yet. Try to find a window we can listen in from."

The speech inside continued as they searched, the occasional crackle of rock or stone that crunched underfoot causing them all to wince. No one heard them, however. They were all too busy inside. Yang found a window by a door a few moments later and waved them over. Blake held a finger to her lips and shushed them as they looked through.

It was an abandoned and mostly dark factory, as Weiss had known it would be. Her attention was drawn immediately to the stage, the only part of it still lit up and where most of the people were congregated. The distance was too far, and the light too low, to make out much in the way of detail. But the sheer number of people was evident. _There's so many,_ she thought worriedly, only to shake her head and ignore it. Quality over quantity… they had to believe in that. It was the person on the stage who had her growling, however.

"Roman Torchwick," Blake hissed. "So they're still working together…"

Weiss' eyes looked a little further as shock ran through her. "Paladins? That's the weaponry that was stolen from Atlas! How did they get it into Vale?"

"I don't know," Yang whispered, "but this smells like trouble."

"You're not wrong there," a masculine voice said from behind them.

Shock ran through Weiss as she spun and drew Myrtenaster in one swift motion, only for it to be jerked cruelly out of her hands. Her back slammed into the wall a second later, Blake joined her, a hand buried in their collars. Weiss glared futilely at the man stood before them. She tried to lash out with her foot but he took it with a raised eyebrow and no sign of pain. He only had two arms, however, and Yang was still free. If she could jus-

"Uncle Qro-" The hand was gone from Weiss' clothes and on Yang's lips a second later.

"Shhh," the grizzled man whispered as Weiss fell to the floor and leaned against the wall. "Not so loud firebrand. Care to tell me what three little students are doing out here!?"

Firebrand? Students? So he knew who they were – they weren't about to be captured? "You know this vagabond, Yang?"

"That's not… okay, well yeah he is. He's my Uncle Qrow," Yang said happily when the hand keeping her silent was pulled away. "We're here investigating the White Fang."

"Ha ha ha, no." The man's eyes narrowed. "You are _not_ getting involved with this. Go back to Beacon, go to bed and forget all about this."

"Excuse me?" Weiss whispered, "Who do you thi-"

"DEATH!"

The chorus came from within the building and cut them off immediately. The man's eyes narrowed as he released the Weiss' teammates and stepped towards the window they had been looking through.

Weiss took the chance to rush over and collect her weapon, breathing a little easier once it was back within her grasp. She'd never felt so utterly helpless before. He'd been so fast.

"Shit, Silver!" the man jumped away from the window and backed away. He held an arm out and herded them all with him as he drew the weapon on his back. It clicked and twisted, the blade flipping over ninety degrees as he aimed it at a gas canister attached to the wall.

Weiss' eyes widened, "Wait – what are you doi-"

It seemed to happen in slow motion. His gun went off and a loud pinging noise sounded almost straight after as a hole appeared in the metal container. Sparks flew and air whistled – before the metal bulged and bucked. The explosion that shook the floor around them blasted hot air back into their faces and Weiss fell to the floor coughing.

When she looked up, he had already leapt inside.

"He's your uncle?"

"Yep."

"Somehow I'm not surprised…" She stood up and wiped her skirt down. Already she could hear screams and shouts coming from inside, followed by gunshots and the clang of steel on steel. She gripped Myrtenaster tighter. "Do we?"

"If we can stop them here," Blake said, "It would mean stopping Torchwick too."

It would… it would also mean Torchwick's thefts on her family would come to a halt. That would be something to tell Winter and her father for sure. Also, it would finally mean Jaune could rest without having to do any more of this. Weiss charged into the smoke and ash, her team behind her.

The interior of the factory was pure pandemonium, and in a way that gave them the cover they needed to take in the scene. Yang's uncle cut a terrifying swathe through his foes, his course set on the raised stage in the middle of the room. White Fang rushed in to stop him, while other faunus in masks ran past them and out to safety. They didn't even stop to challenge the three huntresses.

Weiss' eyes took in the carnage but also the main stage where Roman Torchwick was shouting something to his subordinates. There was a strange girl with vivid shades of pink in her hair, not to mention other White Fang soldiers in full uniform. There was also a hooded figure he pointed to, who seemed to be running away with his hand atop his head. "Yang, go help your uncle," she snapped, "Blake come with me, we'll try to cut off their escape."

"Got it," Yang grinned and charged away, while Blake nodded and rushed with Weiss towards where the other was fleeing to. Yang would be best suited to slot in with her uncle, likely knowing how he fought. A few weeks back Weiss might have suggested she and Blake challenge Torchwick, but after hearing what he was capable of… it was best to leave that to this huntsman.

Blake was by far the faster and reached the door before the masked faunus could. He seemed to freeze in place when he saw them as his mouth fell open in pure horror. He looked behind him, and then back towards them – drawing a small knife from within his uniform.

Weiss crossed her arms with a smirk and walked carefully towards him. "Surrender," she said, "You're outmatched and facing a huntress. If you comply, I'm sure your sentence will be lenient."

Barely visible behind his mask, blue eyes widened as he stepped backwards and looked for an alternative escape route. Blake's heels clicked as she stepped up to stand beside her teammate, Gambol Shroud drawn. There were no words from the quiet girl. Weiss supposed she had wasted them all the last time and now felt only anger.

"Give up," she repeated.

He bolted to the left.

"Watch the door!" Weiss yelled as she dashed after him. Blake nodded and fell back while a white glyph appeared beneath the heiress' boots. There was no noticeable sensation of its effect taking hold, but the wind that blasted against her face as she moved heralded her increased speed. Her eyes narrowed as she blocked it out with practiced ease, lunging forwards and aiming for the man's right shoulder.

He turned at the last second and lashed out with his dagger. It caught the tip of Myrtenaster and diverted it just a fraction. With all the force behind it, it was enough to make it skim past his arm.

The hilt and Weiss' body still crashed into him, the impact enough to send them both some distance. She ignored the pain and pushed him back. Training kicked in as she leapt back to put space between them, before darting in to flick a strike across his brow.

The faunus didn't flinch or sway back as most would, he pushed forwards instead, defelcting the side her rapier with the back of his palm. Meant for thrusting and dust application, the edge wasn't sharp enough to cut through skin and he travelled it down to her.

Indignation flashed through her as she disengaged and forced him back with a quick flourish. Did he truly believe she would let him close with a dagger? She was no fool. In fencing the distance between two opponents was paramount, and that was more so here because of the advantage she held. Myrtenaster extended as she kept it levelled between the two of them and waited for his attack.

Another shout came from behind them, Torchwick's unmistakeable voice barked out answers as he clambered atop one of the stolen machines.

Weiss smirked as she watched the faunus dither and glance back to her. "That's right," she said, "You don't have much time before your employer is captured. If you intend to try and get by me, you'd best start now." As if he could. She was a huntress and proud member of Team Jazzb- Beacon.

He must have considered her distracted for he darted to the side and spun, one arm flashing as he launched the blade towards her face. The metal glinted as it flew through the sky.

Weiss snorted as she flicked Myrtenaster before her face and deflected it. The cocky retort on the tip of her tongue died when she lowered her weapon in time to see him run away once more. "Hey," she shouted, "We're not done here!"

He glanced back and quickened his pace as she cut the distance down between them. When it was clear he couldn't escape with speed, he leapt over a conveyor belt and weaved between some machinery.

Weiss growled as she slid beneath it all, ice coating the ground and helping to carry her the full distance. She pushed down at the end and launched herself up, landing a little clumsily but still managing to keep up as he led her deeper into the factory.

Behind them they heard a raft of rapid gunfire, and the sound of Torchwick's voice over some automated system. One of the Paladins was moving now and began to fire towards the ground.

Panic shot through her for a moment and she nearly gave up the chase entirely, only to sigh in relief when the huge robot staggered back – a cloaked figure crouched on its arm. _Yang will be fine. She has a real huntsman helping her out._ She had her own task, and Myrtenaster's chambers began to spin as she concentrated.

A wall of solid ice appeared before the fleeing terrorist. It was so sudden that he slammed into it, but he recovered and pushed himself back before she could collapse it atop him. That still placed him directly in her path and it was only his quick reflexes that prevented her driving the tip of her rapier into his leg.

"You're quick," she panted, "But it's time to end this."

"Let me go."

The voice sounded familiar, if a little gravelly and deep. There was some hidden quality there, something that jogged her memory. She dismissed it quickly and levelled her weapon once more. Whatever it was, whoever he was, it could be dealt with once the danger was over and he was safely in handcuffs.

He sighed at her clear desire to fight, and she watched him reach over to grab a chain from the conveyor line beside him. He glanced down at it before spinning it in one hand.

Weiss' analytical mind considered it, not to mention the potential weaknesses. It was a thug's choice of weapon at best, but powerful nonetheless. That said, it didn't offer much in the way of defence against a foe with superior speed. A small smirk crept across her face as she lunged forward.

That cheer died an ugly death as he caught the chain with his other hand, pulling it taut and using it almost like a short-staff as he knocked her blade aside. He twisted with the momentum and drove an elbow into the back of her head.

She felt pain flare through her skull but forced herself to roll forward and escape his follow-up attack. To her surprise, there was none. He watched her warily but made no move to finish her while she was hurt. _He's good,_ she realised with a frown. Good enough to survive a single pass from her, which obviously meant he was stronger than most generic White Fang soldiers who didn't even have basic training.

Still… that begged the question, why was he running away at all?

 _He must have important information,_ she realised. If Torchwick was prepared to stay – as were his companions, but this man felt he had to run? That was a sure sign that he had something to hide. Something the hunters could use against the Fang, perhaps?

She had to stop him.

She lunged forwards and towards his face, only to reverse her strike and catch him across the cheek with the hilt of her weapon when he dodged.

He fell back with a grunt but kept hold of her hand and pulled her across him. He turned and angled her towards a box filled with chains before letting go.

Weiss winced as she landed atop them but was able to roll with the impact and surge back to her feet. She kicked one out towards him as he tried to flee, but he managed to knock it aside. That still gave her the opening necessary to slash down towards his head once more.

Myrtenaster slammed against the chain, held taut above his head – but this time she had planned for it. He gasped as her foot caught him on the side of his knee, and although she'd been looking for a distraction only, he seemed to buckle in pain. She wasn't so foolish as to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"Ha!" she yelled and flicked her blade towards his ribs.

Crimson splattered across the floor.

The man gasped and a hand came up to touch his stomach as he backed away, all the while Weiss stood with wide eyes as blood dripped from the tip of her weapon.

He didn't have aura… the knowledge hit her with the weight of a sledgehammer. All the while she'd been attacking and cutting towards his head and shoulders as she aimed to disable him, only to now be faced with the reality of their fight. She could see a thin trail of blood seep from between the fingers of the hand he held across his stomach. This was no aura-aided combat that would come to an end with him drained but unconscious. This fight had an added weight to it, something that made her feel clammy and afraid.

She didn't know if she could kill someone...

He took full advantage of her distraction to lunge forward and grab her sword, which still hovered before her in shock. Her hand reflexively tightened about the hilt but he used that to draw her in and push the weapon – and her arm – deep into the chains. He pulled and kicked at one and she gasped as her arm was pinned beneath the weight of them. A delicate leg kicked out to ward him away but she was trapped and helpless.

"Weiss!" Blake yelled from some distance away – and she knew her teammate would come.

"You won't get away with this," she whispered to the White Fang before her. He panted and held his wound as he watched her. She pulled on her arm once more and almost got free, but for a single tight chain wrapped about her elbow. It gave her enough freedom to lunge forward and take her weapon with her off-hand. Clumsily, desperately, she waved it before her to ward off his finishing blow.

It never came. He backed away once, spared a glance for her arm, and fled.

The chains clinked as she slumped against them and let out a relieved sigh. What a fool she was… she should have been prepared for such a thing and it had almost cost her.

Blake's terrified scream cut through her thoughts, "WEISS!" A shadow fell over her a second later as she looked up towards a robotic foot that was poised to stomp on top of her.

She didn't have time to think or scream. She felt the rush of air as it came down, the chain links that bit into her arm as she tried to pull away – and then a strange surge of terror as she realised not only did she have time for screaming after all, but that she was doing just that. It ended as she clenched her eyes shut and hoped her end would be swift.

She didn't see what prevented it.

She _heard_ a great sound like a car crash, she _felt_ an arm settle beneath her as she cracked her eyes open in time to see a silvery blade sheer through the chains that pinned her. The huntsman wrapped her in his arms a second later and leapt aside – as the huge Paladin crashed to the floor behind them.

Weiss was not ashamed to admit she shook like a leaf when he put her down. Her mouth was dry, her legs weak and her hands shook so hard she dropped her weapon. Yang and Blake were upon her a second later and she took more comfort than she thought she would have in their embraces. "T-Thank you," she gasped to Yang's uncle.

"That wasn't me," he whispered as he looked over her head. Weiss' eyes widened as she craned her neck to follow his gaze.

At the back of the factory, slumped over with one hand against a wall, the White Fang member she had wounded stood. He watched them with a face covered by his mask, his features hidden by a hood. By his hand she could see a control lever, and swinging back and forth over where she had been, a great metal hook, dented on one side.

It didn't take her long to realise what had happened. "Why?" she whispered.

Of course he didn't hear her. He was over fifty metres away and the moment he realised she was safe he slammed his shoulder against a fire door and escaped into the night. He took his answers with him.

"That's what we're trying to find out," the huntsman who held her sighed, "As for him… I guess we call him Silver."

Silver…?

/-/

Weiss' muscles were still a quivering mass of jelly by the time they arrived back at Beacon. At least on that front Yang's uncle had been able to reacquisition them a ride, though the fact he apparently answered to the headmaster raised the question of whether they'd all get detention for this. The look on Miss Goodwitch's face when she appeared from the Bullhead that came to pick them up certainly suggested so. Awkward didn't even begin to describe the silence on the way back home. All in all, not to mention with the quick debriefing they'd received, it took them over an hour to return.

"He escaped," Yang repeated for the one hundredth time, "I can't believe Torchwick escaped. We had him _right there_. He was trapped in a Paladin we knocked over!"

"Technically _we_ didn't do anything," Blake pointed out. "If anything, Weiss was the one involved in taking it down."

Not that she could bring herself to feel proud about that, noticeably because she'd only been involved as the damsel in distress. That was _not_ a role a Schnee should be in. "At least we know how he's remained free so long," she said, "That companion of his has likely aided in all his escapes. The knowledge of her might make it easier for others to catch him in the future."

Yang gave her a dirty look, not that Weiss could argue with it. Yeah, the sentiment was a weak one at best. She was furious he'd managed to get away too. All that work, all that fighting – now the detentions – and he'd just _poofed_ out of existence?

She had the urge to utter some very un-Schnee-like words. They might have even made Yang blush.

"Not to mention the informant…"

"You're still suspicious about that?" Yang asked Blake. "What's so hard to believe, isn't it exactly the same as what you did?"

"It is, and I'm not suspicious. I'm just… I can't remember anyone else who shared my opinion. I'm wondering if I knew them, or could have helped."

Weiss was curious too, though she kept silent on the matter. It wasn't a big surprise Blake didn't know the guy, from what she understood if you were having misgivings within the White Fang, you _didn't_ share that sentiment with others. Either way, the man had saved her life even after she'd tried to kill him. She didn't know what to think about that. Luckily the arrival at their dorm kept her from having to. The door clicked open as they entered, only to freeze as a dog's low growl sounded.

"Shh," Yang whispered, "It's us, boy."

The sound stopped immediately, but the dog didn't greet them as he customarily did. That was perhaps good for Blake, whose response to the slobbering greetings was akin to that the people in a horror movie had to a killer, but it was still a little off. That was, until they spied the form slumped beneath the dog, asleep in bed.

"Jaune?" Yang whispered, "Wasn't he off sleeping with someone?"

"He _said_ so," Blake winced, "I guess this means he knows we snuck off…"

"Worried you'll get in trouble? Maybe he'll spank you."

Weiss barely heard either of them. She stepped forward to look down on him, absent-mindedly petting the corgi which refused to move from atop his form. So, he _hadn't_ actually gone off to sleep with some random girl?

She wasn't sure why she felt so relieved.

He twitched in his sleep and seemed to coil a little tighter around himself. It looked like he was clutching at his stomach. As she watched, he whimpered lightly and tightened. Was he having a nightmare? Before she could decide what to do, whether that was to wake him or not, Zwei pushed his body against the man's chest. Jaune seemed to relax a moment later as his breathing evened out. "Good boy," Weiss whispered before she turned to the others. "Shhh, he needs his rest, you dolts. Don't wake him up!"

And she needed to clean herself up… she swore she could still smell blood.

* * *

 **I'm just going to throw out a disclaimer here because I always seem to get at least one review like it. No, I'm not suggesting it is okay to strike a woman's behind, especially if she is a close friend and nothing more. The intent here was for it to serve the story, etc, and if anyone wants to get wound up over that, feel free to do so elsewhere.**

 **Other than that, I hope you enjoyed the chapter even as we found another event Jaune was unable to fully stop. I suppose you could call them "Determined Events". Poor Jaune.**

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 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **January**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	24. Chapter 24

**Another chapter here… just a quick note to the one or two asking, things "are" changing, despite that it might look like they are not. I know that someone asked if this was just a rewrite of canon with Jaune being a useless time traveler, and I'd have loved to respond if it were a logged in review. I'll answer now instead, by saying no.**

 **Some things clearly have changed, and although they may not all be obvious – they are there and are important nonetheless. The timeline is being altered in little ways.  
**

 **On an additional note, College Fool did** _ **a lot**_ **to help me with this chapter… like, far more than he's ever had to before, so I'd like to make a really special thank you for him here. It wouldn't have been the same without that effort.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 24 – The Third Law**

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Yang hadn't expected her leader to be pleased with their decision to go out and hunt the White Fang behind his back. She'd expected annoyance; she'd expected him to call them idiots – even to get angry.

She hadn't expected this.

Jaune Arc slammed his fist down on the dorm room desk so hard it nearly shattered. Blake and she sat on their beds, hands clasped between their knees and their faces pointed towards the ground, while Weiss sat on her own a little to the side.

"Nothing to say?" he snarled, and the tone of his voice was enough to make their blood turn to ice. "Nothing about why you were missing last night? Or why I have a message on my scroll from the headmaster about my team fighting terrorists in Vale?"

Yang rubbed her thumbs together, but spared a glance to her partner. Blake's shoulders were stiff, and her eyes were locked onto the floor.

"You promised me, Blake." Jaune hissed, and Blake who turned to stone where she sat. Her golden eyes peeked up, only to find themselves trapped by his. "Is this how much your promises are worth? Is this how much I should trust you?"

"No! I-"

"No? But you lied to me!"

Blake's fingers clutched at the blanket beneath her, but she managed to meet his accusing gaze with sincere eyes. "I was worried about you," she said, "I was afraid to take you along. You needed rest; the doctor said so." Raven locks swayed as Blake shook her head. "I didn't want to get you hurt by taking you out. That's why I-"

"Bullshit," Jaune roared and punched the plaster on the nearby wall. It splintered and fell in a light rain around his fist. "If you wanted me to rest then you wouldn't have left me awake all night worrying where you all were! And if you were afraid of anyone getting hurt, you sure wouldn't have taken everyone else along on your stupid crusade!"

Blake's head lowered, and the girl seemed to shrink into herself.

"You couldn't wait a night, or let someone else, could you? No, it had to be you, and had to be tonight, and to hell with whoever else you dragged into danger along with you!"

She couldn't take it any longer, not when her partner was being berated so. She surged to her feet, and felt her eyes flash red. "Now wait just a minute," she yelled, "Blake did it because she cared about you, not from pride. You've been totally wiped lately; Sun almost kicked your ass in that spar. Besides, it's not like we're a bunch of incompetents. We're as strong as you, even when you're in full form. We're good enough for this!"

"Oh great," Jaune said as he flung his arms in the air, "Three teenage girls out after dark on a school night. I bet the White Fang is fucking terrified."

She winced at his harsh language, if only because he so rarely swore. Even so, she squared her shoulders and faced him with a smile cockier than she actually felt. "We handled it okay."

"Okay?" Jaune parroted. "`Okay` doesn't end up with you all scrapping it out with giant robots, Yang. `Okay` doesn't get you nearly killed."

"But we weren't nearly killed."

"Bullshit!" Jaune swore again, eyes glaring as he visibly tried to restrain himself. "If you – _you_ of all people…" he paused, as though he'd reconsidered what he was going to say. "And what if it hadn't been `okay`, Yang?" he asked, tone ice-cold. "What if you _had_ messed up, and it nearly got them killed. Would it be okay then? Are you prepared to take responsibility when your carelessness ends up with it _not_ being okay? Would you be prepared if that same carelessness nearly got Ruby killed by a pack of Beowolves?"

Her heart almost stopped and something gripped it with an icy claw as she shook her head and stepped back. No, that wasn't… Ruby was… she hadn't meant to, it had been a mistake. Her legs hit the mattress and she fell down onto it.

"Enough!" Weiss roared and stood up. The white-haired girl stepped forward to stand between Jaune and them, her arms held out. "Blake and Yang are not responsible for this," she said, "I won't have you shouting at them. If you want to blame someone, blame me."

Jaune turned to face Weiss, "Are you telling me," he heaved, "That it was _you_ who took them out into danger?"

"Yes," Weiss nodded, "If anything it was I who approved the plan, and I stick to it even now. Blake came to me for help because she was worried and didn't want to place you in risk. It was I who decided we should go. Blake has no fault here."

"And you nearly got killed."

"We had an official huntsman with us."

"And did you know in advance that he would be there?"

They hadn't, and Weiss had to concede that point with a flustered curse.

"Exactly," Jaune snapped, "You went in thinking you'd be more than enough to deal with a few crooks, and instead you got Roman Torchwick. He could have killed you all."

"But he didn't…"

"Because you lucked out and had a huntsman come to your rescue! If it wasn't for him, you'd be _dead_."

A helpless feeling shot through her at that, especially with how close to the truth he'd unknowingly come. Weiss hadn't admitted it yet, and probably wouldn't, but the only reason she was still alive was because that White Fang guy had saved her. If it wasn't for him and uncle Qrow…

"Yet you'd be absolutely fine with _you_ going with Blake on your own?" Weiss retorted. "Oh, great and mighty Jaune Arc, come to save us from our troubles. We should all be so thrilled as to listen to his grand plans. Ha, don't be ridiculous. How would that have been any safer?"

"It would have been safer," he snarled, "because I wouldn't have been so utterly _stupid_ as to go into the building. Because I would have looked at what was taking place and acted in our best interest – in _Blake's_ best interest – and backed away when I saw Torchwick. I wouldn't have rushed in and risked their lives like you did. I wouldn't have sacrificed them on the altar of some personal vendetta."

It was a low blow, and Yang gasped at hearing it. Weiss stepped back, as though she'd been slapped. "I didn't do it for that. I would never risk my team's life for something as stupid as pride."

"Incompetence, then," he said, "Running in to fight faunus terrorists is one or the other, so take your pick. Either way, you could have gotten them killed, and the first I would have known would have been Ozpin waking me up to tell me you were DEAD!"

Yang felt helpless as she looked between the two of them. Her legs felt like jelly and she couldn't stand, but watching him tear into Weiss was just as horrible. She felt like a frightened child, trapped between her parents as they argued.

"Stop it!" Blake cried, stepping out from behind Weiss where she'd almost been hiding. "Please! We're a team, and teams don't fight like this!"

"Sit down, Blake," Jaune snapped.

"No! And stop treating us like children!" Blake complained. "You're not my real dad, so I don't have to-"

"I said sit down, Blake!" Jaune roared, so loudly that Blake instantly did, leaving Weiss alone to stand against him. "I may not be your father, but I am the leader of this team! You may be supposed to follow Weiss's guidance when I'm not around, but not into disaster!"

Weiss' hands clenched into fists and her ponytail swung dangerously as she shook her head. "Disaster?" she laughed, "We stopped Roman Torchwick in his tracks. We recovered stolen Atlas goods and closed down a terrorist outpost. I dare say we did a damn sight more than you did when you were helping Blake."

"And what of the targets you've painted on your backs? You think someone like Torchwick's just going to ignore you now that you've ruined his plans? You don't think he knows where you live?"

Yang winced. She – they – hadn't thought of that at all. But what was the risk? He was out there in Vale and they in Beacon. Besides, with their jobs they were bound to be enemies anyway, and it wasn't like they hadn't pissed him off before when they saved Jaune at the docks.

"Attack us?" Weiss chuckled, "I think he'll be too busy picking up the pieces of his little operation to even think about attacking Beacon."

Her smug smile died when Jaune ground his teeth together. He muttered something beneath his breath, and she _knew_ she heard the word `idiots` involved.

Yang squirmed in her seat, unsure if she should say anything, and if so, what. The decision had been an impulsive one, and looking back on it she wasn't sure why or what had made them agree. They'd just… gone with the flow. Besides, in the end, it all worked out.

"You have no idea, do you?" Jaune growled. "No idea whatsoever… you just play with fire and hope you don't get burned... and now I'm going to have to save you from yourselves on top of everything else."

" _You_ ," Weiss seethed, equally cold, "are not expected to do anything."

That seemed to make Jaune snap.

"Oh, am I to leave it to you then? Let you march yourselves to your deaths without me? Sure, go for it then. I seem to recall you were _dying_ to be leader, after all."

"We weren't in any danger!"

"Stop lying to me!" he shouted directly at her. "Do you think I'm useless, or just so stupid that I can't see the truth!?"

"Neither!" Weiss slammed a foot into the ground as her voice rose to meet his. "I'm as confident in my skills as I am everyone else's here! Maybe you could stand to be the same. Or is it that you don't trust us at all?"

"Trust?" Jaune laughed, voice rising higher and shriller still. "I had hoped I could trust you not to get yourselves nearly killed the moment I looked away, but maybe I should have trusted you to find trouble instead! Blake went back on her promise and betrayed my trust in her, and the two of you went along with it behind my back!"

Blake flinched, and Weiss seemed to notice. The heiress' righteous anger only burned hotter. "Stop blaming everyone else and starting taking responsibility yourself," she shouted, "And stop shouting at us! Maybe if you hadn't been exhausted and weren't constantly sleeping around like some… some stupid _manwhore_ , then you would have been in condition to go and we would have brought you along!"

"You shouldn't have gone in the first place!"

"I had to! Blake would have gone, and Yang would have joined her, and I wasn't going to let them go alone! I did the best I could!"

"Your best isn't good enough!" Jaune shouted, though that wasn't what made Weiss flinch. "You nearly let them get killed!"

"If there had been any danger to them I would have done something," Weiss hissed. "I would die before I let either of them be hurt!"

"LIKE THAT'S ANY-"

Yang winced at the volume, and her eyes only cringed open when she realized Jaune wasn't going to finish. He was silent- too silent- as a nameless reaction crossed his face.

"You would die?" he whispered, the only thing heard in the moment, before he laughed. It was technically a chuckle, but there was no humour in it. "How would that make it any better? People die when they're killed. If you die, it's over – there's no do-over for you!"

"Better me than them!" Weiss persisted. "Or you! There's no do-over for you, either!"

"Don't even-" Jaune shook his head and looked at her with such disgust. "I don't want to hear that from you. I can't even stand to be in the same room as you three right now…"

"Then leave," Weiss demanded, and waved a hand towards the door.

Yang didn't think Weiss expected him to do so, but after the words that had been exchanged so far, she didn't think it came as a surprise to any when he did.

"Fine," he said, voice horse and drained of all the passion and anger it had so recently held. He slunk towards the door, almost seeming to limp, before he pulled it open and stepped out. In one last burst of energy he reached out and slammed it shut behind him. The silence that followed felt suffocating.

Yang swallowed heavily, struggling to breath, and let out a long breath. That… that had not gone quite as expected. She didn't think she'd ever seen him so upset. She didn't think she'd ever seen Weiss so angry. "That… I don't know what to say," she said shakily. "That wasn't even a thing."

Beside her, Blake reached her hands up to cup her face with shaking hands. There were no tears, but it was obvious that the poor girl felt devastated by what had been said… and what she felt she'd done.

Her partner's mattress flexed beneath her as she sat down and wrapped an arm around her, but it wasn't her hands that reached Blake's first. Two smaller, paler hands cupped Blake's hands even as they gently forced gold eyes to look up.

"That was not your fault," Weiss said, every word defying disagreement. "You did nothing wrong. One, you didn't break the promise you made. Two, you did what was best for him, even if he's too much of an idiot to see it." Both anger and kindness hid beneath the inflexible coolness.

"I might as well have broken it," Blake whispered as she rubbed her temples. "I didn't break the strict wording, but that's hardly an excuse." The faunus sighed and made to stand, but Yang pulled her back down.

"Hey," Yang smiled for her partner. "It'll be okay."

Blake's return smile was weak, but at least it was there, and the normally quiet girl leaned into her a little in thanks. That gave her a chance to look towards Weiss, who seemed less in control. The heiress shivered where she stood, hands clenched into fists and teeth grit together so hard Yang feared they might shatter.

She looked like a volcano about to erupt.

A weak knock sounded on the door, almost nervous as the wood creaked open. Silver eyes peeked in, before a small face followed once she saw there were no weapons about to take her head off. "Hi," Ruby whispered, as Nora crept in behind her. "Is… is this a bad time?"

"Heard the noise, I take it?" Yang sighed.

"Heard it?" Nora managed a small grin, "I'd be surprised if all of Beacon didn't hear it. Ren calls me loud, but you guys? Yikes."

Yang laughed in embarrassment, as one hand came up to rub her hair. Yeah, she supposed they had been pretty loud. Hopefully it wouldn't be all over Beacon by lunch. In a way it reminded her of some of the dressing downs her dad had given her, and it even came with the terrible feeling afterwards. "Heated words were exchanged," Yang grinned, "Some things were said, more were shouted."

"I had to shout," Weiss turned to them with a furious expression. "He didn't seem capable of listening otherwise. How dare he act like that? What gives him the right to act like he can tell us what to do?"

"Well he _is_ your team leader…"

"Irrelevant! We didn't do anything wrong – it's our job to stop criminals and that's what we did. Half the time he doesn't even seem to care about being a huntsman at all, let alone a team leader, so I don't know where he gets off acting all high and mighty now."

Ruby opened her mouth to say something, but clicked it shut a second later. Weiss looked like she was waiting for someone to speak, just so she could lash out. In the end, when no one did, she sighed and looked away.

"Forget it," she said, "I'm going to go cool down and forget about that… that… idiot!"

Weiss stormed to the door, and for a moment looked like she might slam it shut. Then she seemed to recall he had done the same, and closed it with a meticulously careful click. They could still hear her feet angrily stomp away, though.

"Well," Yang let out a quick sigh, "That happened."

/-/

Damn it, damn it, damn it. Jaune forced down a furious growl as he slammed a fist into a nearby wall. His blood felt like it burned in his body and the pounding in his skull threatened to pull him under. The wound on his chest stung beneath the bandages he'd hastily wrapped around it the previous night, and yet the pain only helped distract him.

Those stupid idiots, those complete fools, those… those…

Argh.

He was such a bloody idiot.

 _How could I have failed so badly? It doesn't even make sense. That much bad luck is unreal… Roman just `happens` to have his main event there, the warehouse I just `happen` to be investigating, and then just `happens` to pick me out among a crowd of faunus – and it just `happens` to be the one time Blake decides to tell the others."_

That bad luck went beyond what could be classed as normal. Was he cursed or something? _I thought adding Qrow into the mix would help me out, but all it seems to have done is make things worse._

That was unfair… Qrow had come at just the right time to save his life, which was a twist of good luck for a change; though he was sure Roman would disagree. That had given him the moment's distraction he needed to escape, and then running away had been easy, what with all the other White Fang members causing a distraction.

But his team and Weiss…

They didn't even understand why he was so angry, and the worst part was that he couldn't blame them for it. As far as they could see, they'd stopped the bad guys and retreated unharmed. They weren't aware of Cinder watching from the side lines, or how Roman's plan involved Beacon. They didn't have all the pieces and had made the best decision they could with what they had. Anyone else would have praised them and he _knew_ they'd chosen to exclude him because of concern, because they didn't want him to be hurt.

Because he'd dropped that silly lie about Tsune saying he needed rest.

He knew all of that and it still didn't stop him from feeling furious. It hadn't stopped him from lashing out at Blake and Yang with nothing but the intent to hurt them. Guilt clawed at him, more so when he recalled exactly what he'd said. Yang would no doubt wonder - when she'd had a chance to think calmly about it - whether she had ever actually _told_ him about the time she nearly caused Ruby's death. Maybe he could play it off as a guess, but the doubt would be there in her mind.

He needed to be careful.

His hand came up to touch the cut on his chest too. It stung, but since the bandages weren't wet he figured it had started to heal. About time his aura stepped in, though that still raised the more worrying question. His aura hadn't been drained at the time… he knew that, and after fighting for so long he had a good grasp of what he had left and how much. More than that, he'd tested it upon reaching their dorm. The wound wasn't deep, despite how grisly it looked, and he'd been able to close it with some butterfly stitches and then bandage it up.

But even then, he'd felt his aura resisting the stitches, which meant he had plenty to spare.

 _It resisted Neo's sword against my neck too,_ he recalled. _And when I swung and caught the chain, it stopped the metal from biting into my hand. Why did it not block Weiss' attack?_

Why did it not prevent Sun from injuring his leg, or Miltia Malachite from cutting him with her claws? It had worked to defend him early on against the twin sisters, but failed towards the end. There were just too many questions and not enough answers.

With a soft sigh, he reached down to pinch the skin of his arm. He tilted his nails and dug them deep into the flesh, but a flicker of soft light across his skin stopped him. It was barely noticeable, but he more than felt his nails being pushed back. It was still active, and working as intended. Nothing made sense.

And he'd nearly killed Weiss. Or she'd nearly killed him… both were true in a sense but in the end, it had been his way of getting her off his tail that had nearly caused her to be crushed by a Paladin. That he'd managed to stop it was no real comfort, since it wouldn't have happened in the first place if not for him.

"Sometimes it feels like every time I try to make something better, I just end up making it worse."

"That is not a situation uncommon to me, Mr Arc."

He jumped slightly, and cursed himself for being so distracted in the first place that someone could have snuck up on him. Ozpin stood before him, his ever-present mug of coffee in hand, but it was the person beside him that made Jaune flinch.

"It is uncommon to me, though," Qrow Branwen grinned, "Cuz I improve every situation with my mere presence."

"I believe Miss Goodwitch would disagree."

"Eh, it's subjective. So, kid… you realise as a proud huntsman of Vale that I can't let you get away with beating up on a defenceless wall."

It was hard to force down his anger. As much as Qrow had saved his life, there was another irrational side of him that wanted to blame the man for getting his friends involved in the first place. He couldn't say anything, however. Not only was he not supposed to know who this even was, but he also knew the others would have gotten involved on their own if they'd had the chance. "The wall started it," he said, "No harm done."

"Again, I believe Miss Goodwitch would disagree," the headmaster indicated the broken plaster that had flaked off beneath his fist. He didn't sound overly concerned, but then again this was Beacon, so damage like that was probably considered light.

"Can I help you, headmaster?"

"Not at this moment," the older man said, "Qrow, I believe you ought to know this young man. He's the leader of your niece's team."

"Which one?" Qrow laughed.

Irritation bubbled to the surface as Jaune crossed his arms. He interrupted Ozpin before the man could answer. "The one whose lives you risked last night."

Qrow's laughter stopped as quickly as it had begun, now replaced with something a little more serious, and dare he say, guilty as well. "Ah, so you heard about that? Heh… guess you must have. No other reason for you to be shouting so loud."

Shouting…?

"We might have heard your little… discussion," Ozpin said.

"Discussion? I've not heard a dressing down like that since Summer took me 'n Tai to task for that fight we had in second year. Gods, you wouldn't have thought someone so small and cute could scream like that. Even Raven was speechless… well, more speechless than usual."

Were the two just going to talk about old times? Jaune sighed and made to push past, only to feel a hand grab his shoulder and pull him back. He staggered before Qrow and glared at the huntsman, but the older figure looked unrepentant.

"Whoah, sparky," Qrow grinned, "Geez, I see someone woke up on the wrong side of bed. You got a problem with me; you might as well get it out. Don't worry. I'm a big boy and man enough to take it without crying."

"I don't have a problem with you, _sir_ ," Jaune spat the words out.

"Oh yeah, that sounds convincing. Look, for the record, I didn't go out of my way to involve my niece and her friends in my mess. Just my own typically shitty luck that they showed up, I guess. Either way, they came out of it in one piece."

"There's always next time. Succeeding in a bad decision doesn't make it okay, it just means you make it again. You might not be around the second time."

"Which is why they are to be punished," Ozpin said. "You need not fear, Mr Arc - I am of the same belief as yourself in this regard. The three of them will go through detentions with Miss Goodwitch, during which she will be sure to have them read through stories of huntsman who lost their lives facing odds they were ill prepared for."

It was a good lesson to be learned, and Jaune nodded his thanks towards the man. Even so, it did little to erode at the mixed feelings he had, namely his anger and guilt. It also wouldn't change anything in the long term, though the headmaster couldn't know that. He was doing the best he could with the knowledge he had. Just like his team had. And just like his team, it would be meaningless in the long run.

"I take it that is what your little spat was about?"

There was no harm in them knowing so he nodded. "The three of them are insistent they made the right choice," he said – coincidentally missing out the part about him having gone on any before. "They wouldn't see things from my point of view. The conversation got… heated."

"As is all too often the case," Ozpin agreed. The man took a sip from his coffee, as Jaune refused to meet their gazes. "I dare say you were worried about them," he said, after what felt like the longest pause. "It is because of the feelings you have for them that anger was your first recourse."

Something within him snapped. His eyes blared as he looked up into the headmaster's face. " _That's_ your words of wisdom?" he scoffed, "Do you honestly think I don't know that? That I'm not somehow aware that I care for my team, that I'd find it _confusing_ that I feel angry when they nearly went out and fucking died!?"

The two men didn't react to his aggression. Rather, they stood patiently as he glared at them.

His anger winked out a moment later, and his shoulders fell. "I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't mean it. I'll accept any-"

"You are forgiven, Mr Arc." Ozpin said. "Few are the men who can prove impervious to their own emotions, and you have reason to feel upset this morning."

"Eh," Qrow grinned and reached out to ruffle his hair. Jaune leaned back before he could, but that didn't stop the man's smile. "You're pissy over my niece's wellbeing. I can get behind that. Trust me, kid, I wasn't exactly thrilled to see them there myself. Did the best I could to keep them safe."

And he'd managed it… or at the very least he'd kept the White Fang, Roman and Neo off of them, which was more than anyone could have asked. He'd also saved Jaune's life. "Thank you," Jaune said with a small nod. "Thank you for being there." For them and for him.

But that didn't solve any of his current problems. "If you'll excuse me though," he said, "I need to get some fresh air and get my temper under control before I snap at someone else."

"You're not going to speak with your team?" Ozpin asked. "They might come to understand your reasons if you were to lay them out in a concise manner."

"I think that bridge is burned." He pushed by them and away, but paused as Ozpin called out.

"I think you'll find that a bridge takes longer to burn than you might expect, Mr Arc. You would be surprised at how much time you have to put out the flames, and how easily they can be extinguished. Don't make the mistakes I have made all too many times."

Jaune's eyes drifted shut.

More wisdom he already knew… though that didn't make it any less valuable. This fight, this argument, didn't solve anything. All it did was give him the catharsis of shouting, and now he was filled with the regret of such.

"What a mess…" he sighed.

One thing was for sure, however. Roman would be gunning for his team, and would likely tell Cinder exactly who had crashed their party, if just to direct the blame away from himself. His eyes narrowed as he recalled the way she'd spoken in the cafeteria. The plan had been to make sure she didn't have any reason to look his way, but if she was going to set her sights on his team?

That wasn't acceptable.

 _There's no way I can convince her to let the girls go after that… she's going to be keeping a close eye on them, and if she sees a chance to remove one or two, she'll take it._

Then again, when you wanted to get away from an Ursa, you didn't need to be the fastest in your group. You just needed to be faster than your slowest friend. In this case, his team just needed to be more inconspicuous than someone else. Or essentially, if he attracted all her attention onto _him_ , then they would go relatively unharmed. It would be a risk… Cinder was dangerous and could kill him if she wanted to... but at least he would know to keep an eye on her. She wouldn't catch him off-guard.

And it was better than her going for his team.

A small smirk worked its way across his face as he considered that. Well, if Cinder wanted to focus on someone, he would give that to her. In all his lifetimes he'd made sure to learn as much about her as he could. And by now, he knew more than a few ways to make her life a living hell.

It was almost enough to make him feel bad for her.

Almost…

/-/

"So, that's the infamous leader of Yang's team, huh?" Qrow said, once the blonde had finally moved out of sight. "Got to say, he seems a tad less lazy than how I imagined him."

"Anger gives us energy," Ozpin sipped at his mug, "Though for the record, that is also the most emotional I have ever seen the young man. He is normally rather guarded, particularly around myself."

"Something to keep an eye on?"

"Not as such. Mr Arc has his reasons to mistrust me. As for security, I carefully traced his past before I extended an offer to Beacon. He is… more mature than his age would suggest, but there are events that would make up for such a change."

"You think he's a spy?"

"No," Ozpin waved the suspicion away with one hand. "The feelings he has for his team are too honest for that, and while his father may not approve of me, I trust he would not let his son fall onto such a path. If anything, I'm relieved to see he has managed to form bonds with them. I had worried… well, no matter. Tell me Qrow… what do you think of him?"

Qrow hummed and turned towards where the kid had gone. "He's an odd one," he said after a short pause. "Not at all like how Yang described him, though maybe that's just the mood. From what I heard he's part-time playboy, part-time suicide risk, and that's not exactly a combo you heard being bandied around. Now he's a wise leader disappointed in his team risking their life."

"I notice you did not answer my question."

"Heh… I like him. Protective of my niece, so he has that going for him. Hard to argue with a guy who looks after his team, and if Yang's going to run around doing what she did last night, then I feel a little safer knowing she's not being egged on by her whole team. Speaking of last night, what's the fallout?"

"Better than one might have first thought," Ozpin raised his mug towards the huntsman, "You did well to react so quickly. I know it must have been difficult."

Qrow shrugged off the praise.

"Though Roman Torchwick and his accomplice eluded us, we were still able to close down a major White Fang operation. The news has been enough to force the Council's hand as well, and we shall be receiving some additional funding for security during the Festival."

"Huh, what do you know, those idiots can actually think for themselves…"

"When pressed by the threat of public opinion," Ozpin agreed. "Regardless, no one was harmed during the operation and you were able to protect our errant students."

"Not me," Qrow grimaced, "Silver was the one who saved the Schnee girl. She'd have been a puddle of crimson if he hadn't pulled her ass out the fire."

"Curious, is it not… for a White Fang member to move in defence of a Schnee. Even if he wished to betray his companions, faunus sentiment towards the SDC is at an all-time low. Miss Schnee is… less than inconspicuous."

"Nah, Silver wouldn't do that," Qrow grinned, "From what I gathered he even fought against her. Took a wound but didn't give one back."

"Blood?"

"Mixed into concrete and dry by the time everything was over. Besides, what would we do – demand every faunus in Vale comes for a blood test so we can match it? I think he's more use to us out there."

"Do not allow yourself to be compromised," Ozpin warned, "Silver is an asset, but-"

"I know, I know. I've been doing this for long enough, you know that."

"Perhaps… the name sounds familiar too, although it escapes me right now." Ozpin frowned but shook his head and sighed. "I shall look it up later. There was one thing I forgot to mention, Qrow. Due to your actions, we were able to recover the stolen Paladins before the White Fang could escape with them. James is too busy with his preparations for the Festival to come in person, but I do believe he is sending a representative, who is to thank you personally for your actions."

"That who I think it is?"

Ozpin nodded.

"And she has to thank me? _Personally_?"

Ozpin sipped from his mug, but there was no hiding the small smile there.

"Heh," Qrow grinned, "I'll fetch my camera."

/-/

"Well," Yang said, "That turned to crap faster than I thought it would."

Blake shuffled on her bed, still with her hands cupped between her knees. She had neither moved nor spoken since Weiss left the room. It looked like their leader's words had hit her hard… harder than they'd hit her own.

Yang forced herself up into a sitting position and reached over to touch her partner's arm. "Don't feel so bad, Blake. You did what you did because you didn't want him to get hurt. Can you imagine how much worse it would have been if he _had_ gone along, with his leg injury? He might have gotten killed."

"I know," Blake whispered. "I know it was the right choice. It's just… I don't know. I haven't felt like this in a long while."

"Like what?" Yang asked.

"Like I'm a disappointment."

"You're not."

"Like I disappointed someone, then," she sighed. "Jaune saved my life, Yang. I owe him a lot and he went out of his way to help me here, then I go and turn it on him. It's not a good feeling."

Yang didn't think it would be. Maybe that was something about her partner's home life, since having her dad and being like she was; she was no stranger to feeling guilty about doing something. It wasn't like she thought her old man was disappointed with her. He was proud and always let her know, but that didn't mean there hadn't been a few times she'd done something to disappoint him.

Or maybe more than a few times…

"You did it for good reasons," she repeated. It was really all she could think to say. "He's angry. It'll cool off."

"What if it doesn't?"

"It will." She nudged Blake's arm. "Trust me. Honestly, dad told me off like that plenty of times and it never meant he hated me."

Thankfully, Nora decided to come to her aid. "People fight all the time," the ginger-haired girl said. "Even me and Renny fight sometimes, though he doesn't shout much when we do. It doesn't mean you hate each other."

"It just means you care enough to get angry," Ruby finished for her teammate.

"Also, for what it's worth," Nora grinned at Blake, "I'm _totally_ used to feeling naughty when Ren gives me looks like that. Trust me, it'll get better and Ren doesn't stay angry. Jauney won't either."

Blake smiled at them, or maybe for them. It didn't look very honest, but at least it was there. Yang was fairly sure time would prove Nora right, since it seemed unlikely Jaune would be able to hold a grudge against them forever.

"He's right to be angry…" Blake sighed. Apparently, she'd come to the same conclusion.

"He has reason to be," Yang said, "But that doesn't excuse some of the things he said. It wasn't like it was Weiss' fault we all went along, yet she took the brunt of it. Honestly, it's Probably because she argued back. Anger's like a flame and it feeds off more. Trust me, I should know." She gestured towards her hair as she said that, though she meant her fighting style.

Everyone seemed to catch on to what she meant though.

Honestly, the response was to be expected with Weiss-cream's temper, she wouldn't back down if someone tried to tell her she was in the wrong. All in all, it probably would have just been a telling off and some nasty looks for a few hours if she hadn't reacted. She didn't blame Weiss, though. She had been sticking up for them.

"You know," Ruby offered a tentative smile, "It's always a joke with us, but you really _do_ act like a family. Even the way Weiss stood up for you was like a mother and father having an argument."

"And the two of you in the doghouse," Nora added.

Yang's lips quirked and she snorted at the thought, especially when Blake sent her a dirty look. "Hey, it's not my fault," she laughed, "You're the daddy's girl who's all upset because she disappointed her beloved father."

"And now mommy and daddy aren't talking," Blake said, putting sarcastic emphasis on the titles and rolling her eyes. "Is this when we talk about custody settlements? I'll go wherever your dumb dog doesn't."

Ruby knelt down to stroke the dog in question. "Do you really think it will come to that?" she asked.

Yang hummed and looked over to her little sister. "Come to what?"

"Do you think they'll stop being friends?"

"Nah," Yang grinned and waved her hand. "They'll cool down and be back to nagging one another within hours. Both are just angry because they're worried about one another. It'd be cute if it wasn't us he was miffed at too."

"You think it will be that easy?" Blake asked. "Weiss has quite the volatile temper. She won't accept an apology unless he admits he was wrong."

That gave her some pause, and also sent a worrying feeling down into her stomach. Blake was right there… Weiss was the kind of person to demand an apology, and not stop until she got it. "So he apologises," Yang said, but even as she said it, her smile fell.

"Do you think he will?" Blake asked.

"Then we make him," Yang said, as if it were as easy as that.

"How?" Blake asked, picking at inconvenient truths. "He's more likely to sulk and lazily take her wrath than work up the energy to apologize," she said. "Especially if he doesn't think he needs to."

Yang groaned her face fell into her hands. She was right. More than that, if Weiss didn't apologise to him, then the fight wouldn't come to an end. Normally she figured he would have said sorry even if he didn't mean it, just because an argument would get in the way of him being lazy. This was different, however... Yang groaned again.

"My thoughts exactly," Blake said. "This could go on for weeks. You know full well Weiss won't give up, and I don't think Jaune will either.

Yang gripped her hair and shook her head from side to side. "No, no, no," she rejected, "The dance is just in another few days! Those two are _not_ ruining all the work I put into that!"

"What can we do?" Blake asked, though, sounding as helpless as Yang felt. "We can't exactly force them to kiss and make up."

"Yeah, Yang, what are you going to do?" Nora asked, reminding them of her presence with a startling -pop- of bubble-gum she'd gotten from... somewhere. "What could a couple of daddy-girls like you two possibly do to make this right?" she asked, chewing obnoxiously loudly.

Yang stared at her, not quite understanding, but her sister seemed to. A glimmer lit in Ruby's eye.

"Yeah, Yang," Ruby realized, a glimmer rising in her eye. "Don't you have Jaune wrapped around your finger?"

Yang seemed to light up. "That's right! If they won't sort this out in time, we'll have to!"

"We?" Blake asked warily. The faunus met Yang's gaze for approximately three seconds before she quailed, "Oh, right, we, us, of course. I mean… I'd love to help. So, what are we doing again?"

Yang grinned and stood up. Her foot slammed down atop her mattress as she struck a heroic pose, one hand in the air. " _We_ are going to make things right," she orated. "Our parents are fighting. Our family is in danger. It is up to us, their loyal and awesome daughters, to bring them back together."

Blake groaned, but it was Ruby who tilted her head to the side. "Isn't that the plot of a movie?" she asked.

"It is," Blake sighed, "And one Yang dragged me to see last week."

"And you said it was unrealistic," she scoffed.

"It was!"

"Question," Nora held her hand in the air. "In the movie there's always the evil step mother trying to seduce the husband away and take him for herself. Who's going to take that role?"

Yang sighed. "Knowing Jaune, just about every woman in Beacon…"

/-/

It didn't take as long as Blake had expected to find Weiss. That wasn't because the heiress was particularly predictable, but more to do with how recognisable she was. Small of stature and dressed in all white, she'd apparently made a rather obvious sight stalking down the corridors of Beacon. That might have had something to do with her temper too, since more than a few people she'd asked had looked nervous.

Weiss was sat at a table in the library, a book on poetry in hand, but judging from how hard her fingers gripped the cover, prose was the last thing on her mind. The book slapped down when Blake took a seat at the table, though Weiss' furious glare receded when she saw who it was. "Sorry," the white-haired girl said, "I thought you were someone else."

"Jaune?"

"No." Weiss' answer was far too quick. "Why would I think of him? Who cares what that idiot is doing with his time? He can go walk off the cliffs of Beacon for all I care."

Blake erred on the side of caution and decided not to dig any deeper into that quagmire. "I didn't realise you read poetry," she said instead and nodded towards the book. It was quite the hefty tome.

"A Schnee is expected as much," Weiss said. "There were numerous lessons when I was younger, both on the correct manner of speaking, and on the value of poetry and verse. I've studied the art quite extensively."

"I'm not nearly so learned. I read my books, but the enjoyment in poetry eludes me."

"It's an acquired taste," Weiss shrugged, "The way the words are linked together, the sentiment hidden in metaphor and the feelings of the author being… transcribed… sent into the mind of the reader."

Blake tilted her head to the side, and a small bubble of amusement worked its way through her. Her eyes glinted a little as she smiled. "What's your favourite?" she asked.

Weiss sighed and let the book fall onto the table with a suffering expression.

Blake laughed. "You hate poetry, don't you?"

"It is expected that I appreciate it," Weiss sighed, "But… it's so dull! Meaning and symbolism hidden in fancy language, love-struck fools bemoaning the tragedy of unrequited love. If they feel so powerfully about it, why not _do_ something instead of waxing lyrical? I don't just hate poetry, Blake. I _despise_ it."

She should have been surprised. But as Blake shook her head and smiled, all she could feel was a warm fondness for the girl who had – against all odds – become her friend. A Schnee and a White Fang member… but then again, Weiss didn't act like how she would have expected a Schnee to act.

"Why read it, then?"

Weiss sighed and laid her arms on the table. "I'll admit," she said, "I just pulled the first thing I could find from the shelf. I needed to read something, anything."

"I would have-"

"Not your books," Weiss said warily.

Blake rolled her eyes. "I was _going_ to say you could have asked me for suggestions. I know some good stories that would have appealed to you, and no – they are not all of the mature kind." And come on, they weren't even really all that smutty. Wasn't sex a perfectly normal human interaction? Was it so bad that she preferred her epic fantasies and tails to end with a more emotional reward than a chaste kiss on the lips?

"Sorry," the heiress smiled weakly, "And I suppose an apology is in order for snapping at you all earlier. I know Ruby didn't mean anything with her words."

"It's fine, and I think she knows. You were angry. No one blames you."

"I was angry," Weiss admitted, "I still am… I suppose that's why I wanted to read. I have a temper problem Blake, I know I do. I thought stepping away from the team for a moment would let me get it under control before I said something I might regret."

Blake watched the girl with a concerned expression. "If you want to talk about it then you can trust me to keep it secret," she said. "You're a teammate, Weiss, but more than that – you're a friend."

Weiss let out a long sigh, but smiled nonetheless. "That… that means a lot, Blake. Thank you. I know I've not always been the easiest person to get along with, especially with my family name."

"It's fine. You came and helped me at the docks, remember?"

" _He_ did."

Blake didn't miss the anger that flashed onto Weiss' face when she said that, but she pushed on regardless. "You came as well," she said, "And if you recall, we were as good as dead if it wasn't for you and Yang coming in to rescue us."

"Hm…"

"It might help to get it out of your system." Blake nudged her foot against Weiss' beneath the table.

"I… I suppose it might. I'm angry."

"Jaune?"

"Do you even need to ask?" Weiss snapped. Her eyes softened a moment later and she glanced away. "Sorry… ugh, you see what I mean? He just… I can't believe how _infuriating_ he can be, acting like he owns us, like he can tell us what to do."

"He was worried. I don't think he meant to upset everyone."

"I _know_ ," Weiss sighed, "Trust me, Blake, I know. But we were worried too and we didn't react like that. He offered to accompany you on your little jaunts because he didn't want you to get hurt. But the moment we do the same to try and stop _him_ from getting hurt, we're the bad guys and he chews us out worse than my father ever could have."

Blake nodded and chuckled softly. That was pretty much exactly how she felt too.

"It's utter hypocrisy," Weiss went on, "and there's nothing I hate more. It just… I can't believe how _angry_ it made me feel. And then he had the temerity to blame you, to snap at Yang and to accuse me of leading you all to your deaths. I'll admit, something snapped within me. I wouldn't have done that, Blake." Weiss looked into her eyes as she said that, in some attempt to convey the truth in those words. "I would _never_ sacrifice my team, my friends, for something like Schnee pride."

"He didn't say family anything about that…" Blake whispered.

"I-" Weiss glanced away, "I know, but that's what I heard… I don't know why. I heard personal vendetta, and just instantly thought of my family. I'm not like them, Blake. I'm not that kind of person and I refuse to be."

"I know you're not," Blake said, and she meant every word. "You're better than your family, Weiss. You're better than I ever could have imagined, and I don't think I ever apologised for judging you because of your name."

"We all do it," Weiss waved it off. "We claim we don't, that we give people the benefit of the doubt or that we don't judge someone until we know them, but that's all just decoration to make us feel better about ourselves. There's not a person on the planet who doesn't look at another and make a form a first impression; who doesn't look at the clothing someone wears, the expressions they show, the way they talk, and then form a judgement from that. Look at me," she laughed, "I formed an opinion that my partner was a lazy layabout with no redeeming qualities, and now he's an arrogant, hypocritical womanizer with no redeeming qualities."

Blake winced.

"See?" Weiss smiled, "Even I can be wrong."

Okay, so she'd been right on the lien when she'd warned Yang that Weiss was going to be difficult over this. She'd been hurt, and Blake could see that, but between her and Jaune, an apology from either would be a long time coming.

"So…" Blake said, while she wracked her brain for something to say. "You wouldn't forgive him if he asked for it?"

"I would," Weiss said – and for a moment Blake dared to hope. "So long as he got down on his hands and knees and begged for it. I can be magnanimous and forgive him if he does that."

Yeah… how very generous. Maybe she should have taken Jaune instead. He was angry with her, and that would have made for a difficult conversation, but Yang had probably made the right choice when she'd picked him. _Oh boy, this is going to be a tough one._ Well, there was more than one way to skin a dog.

"You know," Blake said conversationally, "It _is_ a little frustrating how he acts like he can tell us what to do."

"Exactly," Weiss agreed, "He's our team leader but that doesn't mean he's infallible. He was injured and needed rest. That's all there was to it."

"And if he'd looked after himself better, we would have brought him along."

"Precisely!"

"Really, he has no one to blame but himself."

"I couldn't agree more," Weiss smiled and nodded, her eyes lighting up with indignant fire. "It's not like we went out of our way to inconvenience him," she went on – because now she was on a roll and didn't need Blake's input. "He acts like what we did was completely ridiculous, but we stopped the White Fang and got out relatively unharmed."

"Maybe he should take lessons from us," Blake smiled.

Weiss slammed her hands down on the table and stood up. A few people in the library looked their way in annoyance, but quickly went back to their books when they saw who it was. "You're absolutely right. He could stand to learn a few lessons from us and I'm not sure how many times I've said as much to him. I offered to help him become a better leader; no, I _promised_ I would make him a better leader, but this is beyond a joke."

"He could use some lessons on not getting hurt," Blake suggested.

"Absolutely, I shouldn't have stopped with our morning sessions, what was I thinking? Teamwork too, he wants to do everything on his own, that fool."

"Exercises together?" Blake asked, since that would require them to actually stand next to one another without coming to blows. "Well, at least he's being more proactive of late," Blake said. "Though maybe a little too proactive."

"He's gone too far in the opposite direction," Weiss agreed, "I didn't think I'd ever say it, but now he needs to slow down a little and stop trying to handle everything on his own. It's not like we can't look out for ourselves, and if we _are_ in trouble, we have a team to come to - just like you did!"

"It sounds like he's lost direction," Blake whispered with a barely concealed smirk. "I think he needs someone to set him straight."

"He needs someone to beat him off the path he's on," Weiss growled. "How dare he try and tell us what we can and can't do!"

"We're the same age as him."

"We're just as experienced too. We went to prep schools, and I had the best education lien could buy."

"It's almost arrogant really," Blake shrugged, "Someone should put him in his place."

"Oh, I will," Weiss scowled. The furious expression paused a moment later, before it drifted away to be replaced by something else. "That is, as soon as he apologises to me."

"Actually," Blake hefted her scroll, "That's why I came by to find you. Yang managed to find Jaune and convince him to apologise."

Weiss's attention snapped to her so fast, she feared the heiress might have suffered whiplash. "H-He did?" she asked.

"Yang can be very persuasive," Blake chuckled, "That or just plan insistent. From what I gather, he's pretty beat up about it, but has no idea how to say sorry to you."

Weiss harrumphed and crossed her arms before her. "Why that should be obvious," she said, "On his hands and knees, begging."

Blake smothered her laughter, since despite the girl's harsh words she could more than see how she stood a little taller, how she suddenly felt a little brighter. Still, she wondered if Weiss could even imagine the scene she was describing. It felt disturbingly similar to one contained within her favourite series. "Well you know what he's like, Weiss. I guess he's too lazy to think up a way of saying sorry."

"Lazy!?" Weiss' eyes turned to chips of ice. "Why that- ugh, what an insufferable man." She slammed the book shut with a loud clap, her eyes blazing a pale blue as she glared at Blake. "Come on," she growled and gestured for the faunus to stand.

"Hm?"

"You are going to show me to where my irritating partner is. And then I shall make sure he knows exactly what I think of his latest performance. If he needs a guiding hand, then it's about time I gave him one."

 _Well... here's to hoping Yang has been as successful as she boasted she'd be._

/-/

Yang was left hunting after Jaune, since Blake had chosen to go after Weiss. That was okay in her books, since as angry as he was; she figured it would be easier to change his mind than Weiss'. It was probably just Blake feeling too guilty to face him.

Jaune was a weird one by anyone's standards, and Yang thought no different. Sometimes he was lazy, other times active – and apparently now he could be filled with rage too. Maybe he was pregnant? At this point it wouldn't have surprised her. Even so, despite how unpredictable he could be, Yang had no trouble finding him. It was just one of those little things you noticed, but whenever he wanted some time to think, he almost always took to the rooftops of Beacon, where he would sit near the edge, looking out over the area. Sometimes he would have his weapon with him too, as though he were up there to spar with someone.

It was strange… but then that was him in a nutshell, wasn't it? He didn't budge when she sat down behind him, but she knew he'd heard her. It was too quiet, and her footsteps echoed on the floor.

His back was warm against her own as she sat cross-legged behind him, facing in the opposite direction. "Hello broody," she quipped, "You going to snap at me if I sit here?"

He sighed, and she could hear the exhausted tone in his voice, "No."

Yang hummed lightly and drew her knees up to her chest. She leaned back into him, leaving most of her weight to rest on his back. He held firm, of course. "You know… I _do_ feel bad that we made you worry. Sorry about that."

"It's-" he cut off, and she could understand. It wasn't okay, and her apology didn't make it so. "I didn't mean to get so angry," he said instead. "I didn't mean to be such an asshole."

She felt him sigh against her, and she looked up towards the bright sky with a wide smile. "I know," she grinned, "Y'know, it was meant to be a joke, but you _are_ such a dad, sometimes. It's weird as hell. Taiyang, my real dad, he was always trying to be the cool dad, the one you told all your friends about. Don't tell him, but it never worked."

Jaune chuckled lightly.

"That didn't stop me loving him though," she went on, "And he _was_ pretty cool, as far as dads go. It's just that it's your dad, right? They can't be cool – they're all old and stuff."

"All old and stuff," he repeated, "Are you saying I'm an old man now? This conversation took a weird turn."

Yang laughed, but made sure to drive an elbow backwards to shut him up. "If you'll let me finish," she giggled, "I'm saying that even though dad was the coolest dad you'd ever meet, that didn't mean he didn't get angry at me too. He'd sit me down on my bed, put his hands on his hips and just stare at me. Heh… I'd feel so small and stupid. Yours ever do the same?"

He went silent for a while, and she wondered if something she'd said had been wrong. "I don't remember," he whispered, and the words sounded melancholy. "He must have, though. Lately it's been more my mom."

"Your family really loves you," she said, with a quick smile at the memory of Summer. "You're lucky to have them."

"I am," he agreed, "I'll never take that for granted again."

 _Again?_ She shook her head and pushed on. "And you know that even when they're upset and shouting at you, it's not like they don't love you anymore. In fact, they're only able to shout like that because of how much they love you."

He sighed, and for the first time – she felt him lean back against her. "I know."

The weight that rested on her shoulders lifted, replaced now by his, but it was a more comfortable one and she enjoyed it. Her lips quirked into a smile, and she laughed into her knees. "Even if it's not real, the team does feel like a family. I mean, that's what it's supposed to feel like, but I always imagined it would be more having new siblings. Weiss is just too naggy to be a sister though, and you're all over-protective dad to me and Blake."

"I don't mean to be."

"Nah, it's fine, I… kinda like it."

"Undiscovered fetish?"

She dug her elbow back into his kidney. "Don't kill the mood, and _no_. It's more like I always grew up being the mom with Ruby, ever since Summer died. Dad tried his best, and did a damn good job too, but he had to provide for us, and that meant work. Qrow, our uncle, came round when he could, but Qrow is…" She tried to think of a polite way to put it. "What I'm trying to say is, sometimes I had to be the one to step up and wash clothing, to kiss Ruby's boo-boo's better, while dusting off my own skinned knees and fighting back tears."

"And now you like pretending you're the daughter of a seventeen year old man?"

"I'm saying," she flushed, "that I like how I don't have to be the one to feel responsible for other people. I like how you and Weiss look out for us, and how I can focus on just being a normal girl for once. I mean, as much as I love Ruby, it's also nice how she's on another team, and she's thriving there too. I get to just… totally relax, to be me."

"I'm happy for you."

The weird thing was… as casually as he said that, it didn't leave a doubt in her mind as to his honesty. He _was_ happy for her, and that felt natural. Yang pushed up, the action so sudden that he almost fell back, but she turned and wrapped her arms over his shoulders before he could. She knelt behind him, with her hands loosely clasped over his chest, and her chin resting on his right shoulder.

"I think Blake feels the same way too," she whispered into his ear. "I doubt she'll ever admit it, not unless we get her drunk, but she probably likes how normal you make her feel when she used to have all that stress and fear before."

She felt his chest rise and fall beneath her hands, and also his long sigh.

"She's sorry too, you know?"

"I know."

"She didn't mean to break that promise you made, and it's really tearing her up." Yang continued when he didn't get angry. "I know she's got her thing with the White Fang, but the real reason she brought us was because she was worried about you. The thought of you being hurt was too painful for her to bear…" she closed her eyes and smiled, "Probably as painful as it was for you, when you found out what we did."

"I don't hate her for it," There was a hitch in his voice.

"She knows," Yang grinned and stole his own words. "Still feels crap about it, though."

"I'll fix things."

"I know you will," she said, "You always do. Just… take a little time to fix yourself as well, alright? I know you got angry because you were worried about us, but we only did that because we were worried about you. I like our team… I really like it, so I don't want to see it torn apart."

He nodded, and although there was no verbal promise, it still felt like some progress was made. On the other hand, it was the easy progress – and she knew it wouldn't continue like that.

"About Weiss," she began.

"Can we not," he sighed, "I'm… ugh, she managed to get under my skin more than I expected."

 _Not more than I expected,_ Yang thought. She hummed instead of speaking, however, as she listened to him mutter angrily to himself. It was pretty much how Blake had said; both of them were too stubborn to back down.

"You know," she said cautiously, "Weiss only got angry because she was worried about you."

"I get that," he said, "But it doesn't change the fact that she should have thought things through. That fight – Torchwick – it's not over when he runs away. He's not going to forget it."

"I know, but… she did her best, you know?"

"Her best wasn't-" he cut himself off with an angry sigh. He shook his head and whispered to her, "I'm not out to make her feel bad. I just wanted her to understand… to see where she'd gone wrong and to realise why I was so upset. If she'd just admitted and accepted it…"

"You realise this is Weiss we're talking about." Yang deadpanned. "She's too proud to say something like that."

"Pride comes before a fall," he mumbled. "I just…"

He cut off with another sigh, but Yang's eyebrow quirked up as a slow smile spread over her face. Well, Blake _had_ said she would deal with Weiss, right?

"If you want her to understand, then you need to tell it to her straight," she said.

"You think I don't know that? She won't listen when she's angry."

"Hm," Yang nodded, "She was spitting up a storm earlier. It was probably a good job you left when you did or she'd have summoned her locker."

"That sounds like her… that temper of hers could get her killed."

"She could stand to chill out a little, and not be so demanding."

"Exactly."

"Well then," Yang grinned, "Tell her face to face."

"I would," he sighed, "But not until she apologises. She has to accept that what she did was wrong. She can't just go about like that and act like it's all okay."

"Funny you should mention that," Yang said. "Blake went to have a word with her, and well… let's just say she managed to get through Weiss' thick skull."

She _really_ hoped Blake had come through on her end.

/-/

Jaune sighed and sat down on the desk. His eyes traced the classroom he waited within, noting the seats covered with dust and the blackboard off to one side. Beacon had many such classrooms, some that went unused, or maybe they were just spares in case of renovations or damage. This one looked like it hadn't been used in some time, a perfect place for what was probably going to be a private meeting.

A heavy weight settled in his stomach as he waited for Weiss to arrive, as Yang had promised she would. He couldn't say he'd expected the blonde to seek him out so soon, or even to want to talk to him at all. Maybe that was just another example on how mature she was, that she could put aside how she felt for the betterment of the team. Heh… over a thousand years and sometimes he could still act like a spoiled child. It was kind of pathetic, really.

At least it would be sorted out now.

His chest itched, and he rubbed at the bandages hidden beneath his shirt to try and make the feeling go away. Those would need to be changed soon, and maybe it would be small enough now that he didn't need them. Either way, one good side to his tirade that morning was that they'd all been far too emotional to notice anything. He'd made sure to wear a shirt to bed anyway. No use taking any foolish risks.

The door to the classroom creaked open, and Blake and Yang could be seen talking on the other side. Blake looked behind her and motioned forward, and the angry face of his partner appeared in the doorway a moment later. Yang pushed her in, and the door was quickly shut behind her, giving them some privacy.

Jaune sighed, but firmed his resolve as he stood and walked over to her. Each step felt difficult, as equal parts guilt and anger burned away inside him. Eventually, however, he stood before her, arms at his side.

Weiss crossed her own and glared up at him, her lips set in a defiant scowl. It was a patented Weiss Schnee expression, and nothing she hadn't worn before. Her pale eyes scanned him up and down, before they crooked up into an almost expectant look. "Well?" she said.

His eyes narrowed and he instinctively mirrored her pose, arms crossed. "Well, what?" he asked. "I'm waiting for you to apologise."

"Me!?" Weiss laughed. "You must be joking. I came here to receive yours. And, in case you were wondering, you can deliver it on hand and knee."

"Not going to happen."

"Then why waste my time?" she asked. "Why tell me you wanted to apologise if you're just going to be a stubborn fool?"

Confusion, along with a small slither of doubt, started to worm its way inside him. His arms loosened, and his eyes trailed over her head and towards the door. "But Yang said you wanted to apologise…" he whispered.

"Preposterous," Weiss snapped and flicked her head to one side, so that her white hair slapped against his chest. "Blake said it was _you_ that wanted… to…" She trailed off and turned to look at the door as well. As if summoned by their very thoughts, there was a soft click from outside, and a muffled giggle.

He pushed past Weiss and reached for the door, only to frown as it rattled but didn't open. It felt like there was something on the other end blocking it, but the lock was on the inside. He tried it, to no avail. "Yang," he called as he banged his fist on the door. "Very funny, Yang. Now open the door."

"Nope!" Her muffled voice came through the woodwork, along with what sounded like her laughter. There were other people too, and not just Blake by the sound of it. No doubt Ruby and her team as well. "You're not allowed out until you solve things between you."

"Yang!" Weiss shouted as she appeared beside him. She pushed at the door as well, before she scowled and delivered a fierce kick against it. The study door held, no doubt reinforced for that very purpose. "I swear, Yang," she growled, "If you don't open that door, you'll regret it."

"Blake and I don't want you to get a divorce," Yang shouted in a teasing tone. "We don't _want_ another mommy. Now kiss and make up."

"If you don't open the door, I'll not only do worse than I did the other day," Jaune threatened, "But I'll record the whole thing and spread it all over Beacon."

There was actually a pause from outside, as the blonde no doubt considered the horror of what that would entail. After a few seconds, she replied. "Eh, I'll take my chances. This is more important than a little bit of embarrassment. Now, we're going to go for a walk and give you guys some privacy. We'll be back in ten minutes and you better have made up by then!"

Through the door, they could hear the sounds of footsteps and conversation drifting away.

Give in like that? Not going to happen. Jaune slammed a shoulder against the door. It held, and didn't even budge. With a growl, he threw his arms into the air and stalked back to the desk and sat down on top of it. Fine… if she wanted to play that game, he'd play. No one could go through what he had and not learn a little patience, while Yang was notoriously absent in it. She'd get bored soon enough and he was more than willing to wait her out. Gah, he should have known better than to trust her, but she'd played with his emotions and wrapped him around her finger.

Weiss appeared to be less willing to wait, for the heiress continued to rant and spout threats towards Yang, Blake and whoever was out there helping them. She slapped a hand against the door over and over, and at one point even looked like she might try and claw the door to pieces. She was without her weapon, however, as was he – and so they didn't really have an answer.

"Give it up," he called out. "The door's going to hold no matter how nastily you insult its parentage and upbringing."

Weiss rounded on him immediately, no doubt thrilled to have a new target to focus her anger on. "Oh, really?" she said, "I suppose you'd know all about giving up, wouldn't you? Mister lazy bones himself, with a side order of hypocritical moron, wants to go and offer me advice. Unlike you, I think I'll actually try and _do_ something to improve the current situation. You can continue sitting there looking like a petulant child."

"Petulant?" he laughed. "I suppose you'd know all about that, wouldn't you, Princess? If you want to talk about childish, maybe we should look at the insults. They're very mature."

"Hardly insults if they're true," Weiss bristled. "Besides, if you're going to act like a fool, it's up to someone to warn you before you make a mistake."

"Like the one you made?" He rose to his feet. "Like taking the team into a situation you knew nothing about? Like risking their lives and your own for something as stupid as stopping a petty criminal?"

Weiss raised an eyebrow as he walked up to tower over her. If she felt intimidated by the towering height he had over her, she didn't show it. But in truth they both knew she wasn't one to be frightened by such things. "And there's the hypocrisy again," she taunted, "When it's _you_ who ran around with Blake doing it behind our backs. If you're trying to make me feel guilty, you might want to wash the same sin off yourself."

"I knew what I was doin-"

"Like you did at the docks?" Weiss hissed, and this time it was he who backed away as she thrust a finger into his chest and pushed him back. "I didn't say anything at the time but do you know what it was like for us to find you broken and barely alive in the middle of that inferno?"

"I-"

She cut him off with the most ferocious snarl he had ever heard from the girl. "We arrived in time to see you looking like you were _dead_ , and Blake stood atop your body as some psycho girl tried to kill you. We may have gone out behind you back but at least _we_ came back in one piece. It was _you_ who didn't do the same… so don't lecture us about this and don't you _dare_ act like you're the only one who has the right to feel angry!"

He hadn't even thought of it, hadn't even realised. "I don't," he growled, "This isn't the same."

"Like hell it isn't!" she said, "It's the exact same thing, except we did it better! And yet even when you came back looking like you'd fought a Nevermore and lost, we didn't feel the need to shout and scream at you!"

Anger surged within him and he bit back a growl. He knocked her hand aside and stepped into her guard, so that they were stood chest to chest. "I'm not going to apologise for what happened at the docks. I'd do it again if Blake were in danger!"

Weiss whipped her hand back and slapped it against his chest. It wouldn't have normally done any damage, but it hit his wound dead on and made him wince. She was so angry, however, that she didn't notice. "And I'm not going to apologise for the same!" she howled. "None of us are and we'd all do it again if _you_ were in danger, you stupid dunce!"

The energy seemed to drain out of her, and although she slammed her fist into his chest once more, it was a weak hit at best. She didn't look at the floor, however, but rather kept her blazing eyes locked onto his.

"You can't do one thing and expect us not to do the same," she added, this time in a calmer voice. "You can be angry all you want… but we're not going to say sorry for giving a damn about a teammate. Would you?"

"I-"

"Would you?" she repeated.

Energy fled him as his shoulders drooped. He knew the answer, as much as he wouldn't admit it, and that fact seemed to drain the anger that had fuelled him. He wouldn't have apologised in her place… and even now he wouldn't apologise for what had happened at the docks. Yes, he'd been hurt, but he would do it again if he had to. It would be like asking him to apologise for saving his mother, and that was something he would never do.

Weiss no doubt caught the meaning of his silence, for she snorted and looked away. "I thought not," she whispered. Silence opened up between them, and despite that they stood so close, it felt like the distance was larger than that.

He felt cold and distant, like he'd pushed everything away and now had nothing to hold onto. "I won't apologise," he said stubbornly.

"And neither will I."

Something unpleasant swam in his gut. He let out a soft sigh and looked up towards the ceiling. "I will say sorry though," he whispered, and he heard her intake of breath, "I'm sorry for some of the things I said this morning. I still don't agree with what you all did, but I was wrong to suggest you would have purposefully hurt Yang or Blake."

He felt something poke his chest, and when he looked down it was to see Weiss digging a finger into his breastbone. She looked angry, but this time her eyes were fixed on his neck. "That was out of line," she mumbled. "I wouldn't do that."

Her body was warm as he carefully placed his hands on her back. He wasn't sure if she would pull away, but against all odds she allowed him to draw her in for a weak hug. "I know you wouldn't. I… I was angry and irrational. I didn't mean any of it, I just wanted to hurt you."

"You did," she growled. "More than anything else, that made me angry."

"I'm sorry."

"I like my team. I wouldn't ever do something like that."

"I'm sorry."

"I'm not… I'm not like my father."

She wasn't, not at all. He tightened his arms around her a little and sighed. "I know."

"I meant what I said before," she mumbled, "I would die before I let anything happen to them."

And like before, that sentence made his gut clench.

"I just..." she looked away, "I wanted to come back having finished this and let you know we'd managed to do it. I imagined you being relieved to have time to rest, that you would thank us and be happy that I'd gone out of my way to help. I thought if I helped Blake and we were able to stop it altogether, that you'd be able to calm down and stop pushing yourself. I thought I was helping you."

Gods... the words cut straight through him, and left his heart heavy in his chest. "I'm sorry," he whispered, yet again.

"But… I guess I'm sorry too," she sighed, "I shouldn't have gotten angry and shouted back… though in my defence, you were being an absolute idiot."

He chuckled but didn't say anything. It was just like Weiss to deliver an apology and then take it back straight away. At least it had been said, and he would remember that. "I guess I was…"

"And maybe I shouldn't… even if I'd have done the same thing again; I could have let you know. I could have forced Blake to wait until you were better. Until we could all go together as a team. It was perhaps irresponsible of me not to make you aware." She sighed and looked to the side, and her cheeks darkened a little, as though embarrassed to admit she might have gotten something wrong. "In future, I'll be sure to do that," she said, "Take that as a promise."

"I will," he whispered.

They'd gone behind his back, which wasn't the real problem here. It was that they'd gotten in the way of his plans, that they'd ruined his hard work and drawn attention to themselves. But was that really their fault? They didn't have the bigger picture and they didn't know better. Everything that they'd done, they had done with the same concern he had for them. Lifetime after lifetime, dedicated to protecting them – and they had simply chosen to do the same in return.

Their intent had only ever been kindness. And perhaps, somewhere along the way, that intent had started to feel less important to him… paling in the face of results, in cold, hard fact. But it did matter, even if it was this life he'd come to recognise that once more. His family, the ones back home in Ansel, who offered nothing to his goals of saving Beacon, but filled him with love and joy regardless.

And his friends and team here, who he had begun to fall in love with, all over again. In a strange way… perhaps he had forgotten that. Forgotten the people, and what they meant. The personalities and emotions behind the faces of a group of people he _had_ to save.

 _I won't ever forget that again._

"So," he whispered, as he smiled down at his partner. "Are we…?"

" _You_ are forgiven," Weiss poked him in the chest as she glowered up at him. " _I_ have done nothing wrong, but have deigned to accept your apology and offer a tentative peace treaty of my own." Her proud eyes refused to meet his as she looked away. "I would suggest you take it."

"Of course, Weiss," he rolled his eyes and earned another poke for it. "Thank you for having the dignity to accept the apology of one so lowly as myself. I suppose I should apologise to the others too. Some of the things I said…"

"They were out of line," she agreed, "But you can save the apology for another time."

Not now? Jaune blinked and looked down on her in confusion.

Weiss' smile was anything but friendly, and in fact would have sent most people running. "Our… _daughters_ ," she hissed the word, "seemed to think it would be amusing to lock us in a classroom together on the pretense that the other was prepared to apologise. I don't know about you, but I am feeling less than forgiving for their trickery."

His lips drew into a thin line as he glowered over her head. He could just imagine the look on Yang's face; her smug, shit-eating grin as she locked the door shut and laughed with Ruby and Nora. Oh yes, he wouldn't say no to a little revenge there himself.

"I'm sure if you put your mind to it, you could think of something… _unfortunate_ to happen to them." Weiss' words were so sugar-coated, his teeth almost rotted. Yet at the same time, he couldn't stop the slow grin that spread across his lips.

"Oh, I can think of a few things," he crooned. It had been a while since he'd done anything like that, hadn't it? Oh yes, it looked like Weiss was onto a good idea with this one. It would also be something he could do at the same time as interfering with Cinder. Three birds with one stone as it were, for Blake was just as guilty in this, he was sure. It would have taken a certain kind of manipulation to trick Weiss into this, and that had `Blake Belladonna` written all over it. "I take it you'll be extracting your own pound of flesh?"

Weiss' smile was dazzling, and also very shark-like. She flicked her head back, and the action sent her ponytail wafting before his nose. "Of course," she said. "It would be dreadfully remiss of me to leave their punishment to you. After all, I did say I would help you become a better team leader."

"You did… and I could certainly use some lessons on dealing with naughty teammates; maybe the kind of lesson that would be best given by example."

"It's the best way to learn, and I suppose we'll just have to practice over and over until you get it down."

"I'm feeling rather dim lately... you might need to keep showing me."

"I'll be patient with you."

The two of them shared a long look, before they both began to laugh.

"And to think, they wanted us to work together again." he said.

"We'll make them regret it," Weiss promised.

As though they'd heard the words being spoken, the lock on the other side of the door clicked open. Weiss pushed away from him, though not far enough that she left his arms. No doubt she realised if Blake and Yang didn't see _some_ evidence of improvement, they'd just lock the door again.

Jaune shook his head in amusement as his hands slipped down Weiss' back to rest on the back of her hips. Oh, they'd play along for now… but the moment those two were in arm's reach, it would be time for some quick vengeance.

The door opened, and as they made to speak, there was a bright flash of white that obscured their vision, followed by the sound of a scroll's camera clicking. "Do you mind!?" Weiss snapped as she blinked past the light.

If Yang thought a little blackmail material was enough to stop him, she'd be sorely disappointed. The two of them were going to rue this day.

But apparently not as bad as he was… for as the spots faded from his eyes, he saw that it was _not_ Yang and Blake on the other side. Or rather, they were there, but stood guiltily behind a few adult figures. Ozpin raised an eyebrow at the sight of them, while Glynda shook her head and mumbled something about him picking up another one. It wasn't their eyes which he found his own locked onto, however. Nor was it Qrow's, who whistled from behind, all-too amused as he lowered his scroll.

No… it was the blue eyes of a white-haired woman, who stared at the two of them with wide eyes and a horrified expression. Winter Schnee opened her mouth, and then, for the first time ever, didn't seem capable of forming words and had to close it again.

Then again, she wasn't the only one.

"W-W-W-Winter," Weiss stammered, as she glanced between her older sister and himself, who's chest she was still resting her hands upon, and who had his own wrapped around her waist. She shoved him aside and turned to her sister, but the damage was already done. "I didn't know you were coming to Beacon," she let out a brittle laugh. "I-It's so good to see you."

"Heh…" Qrow grinned, "I'm _so_ glad I brought my camera."

* * *

 **There's proof here that Jaune doesn't know everything, even with all his repeats. After all, Jaune involved QROW in his plans, and hoped that would bring him good fortune. Yeah… not the best decision – and I wonder how many (if any) actually picked up on the Semblance-induced bad luck that started to plague Jaune when Qrow got involved. For those wondering; that's not bad memory by the way, he has just never gotten that conversation with the man.  
**

 **I do know that some people don't like reading about character arguments, but this one is important to the plot. Hopefully it was also uplifting in stages.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3rd February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	25. Chapter 25

**I'm glad to see so many people liked last chapter, and a thank you to CF again for the help there. I do want to address a little something, however, and it's nothing overly big. There seemed to be a lot of… mixed opinions on who was right, who was wrong, and how I shouldn't have had Jaune apologise. I just wanted to answer that here, fairly easily.**

 **He didn't apologise… at least not for what he did. He apologised for getting angry and purposefully insulting them, that's all. Jaune knows he is right, but it needs to be remembered that he has future knowledge. Weiss doesn't, and so – in her mind – with what** _ **she**_ **knows, she is sure she is right too. And sadly, Jaune can't disprove that and knows it.**

 **But sometimes, when you get older (and Jaune here would certainly feel this way), actually** _ **winning**_ **an argument loses its appeal. Fights hurt, especially between close friends – and sometimes they're just not worth it. Jaune knows he's right, but also knows Weiss has every reason to honestly believe she was in the right – that she was** _ **helping**_ **him out. Given that, what did he honestly have to gain from continuing a feud between them? It was meant as a sign of their maturity, but also his close feelings towards them all.**

 **Anyway, maybe it's a good sign everyone got so involved, I don't know. I just wanted to give my thoughts there since so many people commented on the content of the fight more than the result of it, and in one or two cases it caused some arguments. Jaune's not going to change and he knows that, but he also knows Weiss won't change. Given that, and given what is to come, he simply didn't want them to be at odds.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 25 - The Smallest of Mishaps  
**

* * *

Weiss considered herself intelligent. She was well-read and educated to the highest degree, but one didn't have to be a genius to look at the situation the two of them were in and jump to the wrong conclusion. She pushed away from Jaune and looked towards her sister with a bright smile. The damage had already been done, she just knew it. Now if only their teammate's stupid uncle could stop laughing…

"Sister," Weiss bowed and tried her best smile, "Welcome to Beacon. I wasn't aware you were coming for a visit."

There - polite, calm and totally in control of the situation.

"Weiss… sister… you… he…?" Winter looked between her and Jaune, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Okay, not a good sign. Winter had _never_ looked so out of sorts before in her life. "Perhaps you would like to explain what it is I see before me, Weiss?"

Yes, explain – that sounded nice. But no, actually, she'd rather not. Except that her sister's face seemed to suggest it hadn't been a request and really, an explanation was probably better than Winter making her own mind up on the scene. "T-This is my partner," she said, "Jaune Arc. And no doubt you've already met my team, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao-Long. Jaune and I were… we were…"

"Having a discussion," he said.

She leapt on it. "Yes. That's exactly what we were doing. We were having a discussion."

"With your… your _hands_ around one another?"

Her heart hammered in her chest and her eyes were wide as she looked towards Jaune for another excuse. His raised eyebrow seemed to ask why he had to be the one to come up with it, but she only shook her head and uselessly mouthed something that might have been `help me`.

"It was a heated discussion," he said.

"T-That's true," she nodded, "Why, for a moment we were at each others throats."

Winter's legs almost failed her. A hand slammed out to grasp the door frame for support and Weiss didn't think she imagined the wood there cracking. Behind her, the ragged looking man continued to snicker. Wait, had she said something funny?

"She means metaphorically," Jaune chipped in, "Not literally."

Not literally? What did he mean by- Her blood turned to ice as she realised what the literal thought of `being at someone's throat` might have meant. She whirled to deny it, to deny anything and everything, but Winter already had a hand held up before her.

"This is…" she paused and tried to calm herself. For the first time in a while, she failed at something. That didn't do much for Weiss' panic. "This is Jaune Arc... your _partner_ , is it not?"

Weiss couldn't form an answer, so Jaune coughed and did it for her. "I have been called that, yes."

"The same Jaune Arc… from your letters?"

The letters…? Oh, dear heaven, the letters! She remembered those now, especially the early ones she'd sent when she had been frustrated and angry with the team assignments. What was it she'd said about Jaune again? Oh yes, a flurry of terrible and insulting things… all true, naturally, but things which now probably didn't look good since she'd had her hands on his chest and his own around her waist. Yang and Blake weren't just going to pay for this. She was going to hang them outside by their feet until they ripened.

"One and the same," she said, because at this point what else could she say? Her eyes skimmed to her left, and with a silent apology she decided to throw him under the bus instead. "And Jaune, this is my sister Winter Schnee. Why don't you say hello?"

Jaune stared at her, his expression as good as saying he was more than aware of what she was doing, but that he couldn't be bothered to argue. "Hello," he said lamely, and waved one hand.

Weiss' eye twitched. Well, at least he hadn't tried to flirt with her. There was something to be said for small mercies in life.

Also, the greeting – as pathetic as it was – proved enough to shock Winter into action. She reared up and allowed a calm expression to wash over her face. One leg drew back, and she bowed in a manner polite, but not deep enough to indicate any respect. That was already a bad sign, well before her introduction.

"My name is Winter Schnee, assistant and specialist to General Ironwood of the Atlesian Military, I've heard much about you and wish-"

"No thanks."

Two simple words, delivered with all the grace of a rampaging Ursa. Weiss stared at her partner as he held one hand up before himself with a polite smile. But it was _nothing_ compared to the stare her big sister gave. "Excuse me?" she whispered.

"I said no thanks," Jaune repeated. "Look," he sighed, "I know how this goes. You're the assistant to an Atlesian General who wishes to flee the country but needs to move his wealth with him. All I have to do is give you my bank details and you'll transfer fifty million lien to my account or something, all without risk. Well, you'll forgive me if I'm not going to fall for it."

Winter Schnee stared. Ozpin stared. Miss Goodwitch sighed and covered her face with one hand. Blake looked horrified and Yang was stood with her mouth open. Mr Branwen stood frozen with what looked like a flask of alcohol ready to drink. He grinned, put it away, and brought out his scroll to start recording instead.

"Also," Jaune mumbled, hand on chin, "Don't you normally send a message to my scroll first? I didn't think this was done face to face."

"I-I.. this…" The tall, proud and very dangerous woman fought for words. Her teeth began to grind together and her eyes flashed with the promise of murder. "This isn't an Atlesian General scam," she hissed, "I am Winter Schnee – the sister of the girl _you_ have your arms wrapped around!"

Okay, it wasn't like that! Weiss made to intercept but didn't get a chance.

"And you're still not getting my bank details," Jaune said firmly, arms crossed.

"I don't need your paltry finances! I am Winter Schnee, of the SDC!"

"Oh, so _now_ it's the SDC?" Jaune taunted, somehow able to ignore the way Weiss was grinding her heel into his foot. Not to mention the frantic glares she sent his way. "Next time you might want to try and get your story straight."

In the background, Qrow Branwen burst into hysterical laughter.

Winter visibly gathered herself. The restraint she showed was incredible, especially in the face of Jaune's… peculiar personality. That was honestly the best way she could think of describing it. "I see you are just as my sister described you," Winter said, "How appropriately underwhelming."

Weiss flinched at that, especially when he raised an eyebrow at her. What did he want? He'd been an absolute nightmare to get along with back at the beginning of the year. He was lucky she hadn't run him through and been done with it.

"Important enough to write home about at least," Jaune shrugged, "Funny how she never told us anything about you, though. Maybe it would have just been a little _too_ underwhelming."

"Jaune!" Weiss hissed and dug her elbow under his ribs.

"I've heard things about the kid too," Qrow said, and Weiss just _knew_ it would be something bad that came out of his mouth. "I've heard how he's slept with a third of all the girls in Beacon."

 _Oh that… that…!_ He was stirring the pot! Obvious enough from the way he grinned – so alike to Yang when she was causing trouble, but made all the worse by how her sister's shoulders turned to absolute granite. She looked down her nose at Jaune, and then it seemed like a great gout of breath blew from her nostrils.

"Say something," Weiss hissed to him.

Jaune glanced down at her, and somehow there wasn't a shred of fear in his eyes. He did nod, however. "He exaggerates," Jaune said with an easy smile. "I've not slept with a third of the girls in Beacon. I'm sure you know how rumours are."

Winter relaxed, along with Weiss. "True," the older woman said, "I'm glad to-"

"It's like a fifth at best, maybe between a fifth and a quarter. I don't keep count. Maybe I should."

Winter `un-relaxed` rather quickly.

Weiss interposed herself between the two of them before blood could be spilled. "I-Ignore him, Winter," she laughed, "Did you come to visit me here? You should have let me know."

Let her know so she could find some blackmail on Jaune, use it, and then force him to act like a perfect gentleman. She could hide Zwei too, since Winter would never approve – and oh god, the dorm was an absolute tip! Blake had left her novels out; Yang hadn't hung her clothes up – the panic, the horror, the calamity!

"I did not come to visit," Winter said, and Weiss let out a quiet breath. "At least, that was not my primary intent. It _is_ good to see you sister, despite the… unpleasant company we find ourselves in."

"Wow, rude," Jaune whispered, "I mean, the headmaster is _right there_."

Winter, thankfully, ignored him.

"I came due to the development with the stolen Atlas Paladins, which I do believe you and your team were involved in." The look Winter gave her was equal parts pride and concern, with just a little disappointment mixed in. Weiss knew it well, the `I'm upset at the risks you take but proud of you nonetheless` expression. She bowed her head and hid a smile as she accepted the small rebuke. "While I'm here, however, I thought it might be an opportunity for the two of us to catch up."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Weiss smiled.

"Excellent. I'm sure your… teammates… can do without your presence for a single night. Why not come and stay in the guest quarters provided for me."

It wasn't a question or a suggestion and Weiss nodded quickly to show she understood that. Schnee decorum dictated they should not show emotion in public, which meant she was in for some… _display_ when they got to the privacy of her sister's room. She spared a look for her partner, trying to convey some kind of plea for help – some kind of excuse that she could use to not go. _Save me_ , she mouthed. Surely he would, right?

Jaune Arc waved, "Have fun."

That absolute son of a…

/-/

Jaune clapped his hands together and yawned as he left the Jazzberry dorm, or as Weiss would never let him call it, `The Jazz Club`. Spending the night there with one of their members absent had been a strange experience, though at least he'd known she was safe. And honestly, between her having to deal with Winter and _him_ having to deal with her?

Yeah… he'd gone for the shock and awe approach there. Namely, shock the woman so much with crazy comments that her only option was to ignore him, which left her no one to focus on but Weiss. _I'm a bad partner,_ he smiled. _But better you than me._

Still, the dramatics of the previous night aside, there was the future to plan for. He hummed and brought a hand to his chin, eyes drifting shut as he thought about what had happened – and what was about to happen. The plan to stop Roman was a bust, though something had come of it… Winter was here, though whether that was a good or a bad thing was unknown. He didn't think she'd ever come to Beacon so early before. On the other hand, Cinder knew about his team – even if they didn't know _he_ was involved in their plans to stop Roman. It would be enough to draw her attention, and to make them targets.

The problem was that there was little he could do to stop her. That was always the issue with his strange gift. It didn't matter how many times he went back and tried to stop her, she always won. At first he'd thought it because he was too weak, or that she was too strong – but in hindsight, it should have been obvious. She was already prepared.

 _Cinder already has the White Fang on her side… no idea when she managed that, but it's long before Beacon, so there's nothing I can do there. She also has Roman and his goons before Beacon too, and there's no telling how long the dust thefts have been going on for._ In terms of activity, Beacon was the worst place for her to be because it didn't give her many options to act out or continue her objectives. That didn't mean it was a bad idea for her… it just meant she'd already _done_ most of her plans.

And therein laid the problem. Cinder had everything in place before he arrived at Beacon, which meant that no matter how strong he got, he could only stop _her_ … not derail her plans. _And finding her before Beacon has yielded nothing in the times I've attempted it. I've no idea where she stays, but it definitely isn't Vale._

He'd only had a few tries searching Mistral, but despite his best efforts she hadn't been at Haven, either. _Ugh, this is pointless to think about. Where or where she isn't a year ago isn't going to help me now. I need to draw attention away from my team, and preferably without getting myself killed in the meanwhile. If I can't stop her plans… maybe I can delay them?_

Probably not, but it was worth the effort. As far as he could remember, her next goal would be the CCT Tower, and then…

And then it would be Pyrrha…

"Don't tell me you're asleep out here in the corridor?" the acerbic and familiar voice asked. Weiss stood, arms crossed opposite him with red cheeks and a frown that looked like it could take up arms and kill someone. "You look like a dog waiting for your master. I didn't bring you a bone, I'm afraid."

Jaune blinked and shook his head, dispelling the morbid memories. "Not sleeping," he yawned, "Just on my way to breakfast and lessons. How was the talk with your sister?"

Wrong question, apparently – though he'd known it would be. Weiss' face seemed to darken and she snarled something under her breath, likely about him and almost certainly not kind. "My sister thinks," she began, then shook her head and growled. "Never mind what she thinks. _You_!" Weiss poked a finger into his chest. She seemed displeased that it didn't impale him. "You made an absolute fool of yourself in front of my sister. Talking about… argh, what you said. She already has a poor opinion of you. I don't need it to get any worse!"

"And whose fault would that be?" he asked.

"Yours," Weiss said, utterly missing the point. "If you weren't so insufferable in the first place, then I would not have been so critical in my letters home." Roundabout logic if he'd ever heard it, but not entirely incorrect. "I don't suppose I could ask you to be polite, considerate and a perfect gentleman around my sister, can I?"

"You can ask," he smiled.

Weiss looked at him for a moment. An explosive sigh left her and she shook her head. "Well, it could be worse… at least you're not trying to get into her pants. Not that she would let you." The last bit was delivered with a flash of pale blue eyes.

She was wrong actually. He had been there, though the means with which to replicate it was something he wasn't prepared to go through again. Winter had been desperate for comfort, as had he. After all, she'd just lost her little sister. The memory of it brought a sad smile to his face, but she was alive and in front of him. Somehow that fact didn't help, because she'd also been so cold and still before him. He shook it off and forced his best grin onto his face. "What can I say? Maybe my heart's already taken by a different Schnee sister."

"Oh goodie," Weiss said, voice thick with sarcasm. Despite that, her eyes widened and she glanced away. "Did you keep the receipt? I'd like to check the refund policy."

Her snark made him laugh and it was enough to dispel the doom and gloom he felt. She couldn't be so sharp when she was dead, which meant she was still alive and with him. They all were.

"Anyway," she said, tossing her white hair back, "Where are the others?"

"Still getting ready," he nodded to the door, "Blake was in the shower when I left and Yang plans to wait for her. I fed Zwei and decided to head off early. See you in class?"

"You'd best hope I do," Weiss growled and stepped past him.

/-/

Weiss did her best to ignore the blond as she unlocked the door to their dorm. It was hard enough with how he usually was, but after the conversations she and Winter had shared last night… the last thing she needed was to see him. It was only her utter horror and embarrassment that prevented her from meting out some much needed justice on the irritating man.

The door opened, and such thoughts quickly left her mind.

"This is my life," Weiss sighed as she looked at the madness, "Where did I go wrong?"

Blake was on her knees, balanced on one hand with the other held before her threateningly. She hissed like the cat she claimed she wasn't, and it almost looked like her hair was on end. She swiped once, twice, and then hissed again.

Zwei growled back, settled protectively in his small kennel.

 _Wait, since when did we have a kennel…?_

They hadn't – and still didn't as she looked closer. It looked like a strange dog bed made out of Blake's questionable books. They'd been stacked beneath him and even placed end on end to form walls. There was no ceiling, but the corgi seemed more than pleased with what his new dog bed. And more than willing to defend it too, judging from how he growled and snapped towards Blake's hand when she tried to reach for one of the books.

Weiss sighed and turned to Yang, hands on hips.

"Jaune made it while Blake was in the shower," she explained. The blonde looked curiously impressed with the feat. Or maybe she just enjoyed watching her partner and pet play together. Blake reached for a book once more, but Zwei's teeth clamped down and made her yelp.

Ah, so this was his revenge. Creative enough, she had to admit – and there was a certain irony in punishing her by not only depriving the girl of her pornography, but also in involving the dreaded corgi. _Well played._

"How was the night with your sister?" Yang asked.

Weiss' face fell into her hands.

"Ouch, that bad?"

"Worse," she groaned. "She asked about our team and my lessons first, but that took less than thirty minutes and she spent the rest of the night asking about him. She then decided to hold a completely unrelated talk on propriety, the importance of a Schnee maintaining her reputation and… birth control."

"Completely unrelated, of course," the blonde grinned.

"Of course… and then when we woke up, she kept asking me if I felt okay and whether I had a stomach ache."

Yang tilted her head to the side in thought. "I don't get it," she said after a few seconds.

Weiss sighed. "Neither did I at first. When she started to ask about my eating habits, whether I had put on weight and if I was sick in the morning, however, I soon realised."

Yang burst into laughter, falling back onto her bed as her legs kicked in the air. "Oh god," she giggled, "That's too good. Did she ask you to pee on a little white thing as well?"

"She did not," Weiss gritted out.

"Sorry, is this one of those Schnee things? A Schnee doesn't `pee`, they `relieve themselves`?"

"There were no further pregnancy tests… and after the _difficult_ conversation that followed, I'm sure there won't be again. I don't know why you're acting so amused. What would you do if Ruby were still at Beacon and was caught with the local womaniser in a cupboard?"

"I'd just kill him," Yang said and wiped a tear from her eye. The hand froze, however, as her eyes widened. Ah, it seemed Yang had remembered just who Winter Schnee actually was. "Oh… um… do we have to keep an eye out for her?"

"Winter isn't quite that dramatic." Or at least she usually wasn't… this had been a new experience in every sense of the word, so the old rules might not still apply. Maybe it would be best to keep an eye on her partner regardless, just to make sure he didn't get himself into any trouble.

"So," Yang kicked her legs out before her and smiled, "The dance is tomorrow. You got everything sorted?"

"I have a dress if that's what you mean," Weiss said. She knew it wasn't what her teammate meant, and Yang knew that she knew... and so on.

"And a date?"

"Neptune has asked me."

Yang's face fell. Weiss pretended not to see it. "Not Jaune?" the blonde asked.

"No. Why would he ask me?"

Yang stared at her with a sad expression, the only sound in the room that of Blake's hisses and a corgi's answering growls.

"Don't look at me like that," Weiss said, "It's not like I expected or wanted him to. I'm not sure why you're even surprised."

"Are you going to go with Neptune, then?"

Weiss stood and dusted herself down. She reached for her book bag and picked it up, before she turned to Blake with a sigh. "If you're finished playing with Zwei, perhaps we could get to our lessons?"

"Stupid mutt," Blake hissed from the floor. "Weiss, help me get my books back."

"We don't have time for that. Class starts in thirty minutes and we need to be there on time. I won't have our lazy leader actually beat us there."

"Then help me get that purple one back… I haven't finished it."

Weiss glanced down at the novel in question, which seemed to form the centre of Zwei's new domain. That was almost certainly on purpose. "Sorry," she said – not at all sorry. "I wouldn't want to upset Ruby's dog."

"You…" Blake's yellow eyes narrowed. "This is childish and silly. Don't tell me this is some kind of revenge for us helping the two of you make up?"

"A Schnee is above such petty things," Weiss lied. "Oh, and speaking of revenge. Have you had your shower already, Yang?"

"Yeah."

"Did you use the shampoo in the brown bottle?"

"Huh? Yeah, why?"

"Oh," Weiss smiled, "No reason."

Yang's face went white. Her hands gripped her hair and she drew some before her to inspect it. There was nothing unusual there, but it didn't stop the smile on Weiss' face growing wider and wider. "What did you do?" Yang gasped. "What have you done?"

"Done?" Weiss repeated, "I? Why, Yang. I thought I told you. A Schnee is above such a petty thing as revenge."

"She didn't say revenge," Blake whispered, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Didn't she?" Weiss tittered, "Oh my, I must have imagined it. Come on you two, it's time for class."

Blake sighed and stood, aiming one final longing look towards her books. Zwei turned three times on them and closed his eyes. They did snap open, however, when she tried to reach in once more. She gave up with a frustrated growl. Yang, on the other hand, was still fretfully scanning her hair and asking what Weiss had done to it.

She'd done nothing, naturally, since she'd been trapped with her sister all night.

But Yang didn't need to know that.

/-/

The early lessons had gone about as well as they usually did, albeit for the somewhat unusual spectacle of Blake being forced to sit without a book and letting Jaune know of her suffering via the medium of glares. Well, that and Yang's constant panic attacks as she checked her hair – but other than that, the normality of it all helped her to relax.

Her partner had fallen asleep during Grimm theory, but since just about everyone else had too, she didn't feel the need to remark on it. It was predictable… and in a world where her sister had suddenly appeared and accused her of… of… her cheeks darkened. Well, in such a crazy world, predictable was good; predictable was comfortable.

But there was nothing predictable or comfortable about her sister's presence in Miss Goodwitch's class. In fact, it was enough to have her heart leap into her mouth and threaten to choke her.

"Oh hey, look," Jaune said, "It's your sister. Should we go say hi?"

Weiss' arm locked around his before he could make a move, and she made sure to dig her heels in just in case. "We're in class," she hissed, "She's probably here to spectate or inspect us, so don't go near her. In fact, don't ever go near her." The more distance between those two, the better.

There was a snigger from the direction of Nora and Ren, and Weiss felt confident in saying which one of those two found her agony source for amusement. "Oh calm down Weiss-cream," Yang said. "Wouldn't it technically be cheating for her to watch us, though? The Festival's coming up and she's gonna be hoping for an Atlas win, right?"

"Winter would never do that. And besides, she's only watching us first years. I doubt anyone expects a first year team to make it through the competition, certainly not enough to send spies out to rival academies."

"So she's here to watch _you,_ then. Nervous?"

Yes. Absolutely… her legs felt like jelly and her hands were clammy. She swallowed and flicked her hair behind her. "Not at all," she said, hoping the lie would not only convince them, but herself as well. Jaune's shoulder bumped against her own and despite the foolishness of suggesting she needed it, she took some comfort in his proximity.

Maybe, just maybe, it would be best if she didn't volunteer to fight. Not because she was worried, of course, but because it would seem dreadfully over eager.

Miss Goodwitch strode up onto the area, not even batting an eye at the white-haired woman stood against the back wall. "As you are all aware, the Vytal Festival is approaching and there are now more students here than ever before. The headmaster has already said as much, but I expect you all to use the opportunity to mingle, practice and engage with your peers from the other Kingdoms."

There was something amusing about the way she said that, perhaps the emotionless look on her face. Weiss didn't think Miss Goodwitch would have ever `mingled` in her life. Conversed, perhaps, discussed and detailed – but to mingle suggested a level of easy comfort the stern woman seemed to lack.

"For today's class," the teacher went on, "We shall open with a quick spar between two combatants. Hm… do I have any volunteers?"

Weiss backed away, though she tried to make it look like she hadn't. Any other time she'd have been thrilled to offer herself up for practice, but not with her sister watching and certainly not first. Maybe if some others went up she would, if only because she could look better than them, but Winter always expected so much… too much.

Miss Goodwitch looked out over the crowd, only for her gaze to pause as she caught a hand in the air. The woman blinked, narrowed her eyes and then looked again.

The hand remained in the air.

She removed her glasses, breathed onto the lenses and brought for a small cloth from her pocket to clean them. Only when they sparkled in the light did she place them back onto her nose and adjust them. She looked towards the hand again.

"Oh come on," Jaune said out loud, "That's just rude."

Honestly, Weiss thought the teacher handled her shock well, since at seeing her partner with his hand in the air, she felt like fainting. "What are you doing?" she hissed, wanting nothing more than to leap up and tear his right arm from his shoulder.

"Mr Arc," the teacher called, "I feel the need to ask… are you by any chance stretching your shoulder?"

"No."

"You do not wish to see the nurse?"

"She scares me."

"This is… not some request to leave class?"

"I'm volunteering to fight," Jaune sighed, "Isn't that what you asked for?"

"It is… I'm simply trying to wrap my mind around this strange concept."

Jaune rolled his eyes and grumbled something under his breath, but disentangled his arm from hers and pushed his way through and up onto the stage. "I must be dreaming." Blake said, "Pinch me."

Yang slugged her in the arm.

"I have to say, this is quite the surprise," Pyrrha whispered as Blake rubbed her bruised skin and fixed a fierce glare on her partner. "I'd say it's unlike him to be so proactive but…"

"It would be redundant," Weiss said, "I know."

"What's changed?" Ren asked. "He isn't one to volunteer for something that requires effort. What's so different this time?"

Weiss had no idea. Sure, they'd had their argument the day before – and she still felt she was right on that – but they'd made up and agreed to disagree. There didn't seem to be any reason or rhyme for it.

Ruby gasped. The younger girl's hands came up to cover her mouth, but the smile beneath it was as clear as day. "What if…" she paused, excited, "The only thing that's different is Weiss' sister, right? You said how she didn't like him, right? How she said those nasty things about him?"

Weiss nodded. She'd left out most of the horrific details, but Team Rubine were sure to hear about the being locked away incident, so she'd made sure they got the accurate story.

"Maybe he's trying to prove himself to her!"

"Eh?" Weiss recoiled with a wide-eyed expression. "Prove himself for what…?"

"Prove himself worthy of her sister," Blake nodded. The Faunus' eyes were narrowed and she had a small smile on her face. "He _is_ your partner, Weiss. Perhaps he felt offended at the thought of not being considered good enough for you. Maybe this is his way of showing that he is."

Good enough for her…? The way they said it they clearly meant skilled enough to be her partner and leader, but after the misconception her sister had, an altogether more embarrassing thought entered her mind. Her cheeks flushed and she shook her head to dispel such madness.

"Ohhh," Yang cooed, "That's kinda romantic. Two lovers, one born of a noble family and the other her faithful shield. A love denied by duty, wealth and a cruel, older sister. That sounds like the plot of one of your books, Blake."

"When did you rea- I mean, I've no idea what you're talking about."

"Squeee-" Ruby held her hands up before her lips.

"You're wrong," Weiss cried, cheeks red, "You're all just reading into this far too much. T-There's no way he would do something so foolish. Really, it would all just be too much trouble for him anyway." Jaune wasn't the kind to even care about what other people thought of him, even if it was someone as important as her sister. There was no way he'd be dragged into such childish displays of strength.

"Well we'll soon know, won't we," Nora grinned. "It'll depend on who he picks."

"Nora's right," Ren said. "We all know he would never volunteer on his own. Something has certainly forced his hand, and the only difference today is Miss Schnee's presence." Weiss' cheeks felt like they were aflame but deep inside there was just no way to refute their words. They were all true… Winter was the only variable here. "If Jaune wished to prove himself to her he'd choose a skilled fighter to face off against. I'm sure we all know there's no chance he would do that normally, so that should be the evidence you need."

"Makes sense," Yang said. "If he picks someone weak, he's not going to look good if he beats them. Then again, if he's not up there to impress anyone, picking someone weak would be exactly what he'd do."

"E-Exactly," Weiss said. She took a deep breath and released it, the better to calm herself down. "You're all being ridiculous. You know how he is. He's probably going to pick someone injured, exhausted and weak – then he'll beat them in a ridiculously embarrassing way, just to avoid being picked agai-"

"I want to face Pyrrha," Jaune called.

Weiss' teeth clicked shut.

"You were saying?" Yang grinned, eyebrows waggling.

/-/

Jaune cracked his neck as he heard the whispers and watched Pyrrha slowly make her way up onto the stage. As she did, he let his eyes slip over to an altogether different array of students.

Mercury lowered his hand, expression frustrated. Beside him, Cinder Fall frowned.

 _Point for me, you bitch,_ Jaune thought with a grim smile. He'd almost forgotten, so distracted had he been, but when Miss Goodwitch had asked for a volunteer, the similarities had slammed back into his mind. He'd remembered what day it was, or rather – it wasn't the date itself, but the scene had been enough to jog his memory and it had all clicked into place. This was the point at which Mercury tested Pyrrha.

It was the point at which they found out her Semblance.

It had taken him time to realise that… Cinder was nothing if not subtle, and back when this all started, he'd still been headstrong and foolish. No action she took was without reason, and every reason was layered beneath yet more.

 _I might not be able to stop you, but I can fight fire with fire._ Miss Goodwitch made sure all the students got a chance in the ring, which meant if someone fought, they wouldn't be called on again for at least a week or so. Cinder no doubt knew that, which was why she looked so frustrated.

Pyrrha gave him a curious look as she pulled herself up and into the arena. For once, she didn't seem critical, but instead wore a tiny smile.

"Is it true you're trying to prove yourself to Weiss' sister?" she asked.

Prove himself…? Ah, did she mean was he trying to get between Winter's legs? No, but then again it wasn't like he had an actual reason he could give her. Maybe in this case his reputation as a playboy could help. "Yep," he nodded. "You caught me."

She actually flushed for some reason. "Well… don't think I'll go easy on you, even if it is for such a thing."

Why would she go easy on him because of something like that? Women… sometimes it felt like he couldn't understand them even after spending hundreds of years around the exact same ones. He stepped back as Miss Goodwitch appeared between them.

The customary laughter sounded as she ran through his… personal rules.

He could also see Winter Schnee raise one, finely-kept, eyebrow.

"Begin," the taller woman called and backed away. Pyrrha twirled backwards, her weapons coming unsheathed with a hiss of metal as she fell into a guard stance.

Jaune drew Crocea Mors, fumbled it, and winced as it clattered to the floor. He might have also heard a loud slap of flesh on flesh, which he sort of thought might have been Weiss' palm and her own face.

Pyrrha lowered herself even further, shield coming up to protect against an attack.

Huh… okay.

"I shan't underestimate you," she said, "I know you are stronger than you let on. I've seen more than enough evidence and won't be defeated by petty trickery."

He hummed as he kicked his weapon back up into his right hand. It had been worth a shot, but Pyrrha was Pyrrha at the end of the day. Did Glynda have to look so smug about it, though? What a drag…

She crossed the distance between them with a sudden thrust, her spear grazing his side as her shield rushed towards his face. He knocked that aside and rammed his shoulder into her sternum, twisting on one foot to slash towards her chest. Miló blocked it at the last second, and the two engaged in a brief contest of strength.

A bead of sweat ran down his brow as he tried to overpower her, but Pyrrha put physical conditioning to shame. She was faster, stronger and had more stamina than just about any other person in Beacon. _Damn it. Normally I have time to plan in advance against people but this was a split-second decision. I've took her away from Mercury, but now I've got to deal with her. Wonderful…_ The weapons he strained against gave way suddenly, and he fell forward with a startled cry.

Pyrrha smirked as she withdrew Miló, the action enough to throw him off balance. She stepped to the side so that his blade didn't cut her, and delivered her shield into his face with a loud slap of metal on skin. The crowd `oohed` and winced as he flew through the air.

His shoulder bunched and nearly gave way as he hit the ground, but he managed to roll and push himself back onto his feet in time to catch the tip of her spear. Both his hands pushed up and tilted Crocea Mors in such a way as to send it off to the side, and he used the opening to slam his hilt – and his fists – into her nose.

She fell back, shield-hand clutched to her nose and face concealed from view. Her green eyes watched him over the rim, however, and there was a fierce competition in them. When the shield lowered, he could see her pleased smile.

 _Ah great… and now I've gone and sparked her competitive spirit. So much for an easy match._ That was his partner, right there; his old one that was. Kind, polite and considerate to a fault, if she had one weakness it was that she longed for a challenge that could stand against her. He hadn't expected she'd find it in him, not when he was trying to lay low, but he'd clearly done something to set her off.

Her temp increased. She'd been holding back before, probing and testing, but this time she crashed into him with the power of a truck, her blade driving into his so hard it forced him back two paces. Their swords parted with a great ring of steel and she swung back in with a backhand slash he caught above the hilt.

A step forward and between her legs pushed her off balance, but she recovered with unnatural grace and back-flipped away before he could hit her.

She landed back on two feet, and to his surprise, put her shield away.

"We'll fight on even terms," she said, eyes shining like emeralds. The crowd muttered and whispered between themselves, but Pyrrha didn't seem to hear them.

On even terms…? His eyes glanced down to his side and the sheathe that hung there. She didn't know, and in truth he still hadn't used it. It was his ace in the hole, but also something he'd not used in a long time. What was the point of defending when you cared not for your own life? His fingers twitched as he considered it, but ultimately he moved them back to Crocea Mors. A friendly spar with an old friend wasn't the time to reveal that… not with who the audience contained.

Still, as Pyrrha dashed forward, he knew fighting fair wouldn't get him anywhere.

He side-stepped the first slash, ducked the second and lashed out with his own, only for it to ring against steel as she expertly showed her confidence with but a single blade. Miló twisted and forced Crocea Mors down, steel whispering against steel as she ran it up the length towards his hands. He turned it to the side too, to catch the point on his cross guard and disengage with a kick at her midriff.

It didn't connect, of course, and she danced back into his guard with consummate ease, flicking out with attack after attack that had him on the defensive. She had openings, she damn well knew that. She also knew she was fast and skilled enough to make sure he couldn't take advantage of them.

His eyes glinted as he backed away from her onslaught, chambered Crocea Mors in his right hand and lashed in towards her face. She stepped to the side as he passed and made to counter-attack, only to gasp as he came around once more, this time with the blade held in his left. He roared out as he took that brief moment to thrust it up and into her face.

Her parry was clumsy, rushed, the first time he'd ever seen it such. She fell back and tried to regroup but he followed after her. One leg planted down between hers and he cut for her neck with his left hand.

She managed to push it aside, barely, but was left unprepared when he followed through and turned into her. His left leg slammed down onto the ground as he rammed his right elbow into her mouth. Crocea Mors flickered in the air from where he'd tossed it, the hilt caught in his right once more as he brought it down atop her skull.

It crashed into the burnished surface of Akoúo̱. Pyrrha gasped for breath, down on one knee and with the shield held above her. Her lips were swollen but her eyes burned with excitement.

"You're ambi-dextrous," she whispered.

"You used your shield," he replied.

Pyrrha looked down at it in confusion. When she looked back up, however, it was to smile at him. "So I did," she said.

She didn't put it away.

He switched his sword from one hand to the other, tossing it between each as he forced her to track it. In the end, she struck first – unwilling to give him the advantage. He caught her sword on one hand and allowed it to pass over his shoulder, taking her shield on his chest and ignoring the pain. His free hand reached out to slap her face, more a distraction than anything else. It caused her to blink to protect her eyes, and that was enough for him to quickly run his hand over the hilt of her weapon.

Pyrrha cried out in shock when her sword shifted into a rifle. Unprepared for it, the grip changed and she fumbled to keep hold. Even then, she slammed her shield into his sword arm and pinned it to his chest.

He fought against it and tried to switch, but she crouched down and thrust him back, her superior strength enough to force distance between them. It was barely three seconds, and he darted back in the moment he landed, but it was enough for her to roll, pick up her weapon, shift it back and attack him – all in one fluid motion.

 _This is going to last forever,_ he thought as he parried her first strike to the left, and then had to back away as she followed up with an acrobatic kick towards his face. _She might be able to keep this pace up for hours, but I can't. I need to end this in one go._

The only chance he had was to use what knowledge he had. He parried her next attack but then threw a slower one in return.

She brought up her shield to deflect it, as he'd known she would. Her sword traced through the air towards his neck. She expected him to duck down, and he did, and so she chambered the strike and brought the pommel back towards his face. It was routine for her… a reaction drilled into her and the best possible choice of counter to the moves he had made. That was what muscle memory was, the body's trained response to a set of stimuli.

But he knew more than enough about her training… since she'd as good as taught him everything she knew in repeat after repeat.

Her eyes widened when he caught the pommel not with his jaw but with one open palm. He tugged back, knelt and took a step too, all to draw her further off-balance. She followed, if only because she couldn't afford to lose Miló, and ended with her body dragged across his.

His eyes met hers as he brought Crocea Mors across his body and beneath hers. Extended, and with her sword arm held over him, she had never been more open to his attack. She knew it as good as he – and the thought seemed to shock her. He slammed his sword up towards her midriff, far too low for her to move her shield to in time. His shoulder would have blocked it anyway.

Pyrrha cried out in shock, but it was his lips that uttered a curse as she panicked and brought one foot up. Her aura fell, the soles of her feet unable to fully stop his attack, and he knew she'd have to replace her boots after this. Even so, she gritted through it and pushed her foot down, locking his blade onto the floor. Her knee came back up soon after and caught him in the chin.

The leather hilt was torn from his hand as he slammed back onto the mat, eyes toward the ceiling. He reached up to rub his aching chin, sighing as he watched Pyrrha rush over to hold her spear tip against his throat. "I give," he called. "If I'm even allowed to anymore…"

Pyrrha blinked, but it was the quiet applause from Miss Goodwitch that broke the tableau.

"I'll allow it this time," the teacher clapped, and her smile was just on the wrong side of vicious. "Your aura is low enough to count and you actually fought… colour me impressed."

"Yay," Jaune drawled sarcastically. He blinked as a hand appeared before him. He took it nonetheless, trusting his old friend and not at all feeling surprised when she pulled his body weight up with ease.

"Good fight," she whispered, and from the tone of her voice she meant it.

The crowd burst into wild cheers and applause. _Huh,_ he thought as he looked out over them all. _They must really have wanted to see me get my ass kicked._ To his surprise, even Winter seemed to be impressed, though a Schnee such as her obviously did not deign to clap. No doubt she had other people who could do that for her. The royal clapper… no wait, wasn't that the toilet? _Maybe Pyrrha knocked me around a little too much…_

"A good fight, Mr Arc," the teacher said. "I can offer little suggestion for improvement other than to work on your physical stamina and conditioning. I believe you could be quite the formidable foe in time."

He nodded to her politely, and watched as she turned to Pyrrha.

"And you Miss Nikos, perhaps you know what advice I have for you?"

"Never let my guard down," the redhead said, her cheeks turning to match her hair. "Especially after I started the fight by saying I wouldn't, then did precisely that by putting my shield away."

"Indeed… some foes can be tricky, clever or devious…" the stern woman said, "and then there is Jaune Arc."

Hey! Since when did he warrant his own classification?

He shook his head and let Pyrrha help him off the stage, stooping halfway to pick up and sheathe his sword once more. When the two of them made their way off the stage and back to their teams, however, it was to a most curious sight. Ruby stared at her partner with puffed up cheeks and a stern frown, and it felt like Blake and Yang gave the redhead the same. Pyrrha blinked and stepped back.

" _Pyrrha_ ," Ruby whined.

"Oh, uh," the championship fighter scratched her cheek with a small smile. "I may have gotten a little lost in the moment."

"Pyrrha," Ruby repeated, face still agonized, except that now she wore a disappointed frown too.

"Well I couldn't just let him win… even if his intent was noble. That wouldn't have been right. I'll admit I might have gotten a little competitive, but…" Ruby's silver eyes narrowed, though the effect was _anything_ but intimidating. It looked more like an angry puppy. Pyrrha giggled nervously, "Forgive me?"

Ruby sulked and crossed her arms, but she might have whispered something about Pyrrha needing to ply her with cookies or something. He watched it all with vague confusion, at least until Weiss appeared before him. Her cheeks were pink too, and she refused to meet his eyes.

"You dolt," she whispered, "What on Remnant were you trying to accomplish there? I mean, fighting Pyrrha like that…" she glanced away, "W-Who are you trying to impress with something like that?"

The question was an odd one, but luckily Pyrrha had already given him an answer earlier. It wouldn't hurt to throw that out, so long as it kept any suspicion away from his blocking Mercury. "Winter," he said casually.

Weiss' eyes went wide, and she almost looked panicked as she flustered and looked away from him. Yang held one hand out, thumb pointed towards the ceiling and smiled at him. Huh… since when had she encouraged his attempts to get with older women?

"W-Well," Weiss said. She paused and took a deep breath. "I suppose your fight was admirable. My sister certainly won't have any reason to question your ability now. I doubt she expected you to last as long as you did against Pyrrha Nikos herself."

"A hard fought battle," Pyrrha smiled.

"You sure went easy on her though," Yang grinned. "Why no special tricks?"

"Because it was a spur of the moment kind of thing," he admitted. Again, he noticed how Weiss wasn't meeting his eyes but decided not to ask. "With all the other fights I had time in advance to plan and sort something out."

Yang turned to Pyrrha. "Want to try another round with our leader in a week?"

"I'll pass. I'd rather not find laxatives in my tea before class."

Hey, now there was an idea… why hadn't he thought of poisoning any of his sparring opponents yet? Glynda might not even catch on the first few times, hmm…

"Don't actually _think_ about it!" Weiss slapped a hand into his arm. "If you fought more like you did here, you wouldn't even need to use such underhanded tricks. I, for one, am p- I am…" she paused, "I am proud of you."

A strange, warm feeling suffused him.

"Wow," Yang laughed, "That sounded like it had to be dragged out by torture. What's the matter, princess, shouldn't you give your champion your favour?"

Weiss rounded on the blonde before he could ask what she meant, and Ren – his last bastion of sanity – only had a shrug for him in answer. Instead, he looked back to the stage, where a new competitor had volunteered to stand.

Blue eyes narrowed. What was she doing?

Cinder Fall stood beside Glynda, a calm and neutral smile on her face. She listened to the teacher explain the rules, and nodded along with them.

 _This never happened before, I'm sure of it,_ he thought. Cinder usually remained quiet and out of the way, as unobtrusive as possible. Sure, she'd probably sparred once or twice with people, but it was only ever when the whole class was – and he doubted she'd pushed the boat out much.

But she didn't do anything for no reason.

And as her eyes scanned over the crowd, Jaune stiffened as they brushed by his. He noticed her smile, so polite and emotionless, quirk up at the corner. He knew in an instant, and the realisation made him sick to his stomach.

"Weiss Schnee," the raven-haired woman said. "I would like to test myself against a skilled opponent."

"Huh?" Weiss looked up towards the stage in surprise, but seeing the teacher gesture for her, made to move forward.

His hand latched onto her wrist.

"What?" she asked.

He had nothing. Did he stop her and cause a scene in front of everyone there? Did he make it clear to Cinder that he knew what she was, and thus invite a far more deadly response? His arm shook and he knew Weiss felt it, for her eyes narrowed in barely hidden concern. "Nothing," he said, and forced his fingers to release her. "Just… be careful."

Weiss blinked and tossed her head back. There was a small hint of pink on her skin, but she wore a confident smile. "Hmph," she snorted, "Ironic for you of all people to offer that advice to me. I'll bring this spar to a quick end, worry not. You're not the only one who has something to prove."

His hands clenched into fists and he bit down on his lip as she walked away. His friends called support, cheered her name or told her to kick ass. His eyes remained locked onto her back. He felt so helpless... so weak.

She wouldn't win… not unless Cinder wanted her to.

His hand fell to Crocea Mors, but the action was more for the comforting reassurance of leather than anything else. This wasn't his battle, nor was it a problem that could be solved at sword point.

"The usual rules apply," Miss Goodwitch explained, "And you will cease when your aura reaches the red, am I understood?"

"Yes ma'am," Weiss nodded and readied her weapon.

"Understood," Cinder simply raised one hand before her and moved a foot back.

When the teacher called the start, it was Weiss who struck the first blow. She cut across the arena in a streak of white, and Cinder was pushed back from the sheer force of it. She parried with the back of each hand, occasionally throwing a kick in herself – but those were easily blocked by his partner.

Her comfortable lead in the fight did nothing to stop the pit that opened up in his stomach.

"Go Weiss!" Yang called. She turned to him with a grin. "Hey, she's fighting for your honour, champ – you not going to cheer?"

He tried to smile for her and clapped his hands together listlessly. Yang's eyes narrowed but she shrugged and turned back to the fight. _Be careful,_ he whispered, _don't fall for her tricks. Don't let your guard down._

Weiss couldn't hear him, of course. Perhaps she was lost in the thrill of combat, or maybe she just wanted to prove to her sister how strong she had become. Either way, as the fight dragged on, it became increasingly clear what Cinder's goal was.

His partner had begun to slow down.

"She's wearing her out," Blake sighed. "Weiss is fast but if she can't find an opening, all she does is burn off her energy."

"Cinder's strong…"

"You know her?"

"No."

Blake didn't look convinced, but knew better than to push. If she noticed how tense his face was, she didn't mention it. No one did. Maybe it was both tense and slack at the same time, a mix of fury and worry so complex that it showed nothing whatsoever.

Weiss' next attack looked like it struck true, but a tiny shift in Cinder's body instead showed the blade of Myrtenaster trapped beneath her side and elbow. The taller woman twisted and locked her arm to her side, tearing the weapon from Weiss' grasp. A boot kicked up into her chin and slammed her neck back, before Cinder twirled and kicked down with her heel.

It was blocked on the back of Weiss' arm, but the frail limbs could do little to blunt the attack. Myrtenaster was tossed aside by Cinder, who thrust a fist into the heiress' stomach.

Weiss bent over it, hacking for breath.

Cinder made a show of checking the aura meters above them, and with Weiss still in the yellow, delivered a quick kick to her face to stand her up, then a roundhouse to knock her flying back.

"The match is over," Glynda called. Cinder nodded and stepped back.

Relief washed over him. He let out a breath he hadn't been aware he was holding. Of course she wouldn't do anything here… how foolish had he been. If she continued the fight even into the red, she'd just draw attention to herself. He clapped his hands in applause. They felt clammy and wet with sweat.

Weiss tried to push herself up. One hand beneath her, the other splayed out to the side, she looked up with an expression of wounded pride mixed with regret. Her eyes didn't look to him, however, but to the sister she'd failed to win before.

His eyes narrowed. If Winter dared make mention of it, he'd draw her attention onto himself to spare Weiss. It would be easy enough… just a few mentions of his reputation and a veiled hint towards his partner and the older woman would forget all about this.

"Ah!" Cinder retracted her hand as if burned, and Myrtenaster fell to the floor in a sparkle of dust. It could have been an accident. She'd tried to be polite and return the weapon to her defeated foe, and as everyone knew - dust weapons could malfunction and the substance itself was volatile. A training accident that might put Weiss out of action for a few weeks would be a tragic accident, but just that.

Except that it wasn't an accident... for he saw the brief flash of golden light in her eyes.

The blade struck the floor and the dust ignited. Tip pointed towards Weiss, Cinder's shout of warning was cut off as a great roar of fire shot from the end of the weapon. Miss Goodwitch shouted a warning and reached for her crop. Winter scrambled for her weapon. Weiss' eyes grew wide.

 _He_ moved.

There was no interim moment. No progression from point A to point B. One second Weiss stared down an oncoming fireball, too drained to move and too low on aura to defend herself. The next, it exploded before her.

Heat rolled over him and around his arms, smoke curling from his clothing as he braced one leg and tried to push through it. Anyone else might have screamed but this was a fire he'd felt oh so many times before... it was _her_ fire. He knew it better than the comforting touch of his own mother. The flames licked and lapped at his skin, but he grit his teeth and clenched his eyes shut against the smouldering heat. _Don't fail me now, you bastard,_ he screamed inside his head. Not now, not his aura, after it had let him down so many times.

 _I don't want to go back just yet. Let me have this, I beg of you!_

Something ignited within him, and with a roar he threw his arms wide and broke through the fireball. Ash and embers rained down on either side of him, fluttering through the air like glowing, orange petals falling to the ground. A harsh pant escaped him as he caught himself before he fell. He looked down at his arms.

There was a receding white glow that shimmered across his skin. He lifted one hand before his face and slowly curled his fingers into a fist and then opened them again. His aura faded, but it had done enough. The burns were minor... burns that would have had any other in intensive care for weeks.

"Jaune..." Weiss whispered from behind him.

He spared a brief glance for her, just to make sure she was safe. He walked towards Cinder, who watched him with a thin veneer of shock and appalled agony for her mistake. Beneath that mask, however, he saw ruthless cunning, but also surprise... and frustration. Good.

"You shouldn't touch things you don't understand," he said, holding one hand out expectantly. "Someone might get hurt."

Glynda came to a slow stop beside them, green eyes narrowed but her body showing she was prepared to step in if anything occurred. He hoped it would. He hoped Cinder would make some mistake... some move to doom herself.

She didn't, of course. Instead, she bowed her head and gingerly held Myrtenaster out for him. "I'm so sorry," she whispered, "I didn't think that would happen. I could have... it could have..."

He snatched the rapier back and turned away, even as he heard Miss Goodwitch deliver a stern lesson about the dangers of touching unknown weaponry. He couldn't bring himself to listen to it. Not when he knew it naught but a lie. Myrtenaster hadn't malfunctioned... Cinder had simply used her own powers and disguised it as that.

"I lost," Weiss whispered, eyes downcast.

He gripped her weapon by the hilt and held it down for her. She blinked up at it for a moment but settled her hand on the hilt beside his own, allowing him to hoist her up. "You haven't lost so long as you're alive," Jaune said once she was standing. "I'm just glad you're okay. You _are_ okay, right?" She looked it, and as his eyes scanned over her, he couldn't _see_ any injuries. Cinder had been careful to not do anything untoward until the end; until Weiss' aura was low enough to make it look like an accident.

Weiss pushed away from him and coughed into one hand. "Stop staring at me," she whispered. She wore a small frown but it seemed to be directed more at the floor than him. "I'm fine. Thank you... for protecting me."

"You're my partner."

It was all he could think to say. It said everything, and as she looked into his eyes, she nodded and smiled.

"Miss Schnee! Please take Mr Arc to the infirmary to have his burns treated."

Oh, for the love of...

"And if he tries to run or avoid it, you have my permission to hamstring him."

Weiss' hand turned to solid steel on his arm, and her expression went from embarrassed but thankful to stern and uncompromising in an instant. He glanced down to his team, but it was only to see Yang and Blake already opening the doors for them. There was something wrong with that... with a time traveler over a thousand years old being dragged away by a trio of seventeen-year-old-girls.

If there was, however, he couldn't bring himself to complain about it.

And if Cinder tried anything like that against his team again?

Well, he'd just have to be there to stop her.

* * *

 **All actions have consequences, and Jaune's here has come through – along with the actions of his team with Roman. Given Cinder's speech to Jaune before, some might have seen some kind of reprisal coming.  
**

 **Onto happy news, however... Well, happy for you – terrifying for me.**

 **Due to my P a treon reaching the next goal, the update schedule of my stories will be increasing. That means each story will update every single week, which means that yes – an NTF chapter once a week.**

 **The new Schedule will see NTF being updated each and every SATURDAY, starting from the 6** **th** **of Feb. So, you will see the next chapter in 8 days from now. This will continue so long as the level remains above the milestone, but if in doubt you can always just refer to the "next chapter" date at the bottom of each chapter.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: Saturday 11** **th** **February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	26. Chapter 26

**Having this done for a Saturday feels strange and unnatural… I actually wrote it as I normally would, finishing the first draft on a Thursday, so that College Fool could look over it for Friday. I seem to recall telling myself that I'd reduce the word count to 10,000 now that we were doing weekly updates too… whatever happened to that, Coeur? God damn it…**

 **Actually, this chapter did have another 3-5,000 words attached onto it initially, but College Fool suggested it best to save those and release this as it is here. You can blame her for that if you want, when she's finished being hungover.**

 **Not throwing CF to the wolves here, I was asked to include this xD – and College Fool _really_ helped a lot with this chapter, so massive thanks.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 26 – Between the Lines**

* * *

The formation would have made for an imposing sight, like a condemned prisoner being escorted without any hope of escape, had the reluctant man in the centre not merely been so blatantly bemused. Jaune rolled his eyes at that, a short sigh escaping him as he allowed his team to force him along. "You know," he said, "You don't have to treat this so seriously. It's only a few small burns."

"Then you won't mind having them checked out," Blake said from behind.

"I'm just saying that it's a waste of time. Why don't we say we did and don't, then go chill out in our room or something?"

"Shut up," Weiss ordered, the sheer chill in her snap making him blink. "You're injured," she went on, "and we're not just going to ignore that. If you won't look after yourself, then we'll do it for you. Now move!" She followed the command with a firm but gentle shove.

Jaune moved forward, though he hardly had a choice. Why was she so upset? It wasn't like anyone had been really hurt- he'd suffered worse in this life alone. He looked towards Yang for an answer, but received only a stern look from the girl. No help there. What was with them all? It was just a few burns, after all, little more than a singe.

Blake's nose crinkled in distaste, and a glare from her made clear he'd get no help from that corner either.

Kitsune was at her desk when they entered the infirmary. Her ears perked up at the noise and she turned with a bored expression which slipped away when she saw him. Weiss bristled at the intrigued smile on the woman's face, but Jaune knew better. It wasn't _him_ she was happy to see, but rather the burns across his arms.

"Oh my," she said, and the saccharine quality of her voice had his eyes rolling. "Whatever has happened here?"

"Shouldn't you tell me," he drawled, "You're the doctor."

She pinched his arm – _hard_. He managed to avoid wincing, but it was a close call and his eyes filled with pained tears. That had been his badly burned arm and the sensation was nothing short of agony. He didn't fail to notice how her tail swished happily behind her.

"He was injured in class," Weiss explained, "There was a… an accident. He took a blast of fire dust head on. Miss Goodwitch told us to bring him here." Left unsaid was that she'd obviously not trusted him to come alone, but the doctor seemed more interested in his injuries than the explanation of how he'd gained them.

He just wished her interest was of a more professional nature.

"Hmmm…" Tsune poked at his skin, eyes flicking up occasionally to gauge his reaction. "Oh yes, this certainly looks painful… so very painful." She coughed when she noticed everyone staring at her. "Well, the burns look bad for the most part but I wouldn't call them overly serious. His aura seems to have prevented much of the initial damage; otherwise you'd be looking much worse than this."

It had flared up at the last second, he could remember that. He wouldn't call it lucky, however, if only because it was _supposed_ to be active constantly. _It's been letting me down lately. I'm still no closer to understanding why, but now I have to ask why it helped me this time and not the others._ It couldn't be who he was against, because it had faltered when he'd fought the Malachites and they were enemies. It just didn't make sense.

"Am I free to go then?"

Weiss growled from beside him but it was the doctor shaking her head which made him sigh. "Even if the damage is light, you'll still need to be treated for it. I have some salve and cream that can be rubbed into them to encourage healing and it would be best if you remained here tonight in case anything goes wrong."

"Why does he have to stay here?" Weiss asked. There was a certain quality to her tone, a strange reluctance he hadn't expected to hear considering her recent response to his own desire to leave. "You said there isn't any damage. Surely he can take the cream and use it at our dorm."

"The external damage is light," Tsune explained, "But as ever with fire, there's a chance it might have affected his respiratory system. It might not have, but if he does have trouble breathing, I'd prefer he be here where I can treat him." The faunus' brown eyes narrowed playfully. "Is that what you wished to hear, Miss Schnee? Or was there another reason for you to doubt my intentions?"

"I suspect he'd have more trouble breathing if he stayed," Weiss snapped with a more frustrated tone. It took him a few moments to realise that it was probably aimed at him, not Tsune, as Tsune's chuckle reminded him why. Ah, yes, Weiss probably thought he'd try to do something with her if he stayed the night again.

As if anyone did more to Tsune than she did to them.

"While I appreciate your… concern for my professionalism," the doctor began, seemingly amused at Weiss' indignant look, "I would have you know that I do prefer my men still breathing. Not to mention a little less well-done."

"I... have no idea what you mean," Weiss claimed.

"Oh, I think you do…"

He stepped between the two before the situation could get any worse. Kitsune loved to play with people like that and Weiss was possibly the worst person to do it with. "That's fine," he said, "I'll stay here and if you'll give me the cream, I'll put it on myself."

"Show me your hands."

His hands? Jaune blinked in surprise but held them out for her regardless. That proved to be a mistake a second later when the woman roughly slapped her own against them. He cried out and cradled them back against his chest. "What the hell was that for!?"

"There you go," she said, as though the pain explained everything. "Your hands are as burned as your arms. Using them to apply the cream would just lead to further damage; some of it could become permanent nerve damage." If that was the case, she seemed incredibly unrepentant of having hit them! "Divest yourself of your shirt. I'll apply the cream myself."

"That really won't be necessary…"

"Are you shy?" she smirked, "How curious. It's nothing I haven't seen before." She looked pointedly down towards his lower half "Or felt."

Shy, no – scared, yes. Jaune was more than aware of his reputation, but he also knew exactly who it was he was dealing with and the idea of her rubbing cream into his injuries wasn't a particularly inspiring one. _"Oops, I used my nails… silly me. Oh dear, now you're bleeding too… let me stitch that up. Anaesthesia, why would we need that when I have perfectly good needle and thread?"_ He'd lived over a thousand years, sure, but that didn't mean he could ignore pain entirely.

"Perhaps it would be for the best if we took care of him," Weiss suggested, much to his relief. "We are his team, and you must be terribly busy. We wouldn't want to impose," she said, even as she began to turn him around. Blake and Yang stayed at either side, and what had once been a prisoner escort into the infirmary was now a perfect extraction formation from the same.

By the sound of Tsune's chuckles, she noticed that too.

"How can I argue with that?" she said. "Very well… if you wish to be touchy-feely with your teammate, who am I to object? Let me fetch the salve."

He heaved a sigh of relief as she stepped away. Awkward as he could imagine it being, at least he could trust the girls not to drag their nails against his burned flesh or squeeze his tortured skin or some other horrible thing.

Well, not unless they wanted to do it themselves the next time he pissed them off.

"Thanks for the save, Weiss."

"What save?" Yang laughed. "She's just worried you'll bang the doctor again."

"Really, Weiss?" he sighed, ignoring the bead of sweat that ran down his head when his partner shot Yang an annoyed glare. "I know I have a reputation, but I think second-degree burns would be a turn-off for anyone."

"You'd be surprised," Blake murmured, at the same time Weiss growled "I wouldn't put it past you."

Weiss shot Blake a glare, but not as severe as the warning look she shot Yang as the blonde leaned in close. "Don't sell yourself short, Daddy," Yang stage-whispered with a laugh in her eye. "Some people find scars attractive, don't you think?"

"Shut up, you," Weiss warned, before turning away from him when the doctor came back.

"I have two options," the fox faunus said with a smile. "Both will achieve the same benefits, but this one is particularly good for healthy and beautiful skin."

"How so?" Yang asked.

"It contains micro beads and other exfoliating agents."

On his burned skin? "We'll take the other one," he quickly called out.

Tsune's tail seemed to droop. "Are you sure? As a doctor I think I would prescribe the other…"

Weiss sighed and stepped forward, but to his relief swiped the one the doctor seemed reluctant to give over. "Thank you," the heiress said, "We'll see to our teammate now, so don't worry."

"I could hel-"

"Thank you, Miss Kitsune," Weiss said, before closing the curtain around his bed.

"You know, she _is_ a teacher," Blake reminded in an amused tone, "I'm surprised you'd question her judgement like that."

"Well I'm surprised she'd sleep with a student, so I think I little doubt is warranted," Weiss countered, before crossing her arms and glaring at Jaune. "Let's get this over with, Jaune; strip."

Oh, Weiss... not in a million repeats could he pass that one up.

"Why Weiss, I thought you'd never ask," Jaune teased, even as he turned away from them to start raising his shirt over his back while still covering his chest and stomach. Something- probably the tube- instantly hit him near the spine. "Are you sure you want to set this sort of example in front of the kids?"

Something else- probably the heel of shoes, if the sensation of a stiletto was any clue, hit him in the back too. It at least had the mercy to strike somewhere other than the burn, and made him bend over at the same time.

"You think that's how they are in the bedroom?" Yang totally failed to whisper to Blake. She caught the tub of salve on the side of her head as a reward, this time tossed by him. The blonde laughed as she unscrewed the top and ran a finger in it. "Br… cold."

"Cold is fine with me," Jaune laughed as he pulled his shirt over his head and held it against his chest and stomach. His skin prickled and tingled in the cool air but there was still a terrifying sense of burning there, of a flame that wouldn't go out. The cold lotion would be a godsend if it got rid of that.

Blake and Yang took some into their hands and rubbed them together, as did Weiss. It wasn't until they all paused, hands a few inches away from his body and faces hesitant, that the atmosphere – and reality – came crashing back.

"Well," he coughed, "this is… awkward."

/-/

Awkward was one way of putting it, Weiss thought as she looked down at her hands and then at her topless partner. There wasn't anything sexual about it- really- as uncomfortable bile threatened to come up her throat. The parts of his arm that weren't charred were pink, with blisters up to his shoulders, and even some red splashed out towards his neck. Aura was already helping in some respects, but she doubted even the most desperate woman in Beacon would have wanted to touch him in his current state.

 _He's hurt,_ she thought. _Because of me._

A quick glance at Blake and Yang told her that they were staring with the same horror as she. At least neither of them were looking at her with blame in their eyes. Small mercy, that.

"Would it help if I closed my eyes?" Jaune asked. "We could dim the lights," he offered as well.

"T-that won't be necessary," Weiss denied, gathering her resolve and taking the plunge. She carefully placed her hand on his shoulder, fingertips brushing against the worst of what she saw.

Jaune hissed, shoulder blades clenching, and just like that her hand recoiled.

"Are you alright?" she began immediately. "Did I-?"

Jaune hissed again, but this time letting air out as he shook his head. "You're fine. It's just cold." His muscles slackened as he deliberately relaxed them. "It's not bad, just... surprised me."

Taking his relaxation as consent, she lowered her hand again, gently, of course, and feather-brushing it once more across his skin. This time Jaune didn't flinch, and so she began to apply the ointment in earnest.

"How is it?" Weiss eventually asked after the first bit was applied. "How does it feel?"

"Still cold," Jaune said, "but not bad. It's cool." He shrugged his shoulder experimentally, but soon relaxed again. "It feels good though... less painful." He sounded more relaxed.

That seemed to give Blake and Yang more confidence. With a nod Weiss dabbed a little more white cream on her fingers, and together all three of them leaned forward to apply it. Soon enough Blake took to his right arm, Yang to his left, leaving his broad shoulders for Weiss.

Jaune let out sighs of pure relief as they continued, and it gave them more confidence that they were on the right track. Weiss was forced to shake her head as she brought out some more cream and rubbed softly against his skin.

How he could remain quiet with this much damage, she had no idea. He'd been wearing his coat and shirt before, sure – and she'd need to have those replaced – but they'd worked to hide much of the damage. Some of that char from before wasn't burned skin, but cloth burned to the skin. She had just assumed from his ability to chat and make excuses that the injuries were minor, but looking at it...

How could he just ignore all this pain? How could he ignore what- who- had caused it?

That fact made her muscles clench, though she made sure not to grip her injured partner's skin and hurt him. She would have been crying out in pain – or worse – if he hadn't stepped in.

Instead… Fury burned behind her eyes, and for once it was an anger radiated entirely inwards.

"Weiss? Is something wrong?" Jaune asked, still looking away and patiently awaiting her. "You stopped."

She wiped her guilt away quickly. Before Blake or Yang could shoot her more than a questioning glance, she was already shaking her head as she went back to applying salve to his back. She was glad she didn't have to meet his eyes. "Nothing… I just want to make sure it's applied properly. Does… does it hurt?"

"Not at all," Jaune denied. "Say what you will about Tsune, and there's a lot to say, but she does know her medicine."

"That wasn't what I meant," Weiss whispered, "I meant the burns."

She could almost hear the grin in his tone. "Not anymore. It's feeling better already."

Not anymore… that meant it had before. And better didn't mean it was all gone or that he didn't feel it, just that he accepted it.

There was something disgusting about that statement; something that made her grit her teeth and fight to resist saying something. He shouldn't have to accept it. He wouldn't have had to, if it wasn't for her stupid mistake.

They worked in muted conversation for the next ten minutes, though Weiss remained silent throughout it. Yang teased him incessantly about receiving a massage from his daughters, something she'd apparently done once or twice for her father after his missions and as a way to earn some extra pocket money. The thought brought back memories of her own father, who she also knew received massages to handle his stress. He'd never asked her or Winter, however. He had a team of personal masseurs and wouldn't waste his time with them.

It was after she'd finished with Jaune's arm and begun to work on his shoulder that she noticed the way he clutched his coat and shirt to his chest. Her eyes narrowed. Was that some discolouration she could see? She reached out to grip the bundle of cloth, but he held it firm.

"Let go," she said, drawing the attention of the other two.

"Only my arms and shoulders got burned," Jaune protested, continuing to hold onto his apparel.

She might have believed him shy if she didn't know better. He'd stood before them naked from the waist down once and not even batted an eyelid. He was hiding something – she knew it. "Don't take me for an idiot," she snapped and fought for the cloth, forcing it aside. "I'm not going to let you sit there with more injuries because you won't-"

The coat slipped from his hands – and Weiss gasped.

"I told you it wasn't a burn," Jaune said, but it didn't sound like a taunt as he pulled his right arm free of Blake in order to cover the grisly marks on his stomach from view.

Weiss gently pulled them away, and despite some initial resistance Jaune let her. He wouldn't look her in the eye, though, though honestly that barely mattered. Her eyes lay transfixed on the scars that criss-crossed her partner's stomach. They cut a horizontal path across his stomach, and the raised flesh clashed in bright pinks mixed with white. It looked like someone had taken a meat grinder to his stomach.

She ruthlessly smothered the first tinge of sympathy. The scar put her own to shame.

"Is that from the Beowolf?" Blake asked, reminding them of her presence.

Weiss' eyes snapped up but she caught her teammate's meaning a second later. The Beowolf that had tried to kill his mother… she remembered the story now. She let go of his arms, but this time he didn't bothered to cover the damage. She couldn't take her eyes off of it.

"My eyes are up here, Weiss."

Alright, maybe she could... if only just for a second.

"I can't even imagine what that must have felt like," Blake sighed. "I'd heard the story but seeing them is a different matter entirely. They are… a lot larger than I expected."

"I'm used to them," he said. "I just… didn't think you'd want to see them." He gave Yang a shrug. "Not everyone's into scars, you know. Some people find them disturbing."

That was... the notion was foolish, incredibly so, and not just because of the endless line of paramours he'd had to prove otherwise. Were they being held to a lower standard? They weren't shallow children to be put off like that. And how dare he act like he had to make allowances for them? He shouldn't have felt upset about his body. Not like this.

"Anyone who thinks that way is a simpleton, and you have my permission to ignore them."

Jaune twisted his neck in an attempt to see her, but she made it easier as she walked directly in front of him and knelt down. He made to pull the coat back to hide them but she caught his wrist.

"Don't," she said, but there was nothing hard in how she said it. "We should rub some of the cream in, just in case. You don't know if the layer beneath your skin has been burned."

"I don't think it works like that," Jaune tried to say with a laugh. "Besides, you don't have to. I can just put some cream on later if I feel like it. It's not import-"

"Shut up," she said bluntly, even as she took a large amount of cream into her hand and rubbed them together. "Just lean back and let me get this over with." She looked at the girls on either side of him. "Restrain him if he tries to resist."

They promptly grabbed his arms and held them high, forcing him to expose his chest.

"But I didn't even do anything yet!" Jaune protested.

"Shush, Daddy," Yang said, though she didn't let go. "Honestly, I thought Blake was supposed to be the baby of the family."

"Excuse me?" Blake asked. She didn't let go, however, even as the two girls began to bicker over his head.

Weiss ignored them, and more importantly, didn't give herself the time to hesitate. She pressed the palms of her hand against his scarred stomach and started to slowly work the salve into what little burns he had there. It's bumpy and rough, but doesn't feel too terrible…

Above her head; Blake and Yang seemed lost in their squabble.

"You don't have to, you know," Jaune offered in a whisper that none the less startled her. "I can do this myself."

"Shut up," she said again, still not looking at him as she continued to feel the blemish.

His mother had said he took the damage protecting her, back when he didn't have aura. She couldn't even begin to imagine what that must have felt like, and judging from the size of these wounds, the monster had as good as carved his insides out. Some of them even stretched around his side. Her fingers tightened into fists against his chest as she kneaded the cream in a bit harder than she needed to.

"Are they making you uncomfortable?"

She glanced up met his eyes, confused. "Are they what?"

"My scars," he said, non-judgemental and simple stating a matter of fact. "If they bother you, then you needn't do this."

"Don't be an idiot," she sighed, before sighing again. "And don't make me a hypocrite either. If scars bothered me I wouldn't be able to look in the mirror." With her eyes still locked onto his she reached down to rub her finger along one of the most jagged ones. His skin was coarse beneath her fingertips, rough and uneven.

"Mine are a bit bigger than yours," he tried to make her laugh. "Size matters, or so I'm regularly told."

"Some would disagree. Yours can be hidden while mine is forever on display." She shrugged one shoulder, even as Blake seemed to choke on a hairball somewhere above her. "Some have even said I'm marred."

"Some people are idiots," Jaune mirrored her words from earlier with a little smile, "You have my permission to ignore them, if I don't stab them first, that is."

She knew that. Did he take her for a fool? Even so, she couldn't help the hint of smile on her lips as she shook her head and focused on his injuries once more. She wouldn't ever allow the opinion of shallow fools to influence how she lived her life, and her scar was a symbol of her determination to live the life she chose. The fact he so immediately defended her…

"You got this protecting your mother, didn't you?"

There was a pause, silence above them, and she didn't need to check to know the girls were looking down on them.

Jaune just sighed, "I take it my mom told you all?"

"She might have."

"Tell me she didn't tell you to try and guilt me about it. If so, it won't work. I came out alive, so there's no need to worry about it, and nothing I regret. Don't even try."

"I wasn't going to," Weiss denied. "It would be pointless to say anything about it. You didn't have aura at the time, or so I heard. You did the best you could with what you had."

Jaune hummed with a smile, maybe even surprised to avoid a disagreement. "You know," he chuckled, "You're one of the first to say that. Everyone else calls me an idiot, my family especially."

"Oh, make no mistake, you're still an idiot," she said, secretly amused when his face fell. "But it's an idiocy I can understand. There's sneezing on a bottle of dust idiotic and then there's risking your life to save your mother idiotic," she said, ignoring a slight 'hey' from above her. "One of those is more forgivable than the other."

Of course, Ruby had apologised for that incident and so Weiss had forgiven her. Perhaps not at the time… but well, she'd been a bit more… arrogant, back then.

"Either way," she continued, "I won't fault you for this. Both of you survived so history will remember your choice as the correct one."

"Thanks for understanding," Jaune sighed. "I know they were only mad because they were worried, but they seem to forget I was worried too. I couldn't let my mother die."

She wished she could say it was understandable. A mother's love was a powerful thing… or so she'd heard. Deep inside, she wished she could remember experiencing it herself – back before that love had been drowned in alcohol. "They say people do crazy things for those they love," she shrugged.

"Yeah, tell me about it," he laughed, as though she'd said something funny. "I'd jump into an inferno for her. At least I could die happy if she were safe."

Weiss' throat tightened.

"Too soon, Jaune," Yang whispered from above. "Too soon."

"Huh?" Jaune began, starting to look up before he saw Blake's gaze. "What do you- oh. Oh! Oh, uh..." he looked back down. "Sorry, Weiss."

She took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves, and found her eyes fixed onto a different scar. It was higher than the others, thinner too – caused not by a claw but by a weapon. What caused that? She didn't think he'd been injured recently. It looked like a cut from a thrusting weapon of some kind, the sort of body-shot any rapier-wielder would aim for. The same she'd tried to hit that White Fang person with. A crazy, foolish, idea shot through her head – but she dismissed it just as quickly. Jaune had been at Beacon, and besides, that man, Silver, had no Aura, while Jaune clearly did to take a dust blast like that and remain on his feet. _I can't leap to such silly conclusions. Maybe this was a training accident from around the time of the Beowolf?_ Maybe it was something else… something more recent. She suddenly realised once more how little she knew of her partner's life before Beacon. He knew swordplay, so he had to have been training back then. _I should ask him when he's back on his feet. It's unforgivable to not know more about him. I... I want to know more._

"Weiss? I think that's about it unless you want to use up the rest of the ointment the first time through," Yang spoke up, breaking Weiss from her thoughts. "I mean, unless you _want_ to spend the rest of the night rubbing cream into Jaune's chest, in which case we could leave if you wanted us to give you some privacy..."

Blake snorted, and even Jaune seemed to laugh at the tease, even if he wisely tried to hide it, therefore Weiss wouldn't respond as Yang wanted her to. She sighed and stepped back, took a nearby towel and wiped her hands on them, both to get rid of the sticky sensation of the cream, but also the memory of his scar. "As always, your sense of humour leaves much to be desired. We should hold a charity collection to send you for comedy lessons."

"Hey, people laugh at me all the time," Yang protested, only to cough and quickly add, "With me… they laugh with me."

"Keep telling yourself that, Yang," Blake suggested.

"Don't worry, Yang," Jaune said loyally. " _I_ laugh at you."

"Thanks, I- hey!"

Weiss ignored their laughter, looking at her partner with a mixed expression on her face.

"Jaune, will you be okay for the night?"

Jaune stopped his kidding with Yang to look at her instead. He looked a bit confused. "Huh? Yeah, sure, I'll be fine."

As he turned back to Blake and Yang, she allowed her eyes to roam over his chest. Not only to make sure of that fact that they'd completely applied the ointment, but also to memorize what his scars looked like. If they bothered him, she didn't want to ever show surprise at them again. They were a part of him, and one that she would accept without flinching.

Blake and Yang nodded and said their own well wishes as they slipped by him and past the curtain. She waited for them to leave, so that the two of them were briefly alone. When she was sure they were, she stepped forward and touched her fingers to his chest, drawing his eyes up towards hers. They stayed there for a moment.

"Thank you," she eventually said.

"For what?"

His confusion annoyed her more than she wanted to admit. He didn't even do it on purpose, but rather looked genuinely surprised that she would have any reason to show gratitude. Was she really that-?

"For protecting me," she said, focusing on the gratitude and everything else instead. "You were low on aura from your fight with Pyrrha, weren't you?" she asked needlessly. "When you jumped in front of that attack, you didn't know how strong it would be. You did so anyway. Thank you for risking yourself to protect me."

Jaune gave her that insufferable smile. "Oh, that. Don't worry about it, Weiss, it was noth-"

"It was not nothing!"

She startled herself with that, even if he was the one who went silent. Even if it was his eyes that went wide as her finger curled and her knuckles pressed against his neck, his trachea. Hard enough to be felt- hard enough to hurt even.

He needed to pay attention.

"It. Was. Not. Nothing," she repeated, emphasizing each word, her mind trying to figure out what she was trying to say. "You are not nothing. What you did was not nothing. And I, I..."

She paused, trying to put what was on the tip of her mind into words.

"I'd like to think I am not nothing to you either."

He said nothing. Jaune Arc, buffoon of a thousand jests and always a joking word, watched her speechlessly. It wasn't as good a feeling as she'd once hoped. It left her feeling the fool instead, waiting for him to fill the expectant silence.

He didn't.

Weiss composed herself, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she opened them, the moment- whatever that silence could be called- had passed.

"Thank you for being there for me, Jaune. I hope you get your rest. Good night and I'll see you tomorrow."

She left without looking back.

/-/

Jaune watched his partner go with a bit of concern. She seemed upset, but then left calmly without a hint of lingering animosity.

Ah, Weiss… of all the people in Beacon, Weiss has always been the hardest to understand. You could, once you understood that behind that imperious attitude was an indomitable core of good intentions that held no one to a higher standard than herself, but it was still hard. So many lifetimes later and she still surprised him.

Most of his friends were simple, once you got to know them. Not in a bad way, but in the sense of understanding them and what they liked. Blake was easy, as were Pyrrha and Ruby once you got to know what made them tick. They all had basic desires and dreams they lived for, and each was predictable in their own right.

Weiss, though? She was contradictory- more than the typical girl, at least- and he'd never been able to quite figure what made her tick as opposed to what would tick her off. Where others were simple, she was a mess of competing desires and hierarchies- this premise against that social expectation, unless this circumstance applied... Sure, they were often friends, and occasionally close, but never in the same way as everyone else. Even in all his repeats, even early on when he'd actively tried, he'd never been able to capture her interest.

He's never known she could be so gentle when she wanted to be.

He worked his left shoulder, marvelling at how much less painful it was with the salve working its magic. Possibly literally, depending on what the ingredients were. Regardless, it had felt… nice to have them rub it in for him. It had been comfortable, even intimate, without being remotely sexual. It had been...

Nice.

There would be consequences for it, though. That he knew. It wasn't his team and not between them, but rather the events which led up to it. He sighed and leaned back onto the soft mattress.

 _This is the first time Cinder's ever done something like that. She's never tried to put someone out of action before, even when Ruby nearly ruined her attack on the CCT._

It had been a subtle attack, one worthy of a schemer like Cinder. If she'd wanted to blatantly harm Weiss, she could have broken her bones in the spar itself but that would have drawn immediate suspicion and condemnation from Miss Goodwitch and Winter. She'd have been investigated, disciplined and perhaps even sent back to Haven. Whether that would ruin her plans, he didn't know, but he had to assume not. She could just sneak back in as a spectator for the festival. Either way, none of those things would happen now because the whole incident had just been one unfortunate accident.

After all, everyone knew dust could be volatile and after a spar like that it was perhaps to be expected that Weiss' weapon might have taken some damage – cracked a dust cylinder or something. No doubt if they looked closer they'd see that crack.

The fact that Cinder would have inflicted it to cover her tracks could hardly be proven.

 _She'll get a detention at worst, some warnings and close looks more likely. She acted contrite and that'll be enough to convince most people. Still, why do it in the first place?_ Could it be that Weiss and the team's interference at the warehouse had yielded greater results than expected? That seemed unlikely, though they _had_ lost the Paladins. _The only other variable is… Winter herself._

Had it been an attack on Weiss at all? Or rather, had it been one insidiously planned to get rid of the elder Schnee? If Weiss had been badly hurt, injured to the point of long treatment, then Winter would have surely dragged her out of Beacon and back to Atlas. That would remove not only Weiss from Cinder's list of issues, but Winter too.

As always, understanding her plans was a difficult affair. Even when he'd worked for her, she hadn't exactly been forthcoming with information. She'd considered him as expendable as everyone else.

Jaune sighed and let his eyes drift shut. Understanding would be slow to come as ever, but he didn't need to understand her motives to keep her away from his team. The dance was coming up and that would be the moment she would make her move. All he had to do was make sure she couldn't and that would keep her busy. She'd have to find another time, and that meant time she wasn't using to target the people he cared for.

Decision made, he allowed his head to fall back onto the pillow. That night, he dreamed of fire and the sensation of being consumed by it.

It was a familiar feeling.

/-/

Jaune started to sweat as he watched Weiss look down at the half-empty bowl of porridge and then back up at him. It wasn't his fault. He didn't eat much and it wasn't like he'd moved around much recently, but the look she gave him said such excuses wouldn't get him very far.

"You _will_ eat the rest of that," she said, in a way that made it more command than statement. "You need to recover and half a bowl of porridge after what happened to you is not sufficient. Don't make me feed it to you." The way she hefted the bowl suggested such an action would be less akin to a romantic spoon feeding and more him receiving the bowl in the face.

"I'll eat more in a bit, I promise. I just need to let my stomach settle."

The morning had come bright and early in the infirmary, testament to someone being violently sick in a nearby toilet. The long-suffering sigh from Tsune suggested it was alcohol poisoning rather than a life-threatening injury, and that, once sober, the victim would be in a world of trouble. She'd checked on him too, and proclaimed he would be free to leave later on. The burns had already started to recede, mostly from his aura than the painkillers, but either way, there hadn't been any complications with his lungs.

That hadn't stopped Weiss from dropping by, however, kindly bringing breakfast along and then somewhat less kindly forcing him to finish all of it.

"Did Miss Tsune say you would be free to leave today?"

"Later," he nodded. "She says there are no signs of any damage but she wants to at least make sure nothing goes wrong after I've eaten."

Weiss picked at her own porridge, which she'd brought along so they could eat together. He would have pointed out the hypocrisy of her demanding he finish his own when she didn't hers, but one didn't simply point out Weiss Schnee's faults and expect to get away with it. "That's good," she said, "To hear it from Yang, you wouldn't have survived the week if you'd somehow managed to miss the dance she helped organise."

Now that was an amusing thought. She hadn't shut up about the damn thing all week so he could well imagine her frustration at the chance he'd miss it. "I'll be there," he chuckled. "Sheesh, she can be pretty demanding. Does she even have a date of her own?"

"Not that I know of."

"Well maybe she'd have someone to bring along if she spent less time badgering me and more time asking around." Not that he thought she hadn't been asked. This was Yang they were talking about; she probably had a queue of people who'd tried to ask her out, all rejected as usual. He didn't think she had _ever_ taken someone to the dance – even in the thousands of times he'd repeated it.

"She's not the only one without a date," Weiss pointed out. The way she looked at him made him feel uncomfortable and he coughed into his fist. Did she have to rub it in so obviously?

"Well, it's not like my reputation has made girls want to be associated with me. It's fine for one night stands or brief encounters, but what kind of self-respecting person would want to be seen on my arm?"

Weiss frowned at that. "Perhaps if you spent less time whoring around and more focused on your image, it wouldn't be a problem."

True, but back then he'd needed to de-stress. The pressure and the pain were always building below the surface and everyone had their own way of coping. Some drank, others did drugs and some were dragged beneath the waves. Most people only lived a lifetime of stress, and even that was less than what he went through on a typical repeat. All in all, he thought he'd done fairly well at staying sane.

"Have you even approached anyone?" Weiss asked, breaking him out of its thoughts. "It's not too late to ask someone to the dance now. They might say yes... or even ask you."

He doubted that, but felt it'd be best not to laugh in her face. Yang might go if he asked, but he wasn't interested in a pity date or in sullying her reputation any more than it already was by association. Whereas Blake would go with Sun, and Neptune and Weiss would end up together as they always did, and that would be that.

"How about you?" he asked instead of answering, turning it around on her. "You first- any guy ask you out yet? Or girl? I won't judge," he promised with a smile. _He_ might never have caught Weiss's interest, but in the war and chaos that followed Beacon, occasionally... well…

Weiss looked distinctly uncomfortable. Clearly she hadn't been asked, which meant Neptune had yet to man up. Jaune felt some pity and decided to spare her the agony.

"Don't worry, Weiss. You won't go alone," he promised. The assurance made her look up. "I have it on good authority that there's someone who wants to go with you."

Her eyes widened, and brightened. "Really?" she dared hope, even as she tried to hide it.

Jaune nodded with a real smile. "Really," he agreed. "He's just not sure how to go about it. He's a terrible dancer and hasn't a clue of what to wear." After all- seriously- goggles - as a fashion accessory?

Weiss tried not to beam, an effort as futile as it was every time. An unconvincing imperiousness came over it and he smiled at the sight of it. It was so very Weiss… something unique that belonged only to her. Neptune was a lucky man.

"Well, tell... whoever it is that I don't mind," Weiss said, a subtle hint if there ever was one. "I can wait until he feels better about approaching," she said with a secret smile, as if sharing an inside joke.

Jaune smiled too. Neptune always needed a little push, but always made Weiss happier when he did. For at least as long as they lasted, which admittedly wasn't always long, though there were a few times Jaune had helped ensure it would. Neptune and Weiss would be together in the end, and Blake would go with sun. Whether the monkey-boy would do better than he had the previous times was yet to be seen, but if he hurt Blake- or Neptune messed things up with Weiss this time- there would be hell to pay.

"How are Ruby and the others doing?" he asked, more to change the topic than because he wanted to know. "I can't imagine Ruby wearing a dress. Yang isn't killing her, is she?"

"It sure sounds like it." Weiss sighed. "You'd think a girl who relies on perfect footwork and balance capable of adjusting to heels, but she acts like Yang has strapped a Beowolf to each foot."

"Go easy on her," he laughed, "She's trying her best."

"She's a menace."

"Hey now… I thought you and Ruby had gotten over that dust incident."

"Oh we have," Weiss said, "But I am not exaggerating here. She tried to run away from Yang in those heels and tripped. She managed to bowl into Professor Port and knock him over. They're just lucky he thought it some form of advanced sparring practice and didn't give them detention."

Advanced sparring? It sounded more like the teacher couldn't be bothered to deal with a detention and so had made up some half-arsed excuse for why he'd let them off. Professor Port could be like that sometimes. Something popped into his mind, and before Weiss could continue, he reached across to tap her arm. "Do you know what happened to the person who put me in here?"

"Hm?" Weiss looked at him askance for a moment, "Ah, you mean Cinder Fall? Funny you should ask. Apparently, she cornered Yang earlier to ask after you."

Jaune's muscles tensed, though he hoped Weiss didn't notice. She'd been asking about him? That wasn't a good sign. Was she doing it to cover her tracks, to look innocent – or was there some darker purpose to her interest? At the very least it hinted at some degree of attention he'd drawn on himself. That was troubling. As ever, Cinder didn't take setbacks easily. There would be consequences to this. _I'll need to keep my eyes open... maybe even attack her while she's gathering herself. The dance is an obvious choice but not the only one. She relies on Emerald and Mercury, after all._

"Yang was… not impressed to see her, as you might imagine." Weiss interrupted his thoughts. "Still, from what she was able to find out, Cinder has detention for a couple of nights and got off with little more than a strict warning and a long lecture."

That was all? He supposed it made sense. They couldn't expel her or even mark off her record since she wasn't a student of Beacon, and if they _had_ reacted in such a way, then the media would have eaten them alive. It was an accident, after all… just a little accident that had landed him with a few inconsequential burns. If Weiss had actually been hit, maybe they'd have made a bigger deal of it - but no harm,. no foul, right?

"Why do you want to know?" Weiss asked. Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Just curious," he said. "I mean, she's the one who put me in here so I wanted to know if she'd be punished for it."

Weiss relaxed, and those steely orbs looked down and away from him. "In that case," she said, "shouldn't it be me you're angry with?"

What?

She shook her head. "The fault with this lays firmly with me. When a weapon misfires it's the fault of the wielder or the manufacturer, that's what my sister always says. I've had Myrtenaster for years now and she's never served me poorly, so the failure here is mine. I… perhaps I didn't maintain her properly or failed to notice some damage… either way, it got you hurt and for that I apolo-"

He tuned her out, honestly. Ah, Weiss- self-critical to a fault. For all the impossible standards she held others to, they were nothing compared to what she held herself to. No one was harder on Weiss than Weiss, not even Winter. Of all the things Cinder could do, hurting him was one thing – but making Weiss blame herself?

"-Jaune? Jaune? Are you even listening to me?"

"Nope."

"What-!? I'm trying to apologise to you here!" she said, ire growing fast. "The least you could do is pay attention!"

"Nope."

That should have gotten her angry- except that she seemed to dim a little inside instead. Unexpected, unpredictable… how very much like Weiss.

"You're right," she agreed instead, looking away in the beginning of shame. "It's not something I can apologise about, or expect forgiveness for. It was-"

"Nope." There again- three for three - and Jaune found himself hiding a smile as Weiss looked back at him in confusion. He had to give it to her - Ruby could be surprisingly wise when she wasn't just being plain surprising. He'd lost count of the number of times he'd stolen her words of wisdom... or was it _word?_

"Nope?" Weiss said, seemingly confused.

"Nope," Jaune said once more, but nodded. "I'm not listening because there's no need, because there's nothing to apologise for. You haven't done anything to me recently that bears apologizing for." Absently he rubbed his chest, right above the scar she'd so recently given him at the White Fang base. "Not knowingly, at least."

That didn't seem to reassure her. "But Myrtenaster-"

"That wasn't your fault," he said, and stared into her eyes to make sure she knew how serious he was. "You were down and out for the count. She was the one to pick up your weapon and she was the one to launch that attack – no one else."

"I appreciate your saying that but if it wasn't for my poor maintena-"

"Nope again," he interrupted, and began to consider the merits of flicking food at her. Granted, that was likely to start a food fight, but they _had_ already had theirs for the repeat... "The only one more focused on weapon maintenance than you is Ruby, and that's only because she considers that more important than food."

"But something clearly went wrong!"

"Nothing went wrong. It was out of your control."

Weiss looked like she didn't fully believe it, but wasn't willing to give. There was nothing more that could be said, or at least nothing that wouldn't drive her towards Cinder. "I- Thank you," she said instead, seeming to accept his absolution. "I-… whatever happened, I wish it hadn't. I'll be more careful in future. Why…" Weiss paused to take a quick breath, "Can I ask why you did it?"

"Did what?" he asked.

"Why you… why you took that attack for me. I want to know what motivated you to do that."

A frustrated sigh slipped from his lips as he stared at his partner. Her eyes were watching his, yet he couldn't bring himself to care. "Are you being serious? Do you really think I'm so lazy that I'd have left anyone to cook like that?"

"No, I- that's not what I meant," Weiss said, trying to reframe it. She looked at him. "Jaune, would you jump into an inferno for just anyone?"

Inferno? Oh, she must be thinking about what he'd said last night. He opened his mouth to say the obvious, that-

 _"Does it hurt?"_

 _His head fell to the side. Thick smoke and rolling hear threatened to fill his lungs, creating a haze of dark shrouds before him. His muscles strained to push forward, only to fall back with a silent grunt as the twisted metal pinning him refused to move._

 _He burned. The skin began to blacken as every part of his body screamed in agony._

His mouth clicked shut, the taste of his own charred tongue coming back to him. He swallowed the sensation away, even as his mouth seemed uncomfortably dry. As far as ways to die went, burning alive in an inferno was... not pleasant. Not something he would ever take lightly. Honestly, it was how he died more often than not.

And he hated it.

He was afraid of it.

 _Would I do it for mom, for my family?_

Yes. Of course he would, in a heartbeat.

 _Would I do it for anyone not a part of my family...?_

"...not everyone," he admitted. He knew all too well that you couldn't save everyone. He'd tried too many times and suffered the consequences for that.

"Maybe not," Weiss agreed with a shake of her head. "But I know you would for Blake, like you would for Yang. I know why you'd do it for them, but… I just wanted to know why you did it for me. What was your reason?"

"Does it matter?" he asked, more curious than evasive.

"I-… I think it does," she said. Her eyes flicked away from his and down to the bowl of porridge in her lap. "I would like to know. I would like it said."

Was something wrong with her? The request was an odd one at best and he wasn't sure what she really meant by it. Wasn't it just expected that teammates would help one another? Yang would have done the same for Weiss, had she been fast enough. Or rather, had she known in advance of the danger and been ready for it like he.

"I'm not sure what to say," he admitted with a little shrug. "You were in danger. That attack would have hurt you. I didn't want that to happen."

"Because?"

"Because what? I don't understand the question."

"Why didn't you want it to happen?"

"Because you're my friend - my teammate?"

"Blake and Yang are teammates. Is that all?"

"You're my partner, then? What else is there? You're important to me and I don't want to see you suffer."

Weiss did and didn't look as happy with that as he expected. "But why? How?"

Jaune shook his head. "Weiss, I don't understand. What are you even talking about? Why would I want to see you hurt?"

"I-" Weiss growled beneath her breath for a second. "I'm not explaining it well, I... Forget it," she eventually said, "I'm just… never mind. It doesn't matter." She pushed her half-empty bowl onto the side and stood up. "We have classes for the rest of today. I'll make sure to collect any work for you to do when you're better."

"Thank you," he said politely, figuring it was better not to ask. She was acting so strange and looked like she was struggling with something. He didn't want to press, but... "You know you can talk to me if something's bothering you, right?"

"Nothing's wrong." she blatantly lied. "Forget I said anything. I'll see you later."

Was he supposed to say something? He'd never seen Weiss act so out of character before. She was normally so confident, often undeservedly so. If she wasn't sure about something she would more than let someone know too. "Okay?" he said, unsure if he should add something.

Weiss nodded and made to leave. The curtain pulled back, suspended on her hand as she hesitated. She didn't look back to him, and her shoulders seemed unnaturally stiff. "About the dance," she said, and then paused, "If you truly have no one to go with then I-"

He knew what she was going to say before she said it, and a soft laugh escaped him. She was too kind sometimes. "I told you it'd be alright, didn't I?" Maybe not in those exact words... "Don't worry, Weiss. I have a plan."

She seemed to relax just a little bit more at that. "Really?" she asked, seeming to believe it. Then again, he'd always had a knock for plans.

"Don't worry, Weiss," he repeated. "You won't be going alone. I promise."

Weiss didn't say anything. She nodded once, still faced away from him, and let the curtain fall behind her. Jaune watched her walk away, and smiled at the pep in her step. She hid it well but she was excited – and nervous too.

He would need to have a talk with Neptune later.

/-/

It was Blake that dropped by next, though in truth it had been at least two hours since Weiss' visit. With nothing else to do but count the time, he found himself more relieved than he'd expected when his faunus teammate stepped in. "You look bored," were her first words.

"Well, that's fitting since I'm bored out of my mind. Couldn't you have brought me a book to read?"

"I could have, had someone not manufactured my books into a dog bed."

Oh yeah… and that had seemed like such a good idea at the time too. The look Blake sent him said she'd not fully forgiven him for that, but he had the feeling his injury would stop her from trying out any revenge of her own. Of course, if she wanted to really risk her sanity by doing that, then he wouldn't stop her.

He'd have to retaliate, of course… but well, her call.

"How do you feel?" she asked, sitting down on the edge of his bed. He noticed her eyes trail over his scars once more, but she seemed better able to ignore them than she had the night before. "Your arms look a little healthier."

"I'm on the mend. Tsune rubbed some more salve into my arms this morning, and _only_ my arms," he added when her eyes narrowed. Sheesh, now Blake was getting on his back too? "And she rubbed them in with her hands and not her breasts… I know how your perverted mind thinks."

"Excuse me? I'm not the one who feels the need to hop between the beds of – what was it again – a fifth to a quarter of all the girls in Beacon?"

"No," he shrugged, "You just like to read trashy stories about it."

Blake wasn't an easy person to embarrass which was why it felt all the sweeter when her cheeks darkened and she hissed at him. Her bow flattened a little too, which made her look adorable. Like a cat, it took her a few seconds to calm herself, and during that time she patently refused to acknowledge his existence.

When she turned back to him it was with a stoic expression, and a look that said the last two minutes hadn't happened and she would deny them if she claimed otherwise. "So," she said, "I take it you'll still be attending the dance?"

"Again?" he laughed, "Is Yang that frightened I won't make it?"

"It's all I've heard about all morning."

"Tell her I'll be there," he rolled his eyes. "She doesn't need to sic every single visitor on me. I know full well it's more than my life is worth to miss it."

"She put a lot of effort into the evening," Blake pointed out. "I think she wants you to have fun. That will be what makes it all worth it for her. She wants to see people happy."

"And they will be," he replied, with more than enough conviction. The confidence seemed to please Blake, who looked proud on behalf of her partner. It hadn't been a lie, either, since the dance was always a success, at least in the eyes of the students anyway. So few of them knew about Cinder and what she achieved during it, but that was no fault of theirs. "The dance will be an incredible success, don't you worry."

"Do you have a suit?" Blake's question made him freeze. She caught it almost immediately and her eyes narrowed. "I can't believe you," she sighed, "Yang and Weiss put a lot into this. You can't ruin it by coming in casual."

"I know that," he said, "I'll get a suit, I promise."

"Don't let this be some excuse to skip it. You know how much that would hurt Yang."

"It won't be, Blake, I promise. I know how important this is to her." He'd find a solution, even if it meant breaking into the headmaster's rooms and stealing one of his green suits. They were about the same height, sort of… "What about you?" he asked.

"I have a dress," Blake said defensively.

"That wasn't what I was referring to."

She glanced away, and although her cheeks weren't red, there was a certain embarrassed tilt to her lips. "I… took your advice," she said at last. "I said I would give him a chance to impress me."

"He's not a bad guy," Jaune grinned.

"I know. Sun is… he's many things, but I'm sure he means well."

"If you don't enjoy it or he does something wrong-"

"Then I will make my excuses and leave," Blake said with a small smile. "I'm not a child, Jaune. I know how to turn someone down and I'm not going to pretend to enjoy myself if I'm not. That would just give him the wrong idea, not to mention be cruel."

"Well yeah, I suppose, but I was going to say tell me and I'll find my taser again and teach him how to scream like Cardin."

Amber eyes blinked as she stared at him, before the normally taciturn girl laughed into her fist and bent almost double. She wiped a small tear away from her eye.

"Hey," he said, "I'm serious here. If he tries anything…"

"The worst part," she said between her laughter, "is that I believe you truly are being serious. You know that despite Yang's constant teasing, you're not actually my father. You're not allowed to intimidate or frighten Sun just because he asked me to the dance."

"Of course not," Jaune said. He wouldn't bother wasting her time by pointing out how he'd already done that the last time Sun talked to him. Like he'd said, Sun was a good guy – but a little fear never hurt anyone. "To be fair, though, it's not like Yang or Weiss wouldn't do the same."

"They probably already have," Blake smiled. "It's strange, really. I never expected to make friends when I came here. I thought I'd find a team to fit into, and that I might fake my way through life here until I could graduate and make a difference. I didn't expect to truly become part of a team." She sighed and glowered at him, "Then again, I didn't exactly expect to be confronted by a naked man on a train, either."

"And I didn't expect to be cock-blocked by a daughter I didn't realise I had."

"With how you act, I wouldn't be surprised if there were more hidden children waiting in the wings."

There weren't; he was always careful, but just to rile her up he made sure to smile widely and shrug. Blake rolled her eyes at the action, and although she didn't rise to the bait, she did relax on his bed a little.

"You're distracting me," she said, "I was trying to say something. You do that a lot."

"What?" he grinned and nodded at her, "Get girls into bed with me?"

"I'm not in bed with you," she said, then looked down at her rear end sat on the bed, "I mean- no… you're doing it again. You always distract us when we try and have a serious conversation with you." She waited to see if he'd say something but this time he remained quiet, just to prove her wrong. "Fine," she rolled her eyes, "I wanted to… to apologise for before."

"Apologise?"

"For breaking my promise," she explained, eyes focused on her hands. "I never got the chance to say sorry. Not seriously, anyway. Everyone got so angry and then there was shouting… you and Weiss seem to have made up but I…" she sighed. "I still want to do the same."

Jaune sighed and leaned back into his pillow. A heavy feeling settled inside him, and it didn't take long to recognise it as guilt. He didn't deserve this apology. "You don't have to," he said.

"I do," Blake argued. "I promised you I'd come to you with each lead, and I did, but following the exact words of the promise only to break the spirit was wrong of me. In my defence," she shook her head and sighed, "there is no defence. I just… I guess I got used to thinking I need to do things on my own. I took your help for granted, and then went back on what you'd asked for. I'm sorry."

She looked so distraught that he couldn't help but reach out a hand to touch her shoulder. He'd have pulled her in for a hug if he didn't think she'd turn into a vicious Beowolf the moment he tried. "I don't blame you," he said. "I'm no stranger to breaking promises, Blake. I've got no right to lecture you on it and I'm not angry, either. I was… I suppose I was more worried than anything. I was angry because I was worried and didn't want to imagine you all getting hurt. It's no different from how my family got angry at me for fighting that Beowolf, but like Weiss said, that doesn't make the action wrong."

She smiled at him. There were no tears, not from Blake, and not with how stoic she normally was. That look of vulnerability in her eyes was just as crushing, however. "Even so," she whispered, "It's not quite the same. You didn't have a choice with the Beowolf while I hunted Torchwick down myself." She bowed her head. "I'm sorry."

The apology made him sigh and his stomach flipped uncomfortably. It wasn't that she was wrong or didn't owe him one… in a way she did. It was that she was apologising for something he would have done without a care in the world, she was apologising for things he had and would continue to do. Who was he to blame her for doing what she thought was right when he did the same? Who was he to criticise her for challenging Roman Torchwick, when he'd rushed off to fight Cinder life after life?

It wasn't like he hadn't gotten his friends killed before as well… at least Blake had brought everyone back with her.

"I'm not angry," he said. Blake made to open her mouth but he cut her off. "I'll accept your apology, but I just want you to know that I'm not upset with you. Not anymore. The things I said… they were wrong and I said them to hurt you. I'm sorry for that."

"I deserv-"

"No," he said, firmly. "You didn't deserve them. If you claim otherwise I'll show you it's not just Yang I'm willing to bend over my knee. Who knows," he grinned, "I might even enjoy it."

Blake's cheeks darkened and she looked away. "You are such a pervert," she whispered. She didn't argue, however. Doubtless she knew he'd follow that threat through.

"I don't want to hear that from you, Little Miss Ninjas of Love. Don't think I haven't read those books."

"I read them for the story."

"Right… and I'll bet the eye-watering sex is just a bonus."

Blake growled something and glowered at him. "You're distracting me again," she accused.

"Guilty," he shrugged, "But I'm only doing it because I don't want you to keep feeling bad about this. You're my friend, Blake. You're my teammate and in some creepy way you might also be my non-biological daughter. We could make it official if it helps. I bet your mother is hot as hell."

"And to think I wanted to apologise to _this_ ," she sighed. "Sometimes I wonder why I even bother."

Jaune grinned as he watched her roll her eyes. There was the snark and sarcasm he'd gotten used to. It was far easier to deal with an amused and critical Blake than one who looked on the verge of a breakdown. "Because you love me," he shrugged.

"That could be the only explanation." she sighed. "There's no other way to account for my not having smothered you in your sleep. With a pillow," she added when she he waggled his eyebrows at her. "Not my- Ugh, you're insufferable." She stood up from his bed and walked around to his upper body, to lean down and give what had to be the most half-hearted hug he'd ever seen. Even then, when she pulled away, her cheeks were a little darker.

"You're so repressed…" he teased.

"Be quiet. Make sure to get a suit in time. You are going, aren't you?"

"Of course," he reassured. "Who else would chaperone my daughters?"

Blake hummed but didn't flinch from his little taunt. "Weiss could. I don't think she's going with anyone yet. She..." she began, but trailed off.

"Don't worry. Weiss won't be going alone. Have a little faith- I'm working on it," he told her, and he would. He still needed to talk to Neptune, but he wasn't worried. The only times they hadn't gone together was when he'd interfered to set Neptune up with someone else. Gone were the days he played with their hearts like that; like some puppet master trying to make girls fall in love with him just because he could.

The curtain behind them rustled, and Blake leapt away from him as she turned to regard the newcomer. White hair, pale eyes – it could have been their teammate but the impressive height said otherwise. Winter Schnee's stern eyes scanned over him, and then slowly transitioned to the embarrassed girl beside his bed. "Am I interrupting something?" she asked.

Blake stepped between his bed and the woman, protecting him almost instinctively. "Why are you here?"

"I wished to speak with Jaune Arc." If Winter Schnee felt intimidated by Blake then she hid it well, but he doubted she even considered the girl a threat. "Would you grant us a few moments?"

Blake hesitated and glanced back to him. From the look in her eyes it was clear she didn't trust the woman and that she would stay if he asked.

He shook his head. "I'll be fine. Go tell Yang I'll be at the dance so she'll stop panicking about it. I'll see you later."

Winter Schnee stood silent as Blake nodded and left the room. The entire way she kept an eye on the older woman, the not-so-subtle mistrust no doubt clear to both of them. It wasn't until she left the room entirely that the woman spoke. "I wished to speak with you yesterday."

Okay… that was random. "Then why didn't you?" he asked.

"My sister asked me to give you time to rest. Considering your injuries and that it was a request from her, I thought to let it slide."

A small bubble of confusion wormed its way inside of him. He could understand Weiss stopping her sister from cornering him, that was probably a decision both selfless and selfish – to not only give him time to rest but prevent him saying anything to humiliate her. He appreciated it either way. But why would Winter feel the need to bring that up at all?

"Well, you have me now," he said, "I'm not going anywhere fast."

The woman hummed. Her eyes roved over his form, and no doubt they considered the scars across his chest and stomach too, but unlike the other girls, Winter didn't seem shocked or intrigued by them at all. She'd probably seen worse. She'd probably seen people who hadn't survived. "Weiss wrote about you, when she first became a part of your team. I was privileged to receive a number of letters from my sister."

Privileged? Really? With language like that it was no wonder Weiss could be so stuck up. Still, he'd known about the letters… she normally sent them about Ruby and he could remember the girl cornering Weiss once or twice to demand to know what she'd said. Ruby could be adorable when she was like that, and Weiss' frantic excuses and half-truths had been hilarious to listen to.

"My sister was quite critical of you in those," Winter continued. "She complained about you almost incessantly. Details of your exploits dominated her letters and had the content not been so obviously negative, I would have feared her obsessed with you."

He laughed. He could well imagine what she would have put, especially when he'd been at his worst. "Sounds about right," he said. "I'd say she was exaggerating but I'm not convinced you'd buy it."

"I would not," she said easily, not at all shy with letting him know how little she trusted him. "To read her letters, you are the laziest, most insufferable and all-together irresponsible person to ever grace the halls of Beacon."

"Did she mention my incredible good looks, though?"

Winter ignored him. "And yet when I arrived here, it was to be faced with a rather different story. Tell me, Jaune Arc, how do you imagine my sister described you when I asked her about you in private?"

Yesterday – when Weiss had spent the night with her sister? Well, he could imagine the conversation had been about him, especially with how Winter had caught them in that classroom together. "Maybe a little less lazy," he said when it was clear she wanted an answer, "Still insufferable though, and after the argument we'd just had probably pig-headed, idiotic, moronic and a number of other less than savoury words."

They'd both said sorry, after all, but this was still Weiss Schnee they were talking about.

"Interesting," Winter hummed. "In our conversation she described you as brave, reliable but often misguided."

 _What?_ Jaune's eyebrow rose as he stared at the woman. He was surprised his partner would say all that about him, especially when they'd just come off from a big argument.

"When I asked about your grades she said you showed incredible promise and had good insight. On your combat ability she described incredible cunning with a tendency for lateral thought. When I challenged her on your reputation for debauchery," she paused and shot him a fierce glare, "She said rumours of your misdeeds were perhaps… overstated."

"I…" he struggled for words, "Why are you telling me this?"

"I questioned your right to be considered her partner," Winter admitted. She was frank and delivered the words as insensitively as one might a death sentence. "Someone such as my sister deserves the best; not some lackadaisical playboy with little respect for what it means to be a huntsman."

His hands tightened on the sheets pooled at his waist. That hurt, no matter how much he told himself it was only her opinion of him in this life. He'd done his best so many times before.

"Weiss…" she sighed, "disagreed."

He blinked and looked up at the specialist.

"She disagreed quite fiercely. Our words became… heated. The kinds of things a Schnee may only say behind closed doors. Ill-chosen words were exchanged and our tempers frayed. It was… not the reunion I had hoped for."

"I'm sorry," he whispered. That was partly his fault, he supposed.

"I invited it on myself," Winter sighed. "Your role in the argument was minor at best and no blame is yours. Weiss… she…" the woman ran a hand through her hair. "She said that if I took steps to have you removed from the team, she would renounce all familial relationship with me and quit Beacon with you."

The words hit him like a hammer. "She said what?" he gasped. His throat struggled for air as he stared at the older woman. Why would Weiss ever say such a thing? Sure, she cared for him – like she did her entire team – but that was a bit much, wasn't it?

"Like I said, our words were ill-chosen and said without thought. Needless to say, your tenure here won't be influenced by me."

And wasn't there a heap of irony there. Whether she knew it or not, Weiss had just cost him another easy opportunity to back out of Beacon. Did he even want that anymore? He wasn't sure. Everything was wrong; everything was confusing and hard to understand.

"Come the morning, we had managed to reach an accord," Winter smiled, a thin and veiled thing meant not for him but for the memory she thought of. "It was then that I decided I needed to speak with you, to meet you and form my own opinion unfettered by the things I had learned before."

"And?" he asked. "What did you find?"

"Your reputation is not ill-deserved. Even Miss Goodwitch is aware of your… promiscuity."

His cheeks flushed, although he had no reason why. He'd not taken steps to hide it and hell, even his parents knew – but somehow the thought of Glynda shaking her head in the staffroom as she heard about him having sex left him embarrassed.

"I must ask… you have not… with my sister?"

"I haven't," he quickly answered. "I haven't done that with any of my teammates, or any of my friends."

Well, not in this life – but he wasn't about to open that can of worms with Weiss' sister. The older woman sighed and relaxed, her shoulders falling an entire inch as some degree of panic seemed dispelled. Wait, had she thought he'd gotten Weiss pregnant or something?

"My own thoughts aside, and my own feelings too, Weiss has clearly chosen to place her trust and respect in you. I can do nothing but respect that and honour her choice in the matter. She has chosen you to be her partner… I suppose she sees something in you that I do not." She shook her head at that, though he felt like pointing out she hadn't really _chosen_ him as her partner so much as made a poor choice between him and Ruby. "I shall ask you, however… would you ever hurt my sister?"

"Not on purpose," he instantly replied, more than aware of how her hand tightened on the hilt of her sabre. "I wouldn't do anything like that to her."

"And you will stand by her side? You will be loyal to her, not only as a partner – but as a friend?"

"Of course I will." What, did she expect him to just leave Weiss to her own devices if she was in trouble? Of course he'd stand by her and help wherever he could.

"And would you not just stand, but stay by her side? In the face of any adversity, no matter the enemy?"

Jaune paused, brow furrowing, as Winter looked at him for any sign of cowardliness. But that wasn't what was on his mind- what was on his mind that he'd never seen Winter like this before. He didn't know how much she knew about what was really happening either.

"...is there something Weiss should know about?" he eventually asked, keeping his tone calm. If nothing else, maybe he could learn a bit more about what Winter knew from Ironwood.

But Winter didn't share. She stopped staring and shook her head. "No, I suppose not. Good enough, I suppose," she said to herself. The hard lines on her face told him she wasn't exactly pleased, but at the very least she didn't intend to cut him up.

 _I should really get her screwed by Qrow… might do something for the stick up her ass. Then again, I wonder if Ironwood isn't already doing something about that from what I heard that one time. He's quite a bit older than her but… well… a bit ironic for me of all people to criticise that._

"I believe I also owe you my thanks," Winter said. It sounded like the words had been forced out of her but she straightened up regardless and held a fist over her heart. "You acted in the defence of my sister and risked your own life in the process. You have the thanks of the Schnee Dust Company, the Atlas Military… and my own."

He waved it off. "Don't look so stiff. You'll get wrinkles. I didn't do it for any of those people. I don't even care about half of them."

"Good."

He crooked an eyebrow and looked up towards her, but the woman had already turned away to rummage with something behind the curtain. He watched as she drew forth a long, black bag – the kind clothing was kept in.

"In truth, I expected my thanks would be neither needed nor appreciated, and sought to find something that might. With your… incarceration here, you were probably unable to acquire suitable apparel for your dance." She held the black bag out towards him, "Here. Wear this. It was made in your measurements on short notice."

On short notice…? That was one way to put it. A tailor couldn't have possibly made something that quickly unless they were being heavily incentivised… the kind of incentivising that came with more zero's then his family could put on a cheque. "Thank you," he said. He didn't bother to check on it but instead motioned for her to place it by the bed. It wasn't like he had any time to be picky. "Honestly, that's pretty handy… thanks."

"Like I said," the woman smiled cockily, "A reward should be appreciated by the recipient. From what Weiss has told me, empty praise and respect mean little to you. Something that will minimise the effort you need to put in, however…"

Well, that was an insult hidden within a compliment hidden with an insult if he'd ever heard one. Was it a Schnee thing that said they couldn't just flat out state their minds?

"It's not entirely selfless either," she admitted, with not a hint of shame, "You are the one my sister has chosen to be her partner. For you to be with her, I would prefer that you wear something befitting of your station. It wouldn't do for your reputation to negatively impact hers." Winter's smile fell the moment she'd placed the suit down, washed away as a familiar, professional glare took hold of her face. "I shall leave you be for now, Jaune Arc. I simply wished to meet you and make my position clear."

 _But you haven't even done that…_

"One thing, however… I do hope you're not foolish enough to ever hurt my sister, whether through action or inaction. I will be watching."

"If I do, you'd have to beat my team to killing me first," he scoffed. "That or Weiss herself."

Winter hummed, something that might have been mistaken for a laugh if she were even allowed to. "Quite," she said and stepped away. "For what it's worth, on our first meeting, perhaps I misjudged you."

"That's nice. You're still not getting my bank details though."

Winter sighed.

"On second thought, perhaps I did not misjudge you."

* * *

 **This is one of those reactionary chapters filled with character development and beneath the surface things. I know a lot of people who love them, but I also know a lot of people who consider them filler. I tend to disagree with the latter, since I only consider things filler if they don't progress the plot – and this does, as the following chapters would make no sense without it, but to each their own.**

 **I'll just throw out one disclaimer, however, as I know some might think I've just discounted it – no, it's not the end of the scar he got masquerading as Silver. Just because Weiss dismisses it now, doesn't mean it was pointless and/or is forgotten. The world isn't quite that binary and there _is_ too much inconsistent to her for Weiss to just go "Oh yes, this wound is identical to the one I perfectly remember giving a masked figure in a combat situation. Therefore Jaune is Silver, QED." As a rather simple hint, his team aren't yet aware of his aura issues... at least, they haven't put the pieces together.**

 **Of course, we're now on the new update schedule, which means the dates have changed. As always, refer to the ending note for a specific date.**

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 **Next Chapter: 18th February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	27. Chapter 27

**Hey guys. I just wanted to say that a few people are wondering "How can Jaune possibly miss these clues and less-than-subtle hints?" Well, I just wanted to say that there IS a good reason and it WILL be explained (probably explained through this and next chapter), but just to give me the benefit of the doubt for now – then decide whether or not you agree after the next chapter. But don't worry; it's not a silly plot hole where I've made Jaune an idiot or naïve for the sake of it. I'm not sure if you'll all** _ **agree**_ **with the reason, but it's there and ought to be better than `just coz`.**

 **Thanks, as ever, to College Fool on this one. He helped me out a lot.**

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 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 27 – The Dance and the Burden**

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"Well, it looks like you're all good to go," Tsune said. The faunus looked him up and down, tail wagging lazily behind her. "I'd ask if you wanted to stay for a physical exam but I have a feeling your partner might get upset with me."

Weiss definitely would. Jaune chuckled at the thought of it as he pulled his white coat – partially singed – back over himself and stretched his arms. "Sorry about what she said before. She's just frustrated over my uh… habits."

"Understandable. I'm not one to hold a grudge, less so over what a student thinks of me." She waved a hand dismissively, but there was no anger there. "On the case of your injuries, the burns should not cause you any problems, but the discolouration might take a few days to recede. I would suggest no life-threatening combat or death, but then again that's always good advice."

Good advice he wasn't always able to follow. He nodded and thanked her for helping him, only to pause before he left fully. "Do you…" he hesitated, and it wasn't until she looked at him and raised an eyebrow that he felt confident enough to continue. "As a doctor… do you know a lot about aura?"

Tsune seemed surprised but crossed her arms between her breasts and addressed him regardless. "I know a little. No more than anyone else, unfortunately. My expertise lays in the treatment of injuries that occur when aura is penetrated or fails. I can offer aura boosters and monitor aura… but little else. What did you want to know?"

Why his aura kept failing, but he couldn't say that since it would reveal _where_ it had failed – information that would ruin him. "Is there any way to stop aura?" he asked instead. "Is it possible for someone to turn their aura off?"

"Aura is the manifestation of the soul, so no, I would not expect there to be a way of removing or deactivating it. Normal people do not have it unlocked, but it is still there. If you're asking whether there's a way to `lock` aura, then again, I do not believe so. It would be a convenient way to deal with criminals after all, and yet we still have people like Roman Torchwick running around."

Hm, she was right there. It wasn't the answer he was looking for, but at the very least it meant he wasn't consciously making some mistake and letting damage through. It also couldn't be anything someone had done to him… unless it was something unknown by the Kingdoms. _"That would suggest Cinder but I'm fairly sure these problems started to crop up before she arrived. In fact, the first time I can remember is actually on the train with Blake, before Beacon even started. I punched through a Schnee droid to sever its internals but my arm was completely cut up."_

"I'm not the best person to ask, however," Tsune continued, "As I said, I specialise in the human body after aura has failed. If you wanted to know more, Bartholomew would be your best call. His insatiable curiosity aside, he's delved more into the workings of aura than anyone I know. Most people are content with the knowledge it works and don't seek more."

Oobleck? Well, it was worth a shot and he could always ask him when they had their next session together. "Thanks. I'll ask him."

He needed some answer to why this kept happening, after all. Aura was tied to the soul and it had never failed him before like this. If it had worked reliably each time before, then that meant it couldn't be something wrong with his body. Otherwise, he'd have an obvious sign that Tsune would have picked up on.

But if it wasn't his body… that left a more worrying possibility; that the problem was with his soul.

 _I've no idea if my soul comes with me every time I repeat. It could be a new soul in a new body, but if it was – then I've got no idea why this is happening. If it is the same soul, however, and I do have a problem with it…_

Then his aura problems might continue into future repeats.

"If I can't beat her _with_ aura, what am I supposed to do without?"

The problem needed to be fixed, and on this repeat if possible. If it wasn't then the next would be wasted as well. _I'll talk to Oobleck after the dance. It's the best lead I have._

The Jazzberry dorm was anything but quiet when he arrived at it. Noise emanated from within, and it sounded like Yang and Weiss were having an argument, which was hardly a new development. He knocked once as a warning to anyone getting changed and then let himself in with a flash of his scroll. The three girls within spun about to look at him with wide eyes.

"Jaune!"

"Arc!"

"Jaune…"

"Zwei!" he gasped, down on one knee with arms held wide.

"Arf!" The corgi-shaped missile hit him squarely in the chest.

"Oh sure," Yang laughed, "Replaced by my dog. That's fair."

"He's a better conversationalist. It's nothing personal."

The blonde shook her head with a smile but it was Weiss who took centre stage before him, the girl having walked over only to pause and look him up and down. "You're recovered?" she asked. "There aren't any problems?"

"Totally fine," he nodded. He knew why she looked so concerned, because she still blamed herself for what happened. That was just Weiss through and through and he wasn't sure what to do about it other than to stand strong and make it clear there'd been no harm. "How have you all been in my absence?" he asked instead, just to distract them. "I see you didn't manage to burn the room down."

"The one most at risk of doing that would be you," Weiss said. She smirked a moment later and shot him a look from the corner of one eye. "In fact, the dorm was unusually peaceful and quiet."

He shuddered, "Sounds dreadful."

"Are you two going to stand there and flirt all day?" Yang asked, "Because if so, I think I'll go get ready for the dance in Ruby's dorm."

Jaune ignored her in favour of Weiss, "You had to put up with them on your own? It must have been hard."

The heiress sighed dramatically. "It was," she admitted. "So very difficult. I remembered the patience taught to me by my sister, but even so… I could have killed her at any moment."

"Hey! I'm stood right here."

"I'm hard to put up with?" Blake chuckled. "I think Yang is dragging me down. Welcome back Jaune. It's good to see you in one piece."

"There's my favourite daughter," he grinned and ignored Yang's horrified expression. "You girls all ready for the dance later?"

Yang and Blake nodded but it was Weiss' reaction that surprised him the most. She stepped back with a wide smile, one that seemed to split her face in two. Her eyes sparkled and she seemed to almost float. "I certainly am," she said, "In fact, I'm going to prepare for it in Winter's room, so I won't see you all until later."

"Why not here?" Yang asked.

Weiss' smile grew. "That would be a secret." She turned back to him with a soft smile. "What time do you intend to arrive?"

"Oh… uh… seven-thirty?"

"Then I shall see you there." She nodded once to him and then smiled to the other two, before making her way out of the room with a cheery wave. He stared after her, one eyebrow raised as he tried to rationalise her almost uncharacteristic enthusiasm. With a sigh, he turned to Yang.

"Did you slip her drugs?"

Blake smothered her laughter.

"What? No!" Yang exclaimed. "Like I'd do something like that... She's just in a good mood." If anything, the blonde seemed to look fondly towards the door Weiss had left through. "She has reason to be, doesn't she? Something like this is a big deal for a young maiden."

Yang shot him a pointed look at that but he rolled his eyes. To him, the dance was always just an event. It happened each and every time, unless he died earlier, of course, but otherwise it was just a date he had to remember for what Cinder did. Back when the repeats had first begun, he'd made it a point to go with Pyrrha each and every time but the kindness of such an action had soon been sacrificed to duty. He was there to stop Cinder, not enjoy himself.

He still took pleasure in the joy of others, however, and couldn't help but feel thankful that Weiss would have a good time. She deserved it for putting up with his crap.

 _Then again, she won't have reason to be in a good mood if I don't set Neptune up._ He had limited time for that too, since the dance was only in a few hours. "I guess I'll leave you ladies to get dressed as well. I just wanted to drop by and let you know I was okay in case one of you checked, saw me missing and tore Beacon apart to find me." He made sure to stare at Yang as he said that, even if she just grinned in response. "I'll come back in an hour or two to put mine on."

"You _do_ have a suit, right?" Blake asked, reminding him of what she'd demanded in the infirmary. He hefted up the black bag Winter had left at his bedside. Blake eyed it curiously, as did Yang. "When did you get that?"

"A gift from Weiss' sister. She said it was a suit I should wear for the dance."

"Have you looked at it?" Yang asked. The glint of curiosity was obvious in her eyes. "Can _I_ look at it?"

"Go wild," he shrugged and laid it down on his bed. "I've got something to do at the moment, though, and it's not like I have a choice on the suit issue. Even if I got another, I have the feeling it's a gift I'll regret not wearing if you know what I mean."

"Schnee gratitude?"

"Pretty much… more than my life is worth not to wear it."

Blake let it go with an amused shake of her head. They'd all gotten used to Weiss and her ways, to the point where they wouldn't even change her if they could. Winter was a whole new kettle of fish, but not overly hard to understand. She valued discipline and structure over everything else, so as long as he played by her rules and didn't break any laws, she'd be fine with him.

Yang collected Zwei from his arms with a chuckle and herded him off with a promise to come back and see their dresses before the dance. He'd seen them a thousand times before but agreed anyway, if only because it wouldn't take much time and would mean something to them.

Sometimes it was hard to remember that. You got so used to doing repeat after repeat that you focused on the important parts and skipped aspects that felt pointless or inefficient. There'd been the few times early on where he'd avoided flirting with Weiss before initiation – since it just made him look like a fool, only to be shocked when he hadn't ended up with Pyrrha as a partner. The little things counted, even if it felt like they shouldn't.

That applied to Cinder too, and as he made his way to the dorms where Neptune and Sun were, his thoughts drifted to her. The dance was the moment where she enacted one of her plans, the sabotage of the CCT. In truth, at least as far as he could tell, it was the only reason she actually needed to be in Beacon. Every other part of her scheme could have been implemented as a civilian hidden in the audience of the Festival, but being a student during the dance allowed her both an opportunity to sabotage it and an alibi if questioned.

The problem was, it was an opportunity – not the _only_ opportunity. Even if he pushed her away from the CCT tonight, it wasn't like the building was about to come under some impregnable force field that would render it immune. She could slip in any other night, and although it would be riskier for her, there was no denying she was skilled enough to manage it. He couldn't stand watch over the CCT all day and all night for the next few weeks.

All he could really do was delay and frustrate her… which wasn't too bad a plan. _If she has to spend more time focused on the CCT, it means less time on trying to hurt Weiss or the others._ It was the sane angle as his choosing to challenge Pyrrha. It wasn't like it forever removed the chance for Cinder to find out his old partner's semblance, since she could just have Mercury challenge her again in a week or so, but it was the best he could manage.

He'd used the recovery time to try and think of a plan to deal with her, but had come up short. His first idea had been to take Cinder to the dance himself. If he went as her date then he could cling onto her and rob her of the opportunity to slip out. All he'd need to do was channel his old flirting style with Weiss, also known as the `desperate limpet` and basically stick to her like the world's worst stalker. Bonus points if he serenaded her outside her room and got to see her fake a polite face while he murdered music.

It would have been amusing… but it wouldn't have worked.

 _Cinder has no reason to want to get close to me, other than to hurt my team or remove me entirely. If I ask to take her, she'll say no and do the CCT herself, or she'll say yes and have Emerald do the CCT. Either way, it doesn't fix anything and could even end up getting myself poisoned or something._ The problem with the idea was that it gave Cinder time to plan in advance. She could find a way around it, and when thought about like that, he could see numerous ways for her to take advantage of it.

The other idea had been to call Qrow, as Silver of course, and tip the guy off as to what would happen. Qrow could then guard the tower himself, or even alert Winter and have her help him. The chances of Cinder getting through _that_ combo unharmed were slim.

But… again, it came with problems. For once, Cinder wasn't an idiot. If she saw the two then she would call it off and attack another night. His reputation as Silver would be damaged and nothing would be gained for it. It wouldn't have been too bad if that was the only risk, since it still delayed her at least – but there was a bigger problem with the idea.

He couldn't call Qrow from his scroll… hence why he'd stolen other people's scrolls to use.

The first time it had been Ruby's, but he'd made sure to lift it during their shopping trip out in Vale. After that, he'd stolen from normal people, always in the city itself. That wasn't a decision made randomly; it was to make sure Qrow, and by extension Ozpin, had a whole city full of suspects to deal with. If he took it from a student in Beacon, and then it turned out that student _hadn't_ been to Vale recently, then it would become clear Silver operated in the school itself. The attention that would draw could leave him discovered and interrogated.

Unbidden, his eyes flicked down to his ankle. The tracker was still there, beneath his trouser leg. It probably wasn't an overly accurate thing, since Ozpin just wanted it to sound an alarm if Jaune tried to leave Vale, but it should give a close enough reading to tell the headmaster he hadn't been in his dorm on each night Silver struck. All it would take to ruin him would be a single misstep, just the smallest thing to set off Ozpin's paranoia and make him check the tracker.

Silver couldn't help tonight, that much was clear. Then again, maybe they were both bad ideas because they tried to deal with Cinder _before_ the dance. She was a schemer, an intelligent and dangerous enemy, but only so long as she had time to adapt and make plans. Perhaps something a little more… impulsive would work.

 _If I watch her throughout the dance I can try and see when she wants to leave, then I approach and cause a commotion… I could try and dance with her, spill drink or even profess my undying love._ It would humiliate him, but his reputation was a small price to pay. Whatever Cinder chose to do with the development, it would give him a chance to follow her around and might even draw the attention of others. If she though the situation too hot to slip off, that might force her to postpone for the night.

He'd lose the night himself, of course… but the whole event was meaningless to him anyway.

Not so for Neptune, however, whose door he found himself at. He knocked twice on it and waited. The door opened a few moments later, and it took Sun less than two seconds to recognise him – and less than three to panic.

"I didn't do anything wrong!"

"Glad to hear it," Jaune grinned, "I'm not here for you though."

Sun let out a great sigh of relief, relaxing as he fell back and into a normal, less panicked stance. "Sorry," he laughed, "I thought you'd changed your mind and were here to kill me so I couldn't take Blake to the dance."

"I'll give you a chance to mess up before I do that."

"And a chance to run, right?"

Jaune coughed and didn't answer. He waited for a moment, just to watch Sun's mounting dread, before he smiled a smile filled with teeth. "Anyway," he drawled, "I wanted to have a quick chat with Neptune. He around?"

"Me?" The voice came from within the room. "Yeah sure, I'm free."

He nodded and stepped into the room when Sun motioned him in. It was one of the guest dorms given to transfer students, but essentially it was identical to their own in every way. The boys had put their own spin on things, which was to say numerous posters of girls in various stages of undress and a few discarded pieces of clothing across the floor. Sun took a position by one wall, rather obviously trying to hide a poster of a blonde cat faunus in lingerie. _Teenagers…_ Jaune thought and rolled his eyes.

"So," Neptune grinned, sat on his bed with his scroll beside him. "What did you want to talk to me about? I doubt I've done anything worth being killed over, so I won't scream like a girl."

"Stuff it Nep," Sun growled. "You try getting on his bad side."

"I think I'll pass."

Jaune chuckled and crossed his arms. "I'm not here to kill, prank or intimidate anyone. I just wanted to ask Neptune something. Could you give us some privacy, Sun?"

"Sure thing," he grinned, reached behind him and tore the poster from the wall. The action seemed to pain him if the twitch beneath his eye was anything to go by but he smiled widely, as though to try and convince him it had been a perfectly natural gesture. "I'll go and see how Blake's doin-"

"Don't!"

"You better not!"

Sun froze like a Beowolf in the headlights of an Atlesian Paladin. He blinked and looked between Jaune and Neptune, who had both called out at the exact same moment. "Uh… okay?" Sun gulped. "Would that be a mistake?"

Neptune looked towards Jaune, but he waved for the blue-haired teen to go first. Neptune nodded and turned back to Sun. "Dude, it's like three hours before the dance. You're going to look desperate as anything if you go and see her now. Just play it cool, take your time and don't frighten her off by coming on too strong. Remember, you've got to convince _her_ that you're a reliable, mature and good guy. If you're too forward, she's going to know you think she's out of your league."

"Right," Sun nodded, "You're totally right. Is that what you were gonna say Jaune?"

"Hm? No, not really. I mean, you _are_ desperate, she _is_ way out of your league and you _should_ be terrified of making a mistake."

"Wow…" Sun's face was flat. "So, what's your reason for not wanting me to?"

Jaune shrugged. "She's getting changed and if you see her naked I'll gouge out your eyes and give you a first-person perspective of your own colon."

Sun laughed nervously, but it soon died when Jaune's face remained perfectly serious. "Right… uh… I guess I'll go and read in the library, then?"

"Good choice."

Sun fled a second later, leaving Neptune and he behind. The blue-haired boy grinned up at him. "He's a good guy, and I'm not just saying that because he's my best friend. He thinks the world of Blake."

"That's why he's taking her to the dance as opposed to taking himself to hospital." Jaune shrugged and walked over to sit down on Sun's bed. It wouldn't do to make Neptune feel nervous. "Blake's a big girl and can make her own decisions. I'm not really going to go out of my way to harm him, but it doesn't hurt for him to know he has to be on best behaviour."

"True." Neptune said with a little laugh. "You know, he's equal parts in awe and terrified of you… it's kind of weird. Anyway, what is it you wanted me for? I'm not going with your other daughter." He paused and blinked. "At least, I don't think I am. Then again, if she decided I was, I don't think I'd feel brave enough to say no."

"And no one would blame you for that. I'm not here about either of them. I came to talk about Weiss."

Neptune's expression suddenly became a little nervous. "I'd like to quote Sun here and say I haven't done anything."

 _That's the problem._ "It's not that," Jaune said with a friendly smile, "I actually wanted to ask because I know you're interested in her – and that's fine!" Jaune quickly added when the other guy looked like he might bolt. "I'm totally fine with that, more than fine, in fact."

"Y-You are?"

The poor guy sounded bemused, though Jaune couldn't understand why. _I know I tease Sun, but do I really come across that intimidating? Why would I be upset about Neptune having feelings for Weiss?_ "Of course I'm fine. You seem like a good guy and you at least know more about how to act than Sun does. I wouldn't have a problem with you dating Weiss. Well, provided you didn't do anything to hurt her, of course."

"I…" Neptune paused to look at him closely. "I'll be honest… I thought _you_ were dating Weiss. I asked her out once before and she didn't seem all that interested."

Had he? That was news to him but he supposed it was possible Neptune had been forced to ask multiple times. In the end, it wouldn't matter. He always went with Weiss. "The whole marriage thing is a joke from Yang. She always says we're husband and wife but it's just a way of her teasing us. Don't read into it too much."

"So, the two of you aren't together?"

"Weiss would never think of me that way," Jaune shrugged. He made sure to keep on an easy and sincere smile. It wasn't an incorrect statement and it didn't hurt as much as it once did. How could it, when he'd faced that fact over and over for hundreds of years? Cinder was evil, Blake was a faunus – and Weiss didn't have any romantic sentiment towards him. It wasn't something worth thinking about; it just _didn't_ happen. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you if you'd consider taking her to the dance."

"Me?" Neptune's face was a mixture of shock and excitement. "Me? I mean, sure – I'd love to, but… do you think she'd accept?"

"I have it on good authority she would."

She had every other time after all.

Neptune hummed and brought a hand to his chin. It looked like he was lost in thought but to Jaune, the guy's answer was as clear as day. Neptune had feelings for Weiss, and it wasn't just history which told him. He could see it as clear as day. "I'll do it," Neptune finally said. He paused, however, and looked at Jaune. "Are you _sure_ you're okay with this, though? I mean, you're a good guy and you helped Sun. I don't want to repay that by doing something like this to you."

 _And yet you'd give up your own chance for happiness because I helped your best friend?_ "You seem like an alright guy," Jaune said honestly. "I think you'll be good for her. I don't have any regrets."

Neptune tried to remain calm but it was clear the words filled him with relief. He sagged back, before surging forwards with a smile to stand in the middle of the room. "I'll do it," he said, "I'll ask her. I'm not sure if she'll say yes but it's worth a shot, eh?"

"It's always worth a shot," Jaune agreed with a secretive smile.

"Do you have any advice, though?" Neptune asked, turning to him. "Is there a best way to do this?"

"You're asking me!?"

"Well, yeah…" Neptune tilted his head to the side. "Dude… you're like, _the_ guy with girls. I've heard of your conquests and even then, your team absolutely adores you. People would probably pay for your advice on how to ask a girl out."

He- they thought – really!? It was kind of ironic that Neptune of all people would think that about him, and a little troubling too. _He shouldn't look up to that as though it's a good thing. Not if he's going to get with Weiss._ Jaune smothered his immediate desire to interrogate or threaten the guy, if only because his partner would set him right herself if he dared to try it.

It wouldn't hurt to keep an eye out, however. Neptune better _not_ think of learning from any of his habits.

"Just be yourself," he said after a few moments to shake his head in wonderment. "I think you'll do fine if you act like you normally do." It was what worked in the past. "She's not at our dorm, though, so you won't be able to find her there. She's gone to her sister's guestroom to get ready. You've got her scroll number, right?"

"Yeah," Neptune nodded, visibly preparing himself by taking a few deep breaths. "I'll ask if she can meet me outside or something. I don't think her sister will appreciate me knocking on her door."

"Yeah… wise choice."

Neptune shook his head, and then laughed out loud. "Thanks man," he said, and reached across to grip Jaune's hands. "Even if she says no, even if it doesn't work out, I appreciate you giving me the chance."

"Uh… sure?" Jaune shrugged. Was he giving the guy a chance? Weiss was her own person, as was he. It wasn't like he had any say in the matter. "I'll leave you to it then," he said when it was clear Neptune wasn't going to calm down anytime soon. "Good luck and have fun at the dance. If I get a chance, I might steal her for one if that's okay."

"Yeah, of course!"

Jaune chuckled and left the room. The poor guy was so besotted it felt like he'd have agreed to anything at that point. He took a deep breath and looked up towards the ceiling. Weiss and Neptune would go together. They'd have fun and he would delay Cinder.

Things were finally starting to come together.

/-/

The dance was an event for the students, but that didn't mean the staff of Beacon took time off for it. The various teachers, plus the additions of Qrow and Winter, sat around a table in the staffroom, having finalised plans and responsibilities for the event itself. Ozpin settled a few sheets of paper down with a sigh. "Well, that's the formalities finished for now. Miss Schnee, is there any news from James? I expected him to make an appearance by now."

"The General has been delayed," the white-haired woman answered. "Nothing bad, I assure you. His last communique explained he would need to see the Paladins we sent back to Atlas inspected. He is reluctant to send them out into the field if they've been tampered with."

"Ol' Jimmies paranoid as usual, I see," Qrow chuckled.

"I think his response is more than deserved," Winter shot back. "A little caution serves no ill." A moment later, she seemed to recall she was in the company of more than just Qrow and stammered, "I-I apologise, headmaster. That was out of line."

"Worry not Miss Schnee," the older man took a sip of his coffee. "I shall look forward to his arrival in the coming weeks. Do tell him to get in touch before he comes, however. It would be rude to not greet an old friend in person."

"I will, and thank you, sir."

"Heh… stuffy Atlas suit."

"Drunke-" Winter bit off the comment with a snarl.

"Do refrain from antagonising our guest, Qrow," Glynda sighed. "Our apologies Winter… you know what he's like."

"It's of no concern and there's no need to apologise, Miss Goodwitch. I am used to dealing with reprobates within the military as well."

Qrow glowered at her for a few seconds before a slow smile started to spread across his face. On the other side of the table, Glynda sighed and looked to Ozpin for help. The headmaster seemed content to let it continue, however, a small smile hidden behind his mug. "Talkin' of reprobates," Qrow leered, "How's your sister with that guy she was giving seven minutes o' heaven to?"

"My _sister_ was not doing that!" Winter hissed, all pretence of civility gone.

"Whoah… you mean you _know_ what seven minutes in heaven means? Tell me, who was the lucky guy? Or was it me when I was too drunk to remember? Should I be upset?"

" _That_ is not important, and no – it would never be you, Qrow. What is important is that I have spoken to my sister and have come to an understanding on the matter. Despite how the situation may have appeared, there was no improper behaviour from either of them."

"She would say that though, wouldn't she?"

"I have complete faith in Weiss' honesty." The twitch below her left eye said she didn't and that the scene still haunted her.

Qrow leapt on it. "It's just that… my nieces have told me _all_ about that guy. How he's slept with so many girls, how he's a player who can get into any woman's pants. Why, I've even heard he banged women your age and older."

Winter's face twisted. It started slowly, a twitch that turned into a wince which soon escalated into full facial warfare. Qrow watched it all with a smile that showed full-well that Yang Xiao-Long came from Branwen stock.

"Qrow," Glynda cut into his fun with a put-upon sigh. "Miss Schnee, I can assure you that while the rumours towards Mr Arc hold some merit, he does appear to treat your sister differently. What's more, I dare say I haven't heard much of his… predilections recently."

"And how often do you ask about your own students having sex?" Qrow asked, waggling his eyebrows the whole time.

"Rumours spread, especially where he is concerned. To hear it, his conquests are considered a prime source of entertainment across the student body." Glynda shrugged as though to what could be done. "Either way, Mr Arc is not an altogether bad person. Actually, I quite like him." That seemed to drive the assembled people into silence. From Glynda Goodwitch, it was high praise, and more so because while she was a good teacher, the woman tended to find most students tiresome. Ozpin too, slowly lowered his coffee to look at his assistant. She coughed awkwardly at the sudden attention. "It's not unreasonable," she said, "Mr Arc used to be quite lazy and unmotivated, but his approach towards combat was always… unique. I approve of that, even if his other habits are less than savoury."

"I thought you had a list of rules just for him," Peter Port chuckled. "You complained about him all the time."

"I can complain about a person without finding them intolerable," she protested. "Besides, his fights – as theatrical as they are – serve to teach the class the importance of planning and strategy, not to mention the dangers of underestimating a foe."

"You once suggested he be expelled," Ozpin reminded.

"My concerns towards him were always founded on the lack of respect he had for his team," she explained. "That issue seems more than resolved, particularly after his latest display towards Miss Schnee."

"Did anything come of the investigation?" Ozpin asked.

"Miss Schnee submitted her weapon for inspection. I personally found that one of the dust capsules was cracked and had leaked. It's possible it was damaged during the spar. Her opponent focused on melee and _did_ strike at Miss Schnee's hands and wrists multiple times and I trust her to have maintained her weapon to an acceptable level, so lack of care can be ruled out."

"An accident then…"

"It would seem so," Glynda nodded. "It is fortunate Mr Arc was able to act in time to prevent anyone being hurt."

"See, that's what I don't get." All eyes were drawn to Qrow as he slammed a hand on the table and took another drink.

"What's not to understand?" Winter sighed. "Is it so unusual for someone to protect a person they care for?"

"Not that, frost-queen. See, I get why he went so far and felt he needed to look after his girl, but that's not what's been botherin' me. I just wanna know - how is a seventeen-year-old kid with apparently no combat experience quicker than two huntresses, one of which was _in_ the ring in the first place?" Qrow's words shocked the table into silence, and for once not because he'd said something incredibly vulgar or foolish. Glynda's face creased, while Winter leaned back and narrowed her eyes. The headmaster merely took another drink, but anything could have crossed through his mind.

"I was caught off-guard," Winter said. "I did not have my weapon drawn and wasn't prepared to step in."

"And _he_ was?" Qrow grinned. "The kid paranoid or somethin'?"

The elder Schnee paused and turned to Ozpin. "What training did my sister's partner have prior to Beacon?"

"None."

"Impossible," Winter scoffed. "He fought on equal footing with Pyrrha Nikos. I am not one to take fame at face value, headmaster, but that girl clearly trained hard for many years to acquire such skill. I personally watched him and that was _not_ a young man unused to combat."

"His records say he is untrained," Glynda spoke for her superior. "I checked through them myself, just to make sure he could adapt to the curriculum. He has no formal combat training."

"He used his blade well, and more than that, he fought with a free off-hand using strikes, throws and grapples to disorient his foe. To be confident enough to reach in against an armed foe speaks of either experience or arrogance." Winter looked towards Miss Goodwitch. "I do not believe it the latter."

"Doesn't sound like a Semblance either," Qrow interrupted. "You always see those people with strong semblances, the one-trick ponies. Think they're so hot, but they're usually beaten pretty easily by someone more skilled with a weapon. They lack versatility."

"I concur," Ozpin spoke, "But I can also confirm that he would not have had training from his father. I know the man personally and he would not train his son to become a huntsman."

"Doesn't mean he didn't get trainin' some other way," Qrow shrugged.

"True." The headmaster conceded, "It is one of the reasons I extended an offer to attend Beacon." He pointedly ignored the rather obvious cough from his deputy. "His records show that he defeated a Beowolf unarmed and without aura, but while such stories are rare and heroic, they do not a huntsman make. I… sensed something else within him. Potential, if you wish to call it that. Or maybe it was simply how his grip felt when we shook hands."

Winter and Qrow looked towards the man for a moment, and then – for once – to one another. Neither had answers, however, and even Miss Goodwitch could only shrug.

"Either way," the man continued, "Considering his father's reluctance to train him, it would perhaps be understandable that Mr Arc be secretive when it comes to his ability. It would not do to disclose his mentor if that would place them at odds with the head of the Arc family."

"So," Qrow shrugged, "Training with some mysterious hermit. Sounds like something out of one of Ruby's crappy videogames."

"Or," a new voice spoke, "Mr Arc found himself involved in things he should not be." The assembled adults turned to Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck, who had remained silent for much of the discussion. The green-haired man adjusted his glasses, expression stern.

"Are you suggesting something?" Glynda asked.

"Only a theory," the hyper-active man replied. "From what I have heard of your lessons, it would seem that Mr Arc solved his battles through a creative use of strategy, lateral thinking and tools to even – or equalize – the balance of power. This, to me, screams of someone used to facing opponents who are stronger than he; someone who has been forced to adapt in crisis moments where individual skill and ability are insufficient." The history professor paused for breath, but no one felt the need to interject. "What's more, I would also draw attention to Mr Arc's willingness to… dirty his hands if he felt it necessary to save a friend."

"He's killed?" Qrow asked, now much more interested despite his inebriation. "When was this?"

"The end of last semester," Glynda sighed. "There was an incident at the docks. Miss Xiao-Long was involved. Did she not tell you?"

"She told me there was a fight," Qrow frowned, "But not that it was that dangerous."

"My sister did not inform me either," Winter scowled, and the two shared what was for once an understanding grimace. It seemed that the two relatives in question would have answers to give in the coming days. "He… Jaune Arc killed someone, then?"

"Multiple people," Oobleck sighed. "White Fang members who attempted to kill his teammate. He killed some in melee, and then was involved in an explosion that incinerated more."

"Ouch," Qrow winced.

"It was self-defence," Winter dismissed, "No court would find him guilty for it." From the tone of her voice, it seemed that if a court tried, they'd soon find the Schnee's finest lawyers lined up at their door.

"No one's accusing him of anythin'," Qrow chuckled before turning to Oobleck. "How'd he handle it? Can't have been an easy talk with the guy… I still remember Tai's first human kill."

"There was no need for such a talk. Mr Arc took it well," Glynda sighed, "He was unbothered by the action."

Qrow frowned for a second and shook his head. "So he acts unbothered," he said, "That's just a way of coping. You _did_ get him help, right?"

"You misunderstand. Mr Arc was not feigning his lack of concern. He was not bothered in the slightest as to what he did, nor the implications of it. Some of his first words upon waking up back in Beacon were to point out his innocence due to the laws of self-defence. He then showed concern for his teammates, before moving back into normal life with no difficulty."

"Glynda doesn't speak out of turn," Oobleck said when it looked like Qrow might argue. "I arranged sessions with him myself to act as a counsellor. It's not a role I'm unused to, but his response to my questions certainly was. I can confirm with some confidence that Mr Arc shows no ill effects of having taken a life."

"So," Qrow sighed, "We've got a sociopath willing to kill at the drop of a hat – and you thought to put him on a team of young girls?"

"A sociopath?" Oobleck questioned, "That suggests a disorder that allows him to easily rationalise such an action. No, I do not think that is the case. I believe this is simply not the first time Mr Arc has killed."

The comment killed the conversation stone dead. Winter blinked down at her hands on the table, while Qrow paused to lean back and upend the entire flask down his throat.

"Great…" he coughed when he was done, "So, between a sociopath and a killer – which is worse again?"

"This is conjecture at best," Ozpin interrupted. "Mr Arc has not been tried for any crimes and there are no records that would indicate his involvement in activity, criminal or otherwise. He lived in a settlement outside the walls. Those who flee the law often retreat to them and it's not impossible that Mr Arc was forced to take a life."

"That is my theory as well," Oobleck sighed. "From what we've seen, he shows a strong moral viewpoint and a protective streak towards his teammates that might be called obsessive. If I recall my colleague having mentioned, Mr Arc also has numerous sisters and was willing to risk his life to protect his mother from a Beowolf."

"You believe he's mentally unsound and projecting his family onto his team?"

"I believe my sessions with him shall not stop just yet," the doctor countered. "Until then, anything I say is merely speculation."

"I only need to know one thing, doctor," Winter sighed, "and I believe it is what Qrow wishes to hear as well. Is he a threat to our loved ones?"

"A threat?" Oobleck asked with a curious smile. "Why, I believe Mr Arc would be the greatest threat… I believe his cunning mind could lead to the death of a huntress even of your calibre, Miss Schnee, but only if you attempted to _hurt_ one of those girls."

"Geez," Qrow sighed and took his head between his hands, "My niece's team is more fucked up than mine was."

Ozpin smiled and took a sip of coffee.

"Now Qrow," he said, "I wouldn't quite go _that_ far."

/-/

Jaune made sure to knock a few times on his team's door and wait for Blake's voice before entering. Prom dresses could be a nightmare at the best of times, as he knew from having helped Nora and Pyrrha with theirs in previous lives. Compared to the trauma of that, a suit was relatively easy. Still, when he pushed his way into the room it was to see that Blake had already gotten changed. She turned to face him as he entered.

She wore a purple knee-length dress with a slit up the thigh. Her long, pale legs reached down to black stilettos and in an amusing tie-in, her black bow fit the outfit. "Well?" she asked, clearly uncertain but smiling for him anyway.

"You look beautiful."

Blake's cheeks darkened as she glanced away. "Don't be silly."

"Silly?" he laughed, shaking his head. "Seriously, Blake, you look absolutely incredible. Sun won't be able to control himself… though he better." His face darkened at the last comment, which made the girl giggle slightly. "Still, I'm being honest here… you look incredible, Blake."

"Thank you." She didn't meet his eyes, and instead looked at the wall to their left, but he could see the pleased smile on her face. He idly wondered if she'd ever had someone to say that to her before. "Yang already headed off. She has to welcome people into the dance but I wanted to wait for you." She looked like she didn't know why. He supposed she didn't… this was all relatively new to her.

He sighed and walked up to her, grinning as she backed up in surprise. Before she could pull away, however, he caught her with an arm around the waist and pulled her close. She squeaked, but paused when she felt her chest push against his. He wrapped his other arm around her back and hugged her close.

He felt her hands tentatively settle on his back too. Her face pushed against his shoulder.

"My daughter, all grown up and going on her first date," he teased. She slapped a fist against his back.

"Don't ruin the mood."

He chuckled and rubbed her back a bit. He could feel her relax into him. "No one else is here. There's no need to feel embarrassed about a little affection."

"There is with you. I might catch something."

"Then you could always push me away." She didn't. She glowered at him, pouted even, but didn't seem willing to break away. He could have continued teasing her but that would have been cruel. "Sun's a good guy but if he does anything you think is too forward, even if it's not mean. Come and find me. I won't hurt him but you and I can dance for a bit and make it clear you're not available for more."

"How many times have I told you? You're not my father and I can look after myself."

"I know… I just worry."

Blake grumbled something into his shoulder, but he thought he caught her say she would let him know if Sun did anything wrong. "But you had better not do anything wrong either," she added, along with a poke against his chest. "How you act will reflect on Weiss and you _know_ she's already feeling under pressure because of her sister being here. Don't do anything silly, please."

"I won't, I won't," he laughed. Honestly, the attention would be drawn away from him when Weiss started to dance with Neptune so it wouldn't really matter. Then again, they were partners, so he _did_ know people tended to associate the two of them together.

"Yang and I looked at your suit earlier. It's… interesting."

He raised an eyebrow at that and looked down at her. A part of him wasn't surprised, if only because he'd fully expected Winter's gift to come with some kind of backhanded move. "You're not going to elaborate on that?"

"I think you should see it for yourself. It's not _bad_. Just… a little suggestive."

 _Why do I already have a bad feeling about this?_

A swift but tentative knock on the door cut into their conversation. The almost nervous nature of it gave the person on the other side away, even before Jaune gently pushed Blake away and moved to open it.

Sun stood there in a crisp, blue suit – a single red rose in hand. "I-Is Blake in?"

"What would you do if I said no?"

Sun's face fell, but cheered up quickly enough when Blake huffed and pulled Jaune aside. "Ignore him, Sun," she sighed and gestured for her date to enter. He did, and looked her up and down with honest wonder. Blake in turn, seemed no less surprised by the man before her. "You're in a suit," she whispered, eyes wide, "I'm honestly impressed."

"Ah, well… I got some advice that it would be best." Sun utterly failed to be subtle when he glanced worriedly over at the blond in the room. Blake caught it and glowered at him, but Jaune only shrugged back. There was no way he was going to let Sun take her to the dance in cut-off jeans. Not a chance in hell.

"It looks good," she said kindly to him. "You look handsome dressed like that."

"Not as beautiful as you," Sun quickly caught onto Jaune's rather pointed gestures towards Blake. "Here, I brought this for you," he said and handed her the rose, "It's not much, and nothing compared to what I wish I could offer."

 _Five out of ten at best, but you honestly mean that so I'll let it go._ Jaune thought. She deserved Sun's awe, and his wonderment, and while Jaune wasn't quite sure if that meant Sun deserved _her_ , he was still willing to stand back and let her make the decision. Blake took the compliment, and the rose, with a smile, which was enough to make the young man stand a little taller. Honestly, it was equal parts sickening and adorable – and Jaune had no idea if he wanted to record the scene or throw up over the both of them. He went for intimidate and ran a warning finger across his throat instead… it somehow felt easier. Sun caught it, if the way he blanched was any indication.

" _Jaune_ …" Blake sighed, having noticed Sun's fear and rather easily guessed the cause. "I'm sorry, Sun, you know how he is."

" _I'm watching you,"_ Jaune mouthed.

Really… it was too easy.

"We'll head off now," Blake eventually said. Her soft smile tinged with amused at the byplay between her date and father-figure. "Will you save a dance for me once you've finished with your own?"

"Of course," Jaune shrugged. "It's a promise."

Blake nodded at him, then paused and sighed. "Please be on your best behaviour," she said, "This is… it's a big step for Weiss. It means a lot to her; more than you realise."

Something tickled in the back of his mind. Why did she keep talking about Weiss like that? He nodded, however. It wasn't like he intended to make too big a scene. Maybe she just meant him not getting drunk or sleeping with someone – in which case they were in luck, he already had plans for the night. And for once, although they involved a beautiful woman, it was business and not pleasure.

"After you," Sun said, holding the door open for Blake as she left. The blonde faunus shot a thankful look back towards him that had Jaune shaking his head in amusement. Why was he thanking him? Blake was the one who'd made her own mind up.

The door shut behind them, leaving him in silence apart from Zwei's content panting as he curled up on Yang's pillows and enjoyed free reign of the beds. Jaune smiled at the easily pleased corgi for a few seconds. _Well, time waits for no man,_ he sighed and padded over to the dresser. The black bag had been discarded next to it, so Yang had probably hung the suit up so it didn't get creased.

It didn't take him long to pick it out, on account of the rather unusual colour – and even less time to see exactly what Blake meant. "Geez… I bet Yang had a field day with this," he mumbled and laid it out on the bed. The white dress shirt was fine and just about expected, but the rest really wasn't. White trousers, a grey waistcoat, white shoes and an ornate, white jacket with grey and gold stitching across the shoulders and arms. It even had white gloves that seemed to be made of satin or velvet. He didn't have to be part of the military to know it was an Atlesian military dress uniform – and a snazzy one at that.

 _I guess it makes sense since it's not like she would have had time to get a proper suit made and she is in the military but still, this is a bit much…_

He could also see what Blake meant about suggestive since instead of medals and a rank insignia on the jacket, those places – which included his left breast – held the Schnee snowflake in silver scrolling. It was as good as saying he belonged to the Schnee family, and with how ceremonial the whole thing looked, he could definitely see why Blake had been worried he'd cause Weiss trouble.

"This is going to start rumours," he sighed. "I think Winter needs to realise what the word `partners` actually means. I hope Neptune won't freak out."

It wasn't like there was much choice either, since he had less than thirty minutes and it wasn't like any stores would be open in Vale at the moment. He dragged the clothing on as best he could, adjusting the straps and tucking the shirt into the well-fitted trousers. A crimson tie was hidden in one of the pockets, along with a thick, white belt with a gleaming silver clasp. When it was all fitted and in place, he turned to the mirror attached to the inside of the dresser door and looked himself up and down.

 _It's ridiculous and I feel overdressed… but damn, Atlas knows how to make their uniforms look good._ Somewhere, there was probably some soldiers who would chafe at he – a non-officer – wearing what amounted to a high-ranking dress uniform, but maybe it was meant to be Winter's way of saying she endorsed him as her sister's partner. That, or her way of saying he was Weiss' minion. The outfit fit well, looked good and had a strange symmetry to it, as though a vertical line could be cut directly down the middle of his body. On a strange impulse, he linked his hands behind his back and stood, legs apart and frame stiff.

Okay, that made him look like an idiot – but even then, the uniform still turned him from colossal idiot to minor moron. "How do I look, Zwei?"

"Arf!"

"I guess that's as good as it's going to get." Maybe it would surprise Cinder too, which would be a nice addition. "Well… it's time to go and dance with the devil."

/-/

It was around a quarter to eight by the time he arrived at the hall, and though loud music and noise boomed from within, there were still plenty of people still arriving. Yang stood behind the front counter, smiling and greeting each person as they arrived. Somehow her dress had always surprised him, since to look at her, one wouldn't have thought it fit. It was pure white and seemed almost innocent, with a modest mid-thigh length and no cleavage to speak of. For such a brazen, well-developed girl, it seemed almost timid. _Ruby's_ dress was more adventurous, and that was Ruby of all people!

That was just how she could be, however, a bundle of contradictions in her own right. People who saw her as only a brain-dead blonde soon found themselves in trouble. He smiled when her eyes caught his.

She didn't smile back. "Where have you been?" she hissed when he reached the front. Her friendly expression was still present but it was clear it was for the benefit of everyone else, for her eyes were locked on his and flashed crimson. "You're late! Do you have any idea how embarrassed Weiss was?"

Embarrassed? Why would she have been embarrassed? "Isn't she here already?" he asked. "She said she was coming at half-seven."

"You remembered that but still came late?" Yang growled and looked like she might tug at her hair for a moment, before she stamped something on the paper in front of her and waved him in. "For crying out loud… get in there! Gods, if I'd known you'd do this I would have had Blake escort you at gunpoint!"

 _What's up with her?_ Jaune wondered as he stepped past his irate teammate and into the hall. Flashing lights and loud music was the first thing to greet him, and it took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust to it all. It was the same music it always was, songs and lyrics that had long ago lost any novelty. Events could change and who lived or died wasn't set in stone, but it seemed that lacking any direct interference, the musical talents of the Kingdom would spew out the same songs each and every repeat.

He listened to them with only half an ear. He looked about the hall to try and find her, making sure to check the small nooks and crannies where someone who didn't want to be seen might hide.

 _There you are,_ he thought as he finally found her.

Cinder laughed to some joke from an older student, a glass in one hand and her body angled in a manner to best show off her tempting form. She played the game well… the poor fool had no idea what he was doing but would be turned away somehow thinking _he'd_ gotten the best deal out of it all. Then, when attention was taken away from her, she would slip away and into the night.

She had to make an appearance at the dance first, however, to create an effective alibi. No doubt that was why she conversed with the people around her at all. If she'd wanted to remain apart from them, she could have just had Mercury act as her date. It was just a case of waiting long enough for her to make her move, then stepping in. All there was to do was wait and keep watch.

There was a muffled shout from the dance floor, and he saw Cinder look that way. It was just Nora and Ren, however, with the former dragging her `date` out amongst the other couples and start to fling him about. Jaune snorted at it but kept his attention on Cinder's reaction. She laughed and said something to the student. It was someone from the third year, he recognised the face only so far as to know he wasn't involved in her plans in any way. Cinder's facial expressions said as much, for she looked too pleasant and too sweet by far. He picked up a glass of punch from a nearby table and pretended to drink at it as he slinked about the edge of the hall.

All he needed to do was-

"Jaune!" The voice came from the left and he bit down on a frustrated growl as the awkward clip-clop-exclamation-of-shock from nearby heralded Ruby's stumbling arrival even before she staggered over to lean against the pillar beside him. "Ugh, I don't know how anyone walks in these things."

"Practice," he said distractedly, eyes still on Cinder as she crossed the dance floor to whisper something to Emerald. "Aren't you doing to dance with anyone?"

"Me?" Ruby giggled. "I danced with Pyrrha earlier and Ren asked me to come and save him a dance once Nora's done hurling him across the floor. Then again, I think his exact wording was `save me` and not `save me a dance`, but eh, it'll be the same thing."

"Right," he said, not really listening. Emerald hovered close to Cinder, and he watched as she feigned a reason to talk to her team leader, distracting the other guy as Cinder slipped away. Was she going to make her move now? Jaune made to follow but Ruby caught his sleeve. "What!?" he snapped.

Ruby's eyes widened. "Oh… I- uh… I just…" She looked away, eyes downcast. "Sorry… am I bothering you?"

Jaune instantly felt like the worst scum. She didn't know she was distracting him and didn't deserve his temper. "I'm sorry," he said, eyes still on Cinder, "I didn't mean to snap Ruby, please forgive me. What is it you wanted to ask?"

"I-It's fine," Ruby laughed. It wasn't and he could tell. She was still a little startled. "I was just wondering… weren't you going to come with Weiss?"

That comment pulled his eyes away from his quarry, if only for a second. Really, was everyone going to think that? "We're partners, Ruby," he explained. "That doesn't necessarily make us a couple. Or is there something you want to tell me about you and Pyrrha? I won't judge - and if I did – it would be at least an eight out of ten."

Ruby's face went red and she slapped a hand against his side. She was innocent, but not so innocent that she didn't understand exactly what he'd suggested. He smiled at it, but quickly flicked back to watch Cinder. She'd moved over to talk with Mercury now, and without really thinking about it, he moved to get a better angle. She would make contact with each of them before making a move. She was cautious like that… she wouldn't want to move without ensuring his lackeys knew exactly what their roles were.

Ruby stubbornly staggered behind to try and keep up. "Wait," she called and bumped into someone. "S-Sorry! Jaune, wait! What about Weiss?"

The name made him pause, if only for a second. "Weiss? What about her?"

"Aren't you going to dance with her?"

"I can do that later," he said, "I doubt she'll want me to bother her now, though."

"But she looks so lonely…"

Those words cut through the haze of Cinder-induced fog that clouded his vision. His attention snapped away from the criminal and back to Ruby. The younger girl's face was filled with sympathy but he didn't have time for it. "What do you mean lonely? Doesn't she have her date with her?"

Instead of answering, Ruby pointed toward a distant corner of the hall. Weiss stood there, by a buffet table with a glass in one hand. She always wore a simple dress to the dance, one that actually seemed no more expensive or impressive than Yang's.

Or rather… she normally did.

This time she wore a beautiful dress in purest white; a full ball gown that shimmered and glittered down to her heels. Her hair had been expertly done up in a neat bun with strands that fell across her face, and she wore a silver pendant about her neck. He would admit, that surprised him more than he'd thought it would. _Why the sudden change? She's never put that much effort into the dance before. What's different? Is it because Winter is here?_

She looked incredible. She always did, but now she held a mature air that seemed to make her look older, more refined – but still as untouchably beautiful as ever. Any man would have been proud to count themselves worthy to stand in her presence… yet none did.

And that fact seemed to crush her.

Jaune's teeth ground together as cold fury burned through him. "For fuck's sake," he growled under his breath, Cinder forgotten. "What happened to her date?" he asked, already half-knowing the answer. God damned Neptune and his stupid inability to dance. He'd _warned_ the idiot about that. He'd warned him what would happen if he upset Weiss. "Hold my glass," he pushed it into Ruby's hands and left before she could even speak.

En route to the balcony, Yang met him – eyes wide and cheeks flushed as she panted. "There you are," she gasped, "What the hell are you doing? Weiss is-"

"I know," he growled and pushed past her, "I'm already working on it."

"But she's the other way!"

He heard her shout something more and follow him, but his attention was already focused on that shock of bright blue hair he could see on the balcony outside. Even Yang's constant attempts to make him stop went unheeded. He had to stop Cinder, he had to do what he could to protect his team, but if Neptune couldn't even be trusted to do this _one_ thing? Maybe he didn't deserve Weiss after all.

Neptune didn't see him coming. Perhaps he could have avoided having his back slammed against the balcony if he had. Jaune doubted it, however. He would have hunted the man to Mistral and back if he had to.

"Whoah," Neptune cried, eyes wide with alarm. "J-Jaune!? I didn't do anything! What are you doing?"

The brat was afraid. Good. He had enough problems to deal with thanks to Cinder without Neptune's pathetic insecurities dragging his partner down. "What I'm doing," he said, far more calmly than he felt, "Is giving a little rat a second chance he doesn't deserve."

"What!?"

Jaune felt Yang's hands on his arm, and heard some frantic babbling – but cut it off with a growl. He pulled Neptune in close to his face. "Didn't I warn you if you asked Weiss to the dance, you'd best show her a good time?"

"Y-Yes." Neptune stammered.

"And didn't I also warn you, that if she looked upset, I'd tear it out of your god damned hide?" The boy nodded but was unable to say anything as Jaune's gloved hands tightened on the fabric of his shirt. "She's too good for you by far but I still encouraged you since I thought you'd give her the respect she deserves. Now I find you cowering outside like some kind of rodent while she looks miserable and alone. I'll give you two words to explain why you abandoned your date." Jaune threatened, eyes narrowed into slits. "If I don't like them… well, off the balcony you go."

"I didn't!" Neptune's eyes were clenched shut, as though he expected a fist at any moment.

Jaune, however, paused. "Didn't what?" he asked.

"I didn't abandon my date," he stammered. "I didn't even _come_ with a date!"

Doubt crept into his arms, which suddenly felt the full weight of the man he was holding in the air. He let the student fall, though his fists still gripped his shirt. "You said you would ask Weiss."

"I did," Neptune agreed, one eye cracked open, "But she said no. She turned me down."

That… wasn't possible.

"Why?" Jaune asked, more to himself than the frightened teen. "Why would she-?"

"She said she already had someone she was going with. She said she was sorry but she wanted to go with them and wanted to wait for them to ask."

What? She did? Jaune's face creased as he tried to piece together who that might have been and why he hadn't known. "Who?" he asked, eyes focused on Neptune's. His, however, were aimed over Jaune's shoulder – and had grown very wide.

"RARGHHH!" The furious roar came from his right and Jaune gasped as his arms were _wrenched_ away from his victim. His back slammed into stone, this time the wall on either side of the glass windows which led to the balcony. He fought for breath as he looked down into crimson eyes. "You… _idiot_ ," Yang seethed, "You absolute bastard!"

"What-"

"Weiss didn't come here with him," Yang shouted directly into his face, her own twisted into a rictus of fury. "She turned him down. She turned him down because she thought someone else was taking her!"

He tried to speak but she cut him off by pulling back and them slamming him into the wall again. His back protested, even as the breath was blown from his lungs. "Who?" he gasped, one hand latched onto her wrist as he struggled to break free.

The look Yang shot him was filled with rage.

"You!" she hissed into his face. "She waited for you! She waited outside the hall for over thirty minutes, while people watched and smirked to see her without a date. She waited – and _you_ never came!"

Jaune's heart froze. "What?" he gasped.

"Weiss Schnee," Yang pronounced slowly, "waited – for you – Jaune Arc." She let him slowly down from the wall and backed away. He didn't follow, however, and remained against it – too shocked to move. "What are you going to do about this?"

Do? But… it… she can't. He hadn't _done_ anything different and even if he had, Weiss never showed any kind of interest in him! It wasn't just that he couldn't believe it, but that it just _didn't_ happen. It was like saying Cinder could be redeemed or Ruby might suddenly murder innocent people.

It didn't happen!

"How…?" He shook his head, denial mixed with pain and something else burned away inside him. "I don't understand."

The look Yang gave him might have been pitying, had not her sympathy dried up long ago. Instead, it was as though she looked on a ruined man who had no one to blame but himself. "How?" she repeated with a bitter laugh, "Maybe because of you? Maybe because of how you act, what you say and how you treat her?"

"But I haven't done anything different…"

"Different?" She sighed. "I'm not sure what you're talking about, but whatever you've done – it was enough to mean something to Weiss. You treat her like a normal person, you laugh and joke – you make her smile. Hell, you flirt with one another all the time."

"That's just a joke," he protested, "That's your stupid husband and wife joke. It never meant anything!"

"Did you ever think that it might have meant something to her?"

He fell back. No. No, no, no – it just couldn't. It wasn't possible… was it? No, of course not. He'd tried. He'd tried so many times and Weiss never cared or wanted anything like that with him. A repeat with Weiss… it was like trying to explain to Ozpin about time travel… an ideal given up on long ago because it never worked out.

"I think she was interested a while back," Yang said, "Though I doubt even she fully realises it. But how you saved her the other day, and the words you said - that whole `jumping into an inferno for someone you love thing`… is it so hard to believe she might have developed feelings for you?"

"No one develops feelings that fast!"

"You're not listening!" she shouted him into silence. "It wasn't the start, you idiot. It was the catalyst, the thing that made her think it might be possible – that _you_ wanted something more. Hell, you even up and told her not to worry because she would have a date to the dance. What did you imagine she would think you meant?"

"I was going to ask Neptune…"

"She didn't want Neptune!" Yang snapped, "He asked her before and he tried again by the sounds of it, but Weiss isn't going to accept someone she isn't interested in. She thought it meant _you_ were going with her. We all did!"

His words…? He wracked his mind to remember them, the way he'd said it and how she had reacted. On hindsight and with the benefit of Yang's words it seemed so damned obvious, but at the time? No, he'd seen it then too, but just refused to accept it. When something was impossible, it ceased to become a possibility.

Weiss was one such impossibility he'd come to accept as such. Come to rely on as such. Except that now…

Something heavy built up in his throat and it felt like he might choke. Horror and nausea welled up within him, more so when he thought back on her expression, the way she'd dressed up, how she had smiled at him earlier and looked so excited.

" _That would be a secret_ _._ " She'd sounded so carefree and happy – like she never had before. It hadn't been Neptune to end that either, and the realisation was enough to make him feel sick to his stomach. He slumped back against the wall, one hand coming up to his lips as he struggled to stand. For a moment, he thought he might collapse.

"You didn't even notice," Yang whispered in a voice equal parts disbelief and awe. She looked him up and down, his state, his reaction - and seemed to understand at last. "You actually didn't notice. I can't believe this. You can get into any girl's pants but the moment one develops feelings for you, you don't notice?"

Because it never had before! Because he wasn't a playboy or a Casanova. He was a guy who knew from experience what each woman wanted and how to get their attention. He didn't know how to flirt and seduce women. He just knew how to repeat a given set of words and actions – things he'd learned over hundreds of years! There was no charisma, no ability or technique, just a good memory and a lot of practice reading from a god damned script. This was new… impossibly new, and all the more frightening for the fact it was someone he cared for. What if he did something wrong? What if he hurt her feelings?

"You say it like it's so obvious!" he growled. "You act like anyone could have seen!"

"It was." It wasn't Yang this time but Neptune who spoke. The man clutched one hand to his collar but looked no worse for wear. "Dude… I thought it was obvious and I don't even know you. Weiss… she looked embarrassed to turn me down, but really excited for her own dance. She was nice about it, but I could tell she had someone else on her mind."

"Blake and I knew for a while," Yang added, "but I think even Team Rubine noticed as well. Hell, Weiss' sister certainly noticed since she as good as got you a matching outfit to take Weiss with. What did you think that was for?"

"I thought it was to suggest they owned me," he muttered, "I thought it was a joke."

"Geez… how blind can one guy be?"

Was he blind? Had he let his past experiences prevent him from seeing what was before him? Weiss' misery said so, and he bit down on his lip. Damn it.

"Well it's not too late to fix it," Yang sighed. "I'm not sure you even deserve it but Weiss looks like she's waiting for you still. I asked her to dance, just to try and cheer her up, and she said she wanted to wait." She gave him a pointed look he neither missed nor needed. He knew what she was waiting for.

Him.

But it wasn't as easy as Yang seemed to think it was. He looked back to the hall, and to where Weiss was – but also where Cinder lurked. If he went to spend the rest of the night with Weiss, Cinder would attack the CCT and install the virus that would turn all the Paladins against their masters. It would result in the deaths of hundreds of people, civilian and hunters alike.

If he went with Cinder, however, then Weiss would hear and see. She would be devastated… the entire team would fall apart, pick sides and tear itself to pieces.

He could go back and save Weiss from her misery.

Or he could save untold lives - and ultimately - Weiss too.

But not both.

* * *

 **Wow, I really struggled with this chapter… like, a lot! There is about 5,000 words that were cut, changed, removed or otherwise discarded entirely. I got about 12.5k to College Fool on Friday with a PM of "I'm not happy with this but see what you think," while deep inside I hoped the response would be "Ah, you're imagining it. Looks fine." But it wasn't. My instincts were right, and today I realised things had to change.**

 **And so, 12,000 got cut to 7,000, then re-built up to this in what little time I had today. Hopefully it worked out, hopefully it got the points across I was looking for. Jaune is, at the end of the day, a man locked in a time travel loop and so relies on his knowledge perhaps more than he should, which is sort of a topic I always wanted to explore with this. A lot of time travel fics just have the character be perfect and have an easy time changing things, but I like the idea that they can also get into bad habits because certain things fail so many times they give up and call them impossible, then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy that they never manage that thing.**

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 **Next Chapter:** **25th February**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	28. Chapter 28

**Quite a few people commented on how `Jaune's last comment was wrong, etc` and I just thought I'd clear it up for a second. It was a symbolic question, not a literal one. The point Jaune was trying to make is that if he chooses Weiss over Cinder, then he is accepting that he will always do so from this point on, and that this will be the first step on him basically handling Cinder a victory. I'll try to explain it early in this chapter, but the point is – it's not a literal "do A and B happens" kind of choice. It's more of a "if I choose this, then it's me setting my path for ALL future events". Cinder's CCT attack isn't an isolated incident; it's the first in a series of events that leads to the fall of Beacon.**

 **Also, because it was raised – when someone says "half-seven", what they normally mean is 7:30, not 6:30. I wouldn't say "half to seven". It means "half seven" as in "half of the seventh hour" or "7:30". It can differ in some countries such as Germany, which would say Halb-sieben as 6:30, but that is because their version of the word "half" translates not only to half, but also nearly; ergo "Half/Almost seven" as opposed to half of the seventh hour. Random trivia, ho!**

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 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 28 – Mirror Mirror**

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Why were there never any easy choices in life? Why was it that his had to weigh so heavily? Music thrummed behind them, the beats reaching his ears over the raucous sound of dancing, and yet it sounded dull and muted. His own heartbeat pounded in his ears, drowning it out. It felt like he could hear each desperate pump of blood the tortured organ sent around his body.

Yang watched from nearby but made no move to intervene. It was as clear as day she wanted to, and yet she understood not to interrupt his mental process, as jumbled as that was.

When had Weiss…? Sure, looking back there were occasions where they were close, where they laughed or talked to one another. It might even have been considered flirting by some, but she'd always seemed to know the difference. It never felt like that. _I'm not wrong here… Weiss never showed any feelings like this. This is all too sudden!_

And in the end, it didn't matter, did it? How and when Weiss had decided she felt this way made no difference in the fact she was upset and alone now, nor did his lack of understanding on when it happened.

All that mattered was that a decision had to be made.

Cinder… or Weiss?

The immediate choice shouldn't have been so binary and yet in a way it was. He knew that if he stopped the CCT, Cinder would find another way around it. Nothing would be halted by his going off to stop her… he could go to Weiss and keep her happy, then interfere with his nemesis another way.

But it wasn't quite so simple… if he chose Weiss now; if he prioritised his team's happiness over what he knew would happen in the future, then it was the first step on doing that for every occasion. If he couldn't bear to choose duty over Weiss' happiness… then what happened when he needed to choose all the people of Vale over Yang losing an arm? What happened if he had a chance to save thousands of lives but had to leave Blake to face Adam alone? How could he be expected to do those things if the sight of Weiss upset was enough to make him drop arms?

It would be the first step on that path… onto a path of abandoning everyone else in favour of the people he loved. It would start with Weiss, but where would it end? In the grand scheme of things, Weiss could survive a little rejection and pain.

Others would not be so fortunate.

And yet he couldn't. His eyes clenched shut and his head pounded inside his skull. There was something wrong; something viscerally not right about the idea of leaving Weiss behind like this. It was Pyrrha all over again, except that he'd _learned_ to avoid Pyrrha's feelings for him. He'd learned to manipulate her so that she never fell for Jaune Arc and never had to suffer for it.

It didn't ever occur to him to do the same for her. Weiss was a safe option, a reliable security net. He didn't need to act differently around her because she wouldn't develop feelings.

Yang's patience didn't last as long as it ought to have. "What's so difficult about this?" she asked. "You're acting like it's the end of the world."

He ignored her. She didn't understand. Plans flashed into his mind, discarded moments later when they failed to take everything into account. Was there some way to do both, to comfort Weiss _and_ sabotage Cinder? _Should_ he do both if there was? One was a distraction, the other a necessity… but she was his friend too. She was special.

"I know it's a shock," she went on, "Well, it shouldn't be, but apparently it is for you… but still, it's not like you're new to this or anything."

His teeth ground together and he took several deep breaths. He felt dizzy, like the world swayed left and right before him and he might fall over at any point. One hand latched onto the wall beside him. He felt sick.

"Jaune… you can't just stand there. What about Weiss' feelings?"

Something snapped. His eyes zeroed in on her. "And did you-" he seethed "ever consider _my_ feelings?" He took a selfish pleasure in the way Yang's eyes widened and she stepped back. His anger spiked and he pushed off the wall to step towards her. "Did you consider that this might _not_ be easy for me? Did you consider that I might not feel the same!?"

She hadn't, that much was clear. Yang's face fell in an instant, skin drained of all colour as she realised the cruel truth and what it meant. Her eyes flickered from him to the dance floor and she seemed to pale even further.

"Of course you didn't!" Jaune spat and pushed her away from him. She caught herself on the balcony but it didn't stop him tearing into her. "You just assumed, like you always do, that everything would work out. And once more I'm backed into a corner and someone's get hurt no matter what I do. _Again_ ," he added with a meaningful look that made her pale further.

"But I thought-"

"You thought what?" he scoffed. "You thought that just because I sleep around, I'd be fine to hop into Weiss' bed as well? I'm not going to _fuck_ Weiss, Yang!" He spat out the word like some kind of slur, and in a way it was. He didn't want to do that to his friends, not anymore. Weiss was more than a shag to complete a full set. "Or was it that you thought I had feelings for her too, just because I stepped in front of an attack for her? If memory serves, I did the same for you and Blake too – are you going to force me to pit someone else's feelings against my own, again? Or is that something only you get to do?"

"N-No, I-" Yang shook her head wildly. "It's not like that. I didn't make this happen. I didn't do this – _Weiss_ is the one who felt this way. She thought you were taking her because of what _you_ said. Not me! I'm just the messenger."

She was right and he knew it, but he was too far gone to listen to such incriminating logic. Everything was a mess in his head; a jumble of plans, plots and contingencies that fell apart the moment he touched them. What had he done when Pyrrha did this-? He'd dressed as a woman if he recalled… what had been the point of that? Why had he even done it!? That wouldn't make Weiss feel better, nor would it solve the Cinder problem.

His head pounded, but when he felt cool fingers touch his cheeks, he recoiled. "Stay still," Yang whispered and he felt her pinch his nose between her fingers. His eyes widened to see her with cloth in hand, his nostrils held between it. When she pulled away, the white cloth was stained red.

He touched his nose and saw his fingertips come away with spots of blood on them. _Calm down… don't lose control._

"This…" Yang began softly, "This is really serious for you, isn't it?"

"Shouldn't it be?" he asked, snatching the cloth from her and using it to stem the rest of the flow.

"No, it should… I mean, it's Weiss' feelings. No, Weiss' and yours… I just…" She looked away and sighed. "I guess I assumed too… maybe I fell for your words like Weiss did. You act so differently to her than you do anyone else. You act like you're a married couple."

"And you say I act like your father too," he grunted, "It doesn't make it true."

"No… it doesn't."

Neptune hovered nearby, silent as the grave and clearly unsure if he should speak or run.

"About Weiss," Yang said, "Could you… how you feel for her… is it really not…?" She shook her head. "What I'm trying to say is, are you sure it wouldn't work out? You can always try, right? What's the harm?"

The harm? He wanted to laugh but felt too drained for such a display, and she didn't deserve it either. To anyone else, the chance to try a relationship out was part of growing up. It didn't have to mean anything.

But then again, most teenagers hadn't lost their last few hundred loves, had they? How many had been forced to watch the people they loved die over and over again? How many had cradled not one, not two, but countless women as they died in their arms? Or rather, it was the same women, but they continued to die, over and over.

Or worse, having to see them again – and realise that the woman you loved and died for had forgotten you. To realise they were strangers once more, and that everything they'd built together was gone.

 _I can't do that anymore… I just can't._

He couldn't handle it.

"No," he rasped, voice thick with emotion. "No, I can't. Weiss is… Weiss is better off with someone else." Even if she didn't realise it – even if she didn't _want_ it – he would make the choice for her. "I'm sorry Yang," he added as a last to her, "But it's not going to work out."

The blonde girl looked disappointed. Oh, she hid it well behind a calm expression, and no doubt that was to try and save his feelings, but he knew how to read her better than she did herself. Clearly, she'd known about Weiss' fledgling feelings for a while, since it seemed she really had hoped they would get together. _I really am sorry Yang._

"If that's how you feel then that's how you feel," she whispered. "It's just… Weiss has to be told."

"I know…" It was only fair, and the sooner the better, since to delay would mean hurting her feelings even further. _To think, back when this started, this was what I dreamed of, wasn't it?_ How time changed a person.

"I could tell her," Yang said. "It… if anything, I'm partly to blame for putting this on you."

It would be the easy option, wouldn't it, to let Yang deal with the situation, the hurt feelings and the distress? He could avoid the problem altogether and stop Cinder. It would just mean doing his partner a disservice. "I'll do it," he said. "Weiss deserves to hear it from me. Besides, if you want to talk about blame, I'm pretty sure this is my fault too. I'm the one who stupidly dropped hints about dates and never realised she thought it was me."

Yang tried to smile. It was weak and brittle. "Go easy on her," she begged.

"I will. I promise."

There was still time, after all. He could talk to Weiss until he saw Cinder make her move… at which point, he would have to as well. He staggered away from the wall, away from Yang, and away from a man he'd wrongfully threatened. None of them tore away at his insides as much as the person who awaited him inside, however.

Why did everything have to be so complicated?

/-/

She should have been angry. It was a thought that crossed her mind multiple times through the night, and yet despite her desperate wishes, the anger just wouldn't stick. Instead, she felt empty, drained and just a little tired.

Maybe she should have felt embarrassed too, since so many people had seen her stood alone and waiting outside the hall. Some asked what she was waiting for, and she'd told them, only to be proven wrong later. Her eyes drifted shut as she recalled her rolled eyes and vague irritation when the time had come and Jaune was still absent. "How typical of him to be late," she'd told herself. "I'll make sure to step on his shoes as punishment."

Even when fifteen minutes passed and she still stood alone in her borrowed gown, she'd convinced herself that he was playing some silly game, that he would come at any moment, embarrassed and rubbing his head with some asinine apology about how he'd fallen asleep.

How long had it taken for her elation and excitement to dim? How long until the doubt crept in, and eventually grew into crushing certainty.

How many people had snickered and laughed as the truth dawned on her?

Yes… she ought to have felt humiliated. But she didn't… she felt too empty for it. The opinions of others just weren't important enough, certainly not when she was too busy feeling sorry for herself. Her eyes remained locked onto the tiled floor. They didn't lift when white shoes appeared within them; didn't lift even when she heard her partner whisper her name.

"Would you like to dance?" Jaune Arc asked.

Her heart beat in her chest… that was all she could say. It didn't beat faster or slower than usual and there was no great shift at his appearance. She shrugged one shoulder. She didn't know what she wanted, but now that he was here, she felt confident in saying she didn't want him to be. _I'd rather be in my room, buried under my sheets… but then he'd see me there too, wouldn't he?_

It wasn't like there was anywhere she could escape to, even if she was allowed to. A Schnee did not run… a Schnee faced their problems, but right now she wanted to be Weiss and just hide in her room. Of course, she didn't have the luxury of choice.

And Jaune didn't give her a choice now, either. His gloved hand took hers, and her heart plummeted as she noted how the colour of her dress so easily meshed with his. He looked dashing in a military uniform, more handsome than she had ever seen him before. She wasn't sure if it would have been easier had he looked a mess, but the fact he looked wonderful made it hurt more. Their outfits matched and they looked like the perfect pair.

But they weren't.

She allowed him to tug her along, even as she lowered her eyes once more. He pulled her against him, and she rested one hand on his left shoulder as she felt his wrap about her waist. Her eyes remained fixed on his chest. There was the Schnee snowflake over his heart. How ironic. How _painfully_ ironic…

"You look beautiful," he whispered.

Her heart dipped. Those were the words she'd wanted to hear when he first saw her; the words she'd _expected_ to hear, for the attention she paid to herself this night had been beyond anything she had done before. A brand new dress, one far more enticing than what she'd originally planned to wear. Make-up, the best product… she'd pulled out all the stops and even asked Winter for a little advice too. To hear those coveted words now hurt, and not just because they were late. "Stop it," she whispered as he began to sway from left to right, drawing her with him.

"I mean it," he said. "I've never seen you look so gorgeous before. You look older, regal, absolutely stun-"

"Please stop," she begged. His words cut off immediately as she buried her face in his jacket and took a deep breath. She didn't cry, nor did she feel the desire to. She felt stiff, afraid and also nauseous. "Please…" she whispered, "Don't sugar coat this. I don't think I can handle the slow build up. Just… say it now. I beg you."

He paused. He sighed. She could feel him nod through his chest.

"I didn't mean to make you think I invited you to the dance. I… didn't intend to ask you."

They continued dancing, even after his words trailed off. He didn't prod her for a reaction. He didn't ask her if she was okay. She was grateful for that. The words… they hurt. They hurt as she knew they would, for she wasn't so foolish as to have not put the pieces together when her date failed to arrive. She didn't feel angry like she thought she might. She didn't feel like bursting into tears like she'd been afraid she would.

She felt heavy and weak, instead. His words confirmed what she'd already known, but even so, there was a naïve, hopeful part of her that had whispered that there might be another reason. That he might have gotten lost or delayed... that it might still be possible.

"Thank you," she whispered, "for being honest."

His arms tightened around her frame and drew her close. Did he think she would flee? It seemed possible, especially since she didn't know herself what to do. She allowed him to dance with her, however, if only because it let her hide her face against him and not look at him, or the people around them.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry that I made you think things I didn't mean, and I'm sorry I didn't come to pick you up. If I'd known, even if I didn't mean it, I would have come as your date."

"Don't apologise for that, I'd rather… if you didn't feel that way, I'd rather you did as you are now. I wouldn't want to be misled." At least, she didn't think she did… her feelings were confused, her thoughts even more so. The idea of him coming up and making excuses, of giving her a single night of happiness… it was a nice image, but she knew it wouldn't have lasted. It would just have led to more pain later. It was better to do things now, as he had, out in the open.

"Weiss, do you… do you have _feelings_ for me?"

The emphasis on the word made her want to laugh, or maybe cry, but she didn't think she could do either without succumbing to both. She pushed her face against his chest and the hand that rested on his shoulder tightened. Her nails dug into the thin material. "I don't know. It's… I haven't felt like that for anyone before so I don't have anything to compare it to. I _think_ I do..."

"I understand," he sighed, and in a strange way, she felt he just might.

She clenched her eyes shut and took the plunge. Nothing ventured, nothing gained… right? It was a maxim for business but she couldn't help but wish someone had taught her about this too.

"What about you?" she asked. "Do you… do you think it could work? I know you didn't mean to invite me to the dance but we could always try and see if something could come of… this." She paused, took a deep breath, and then dared to be bold. "Could you imagine the two of us… together?"

She didn't think he would agree. If he returned her feelings, whatever they were, then surely he would have said so by now. He would have shown some excitement, some enthusiasm. She knew he would say no but…

"I don't think I can, Weiss."

Somehow that hurt even more than she'd imagined.

"Oh," she breathed. She wanted to say more but something clogged in her throat and she couldn't. "Ohh…" she repeated again, this time in a higher pitched tone. Her body began to tremble.

"It's not for the reasons you think," he said. He reached down to cup her chin and lift her face up towards his.

It was the first time she'd really looked at him that night and it took her breath away.

He didn't look overly handsome, at least not in any way that made him look different to normal. If anything, he looked troubled and distracted. It was the emotion she saw in his face, however, that shocked her. It was the overwhelming concern and affection for her, tempered with something else. There was no doubt in her mind this hurt him as much as it did her.

"It's not that there's something wrong with you," he continued. "You _are_ beautiful Weiss, you truly are, and I don't just mean your body or your face. You've got a fire that burns inside you, a drive that puts other people to shame, and a soft side that has two girls your age call you mother. You're incredible… it would be so easy to fall in love with you. Any guy would if you let them."

 _Why then?_ She tried to speak it but no words came out. _Why haven't you?_

"I'm not the right kind of guy for you," he said. "I mean, come on Weiss, look at me… I've slept with so many different women and I under-achieve in everything I do. I'd drag you down with me." Her father would have agreed with him. He would have hated Jaune. "Can you imagine me in a relationship, either?" Jaune added. "I can't remember the last time I had a genuine relationship. I respect you too much to take advantage of you."

"Those aren't good reasons," she whispered. "I wouldn't mind…"

They are to me, and I would," he said, almost a sigh. "I'd mind if you didn't get the care and respect you deserve." The way he sighed said there was a deeper story there, one that she didn't – or couldn't – understand. "Just… trust me, Weiss. You don't want to get into a relationship with me. I care for you, but… I care enough not to get you involved in something that just wouldn't work. It's nothing about you, it's-"

She laughed into his chest. "I never fought I'd hear this," she said. "I've always heard about it but… I guess I was arrogant enough to think it wouldn't ever happen to me."

"Hear what?" he asked.

"The whole `it's not you, it's me` rejection," she sighed. "I'm not a child, Jaune. If you don't wish to entertain my feelings, you can say so. You have the right to make your own decisions in life." The truth would hurt less too, since his reasons gave her hope… hope she didn't want to harbour if it wasn't true. Somehow it was easier to know it wouldn't ever work, that it was her fault and nothing else. There would be no need to blame this on anything else. No reason to doubt or wonder what might have been had things been different.

She disentangled herself from him the moment she finished speaking, which coincided with the end of the song they had just danced to. At least he'd granted her the one dance… her reputation might be salvaged because of it. He'd probably thought of that, the cunning – kind – man. It was time for her to be kind in return, she supposed. She'd seen him look away from her occasionally… she'd followed his gaze and seen the beautiful, black-haired woman he focused his attention on. She tried to swallow her bitterness, especially at his attention being taken by the one who'd caused this in the first place, the one who had put him in the infirmary.

If he wanted to be with her… she would step aside and let him. She cared for him too much to deny him that happiness.

"Thank you for the dance," she said with a bow, "and thank you for listening to me. I'm going to retire for the night. Please…" she bit back on her emotions, "please enjoy the rest of the night."

She hoped he couldn't see her face when she turned to leave. If he had, he might have noticed the red around her eyes.

/-/

The time for thought was gone. As Weiss pulled away from him, he saw the pain in her eyes. She didn't believe his reasons, even if they were the best he could give and he meant every word. He wasn't right for her, no matter how much he might once have wanted nothing more than this. Even so, to see her so easily dismiss herself as being at fault was painful.

But he if stopped her now, it would mean allowing Cinder to continue her plans. What would he say to her either way? Lies would only hurt her and he wouldn't put someone he cared for through the pain of trying to deal with him and his problems. The future would be bleak enough without him adding that onto her.

 _But if I go to try and stop Cinder… what changes there, either?_ Life after life, repeat after repeat, he'd failed and failed again – so what was the point of trying here? _Was_ there even a point, or was he working on habit alone?

 _I don't have time to think! I need to make a choice!_

If he chose Weiss now, then he locked himself into a never-ending cycle of choosing his team over stopping Cinder. Her plans would come to fruition, as they always did, and Beacon would fall. His team would die, he would lose them, and then he would repeat – to live it all again.

If he chose to leave and fight Cinder, her plans would likely continue, but he could limit the damage… it would be little here, but in future he could delay her – and more importantly – he could escape himself. He could continue his original plan and retreat when the attack hit. He could escape, survive, and then – when he died – return with enough time in advance to train and defeat her… maybe.

All he had to do was sacrifice Weiss' happiness. Here, in the future and then – when Beacon fell – he would need to sacrifice her life. Yang and Blake's too, along with Ruby, Pyrrha and everyone else he loved. They would all die so that he could escape to continue the fight in a new world.

All he had to do… was let them all die.

A tear fell from Weiss' face and splashed against the tiled floor.

" _J-Jaune?" Amber's voice cracked, light blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears as she looked up at him. In pain, distress…_

He'd made Amber cry too, he remembered. He'd not only hurt her, but almost made her think he didn't care. Amber, his own sister… God, when was the last time he'd thought of her? Talked to her? He'd practically forgotten her - all of them. He'd been so focused on his duty of late. Just like when he'd gone back to Ansel the first time, intending to abandon her at the arcade. Back then, he'd been prepared to walk away… to leave someone he claimed to love to walk home alone, wondering if her brother had not only abandoned her, but never cared in the first place.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't do it anymore.

His hand snagged Weiss' wrist at the last second, when she had been about to move out of reach entirely, but even then he knew he would have dove across the dance floor to reach her.

Weiss gasped out in shock only for it to be smothered as he dragged her back in against him, so that her face crashed into his chest. She couldn't escape his grasp. He wouldn't let her. His grip, gentle yet unyielding, ensured it.

"You can't leave yet," he said, almost too fast to be understood, "I said I'd get you a date to the dance and I have. You're not going to leave me here dressed like this, are you? I'd be a laughing stock."

"L-Let go," she almost, but not quite, sobbed. "There's no point in my being here. Go and be with who you want to be with. I'm just in your way."

"You could never be in my way, Weiss. My reasons aren't because of you. You're beautiful… you're perfect."

"Liar," she hissed and tried to push away. "I-I'm not a fool. You don't need to treat me like a child, just tell me I'm not good enough. Tell me I'm not pretty enough or that I'm too bossy!"

He wasn't getting through to her. She didn't believe a word he said. Something like white hot fire shot through him; anger not at her or him, but at the very idea that she could think so little of herself. He gripped her shoulder with one hand, tilted her face up with the other.

And slammed his lips against hers.

It wasn't the best kiss he'd ever given. It was desperate and rough and he banged his nose against her cheek too. Spectators on the dance floor whispered but he didn't care in the slightest for them. All he cared about was making sure she knew, proving to her without a doubt, that it wasn't her. That there wasn't something wrong with Weiss.

But Gods, her lips were so soft… she melted into him without thinking about it and her small frame in his hands felt divine. She tasted of berries and punch, smelled of something heady and sweet that set his senses a tingle. He wanted nothing more than to push her against the nearest pillar, pin her arms above her head and force her to _scream_ that she understood it wasn't her.

It was those dangerous thoughts that made him pull back and gasp for breath. She did so as well, her cheeks red and flushed – lips almost bruised. Pale eyes watched him, a mixture of shock and something he refused to acknowledge altogether.

"It's not you," he whispered, as firmly as he could. "You, Weiss Schnee, are perfect. You're beautiful and intelligent, everything a man would want in a woman. Don't you _dare_ think my reasons are because you're not good enough. You are."

Weiss' face pressed against his chest. The struggle seemed to leave her entirely. She pushed weakly against his chest, mumbled something incoherent into his jacket, and then stood in his arms, shoulders unnaturally stiff.

She was hurting, he knew, but she would have hurt more had he let her be alone. Slowly, and with a gentle tug, he pulled her into a soft dance. Perhaps she still reeled from the kiss, or maybe the fight had left her entirely. Either way, she followed him as he danced with her, each of her steps picture perfect and graceful.

Over her head, he watched Emerald say something to Cinder. The dark-haired woman nodded and slipped away. His eyes drifted shut and he lowered his chin to rest atop Weiss' hair. The CCT would be attacked tonight… and he would let it be.

His team came first.

It was for them he did these repeats, for them that he continued to fight, even when giving up sounded so easy. In a way, he'd always been doing that, hadn't he? If he'd truly been committed to his plan then he wouldn't be here in the first place. If he were willing to let them die, it should have made no difference if Yang died here or in a cell. He wouldn't have accepted Ozpin's offer to join Beacon.

The mission to save Blake at the docks that had ruined his first chance of escaping… it had been a decision made because Blake came first. The subsequent attacks against the White Fang, because he knew she would be at risk if she went alone. But if he truly wished to let them die, what did it matter if she died a few months earlier?

And now with Weiss as well… Cinder could have the CCT and everything it entailed. If it meant leaving Weiss to suffer alone in their room while the rest of the school celebrated, then he wasn't interested.

 _It won't be the end,_ his mind warned. _This is the first step… if you choose Weiss now; it means you'll choose her and the team again for all future choices. There's no point siding with her here if you're just going to abandon her later. You can't have the best of both worlds._

His arms tightened around her. He knew that… there were choices ahead which would test him again, and if he couldn't even bare to see Weiss in pain, then he knew he would let Cinder get away with far worse to preserve and protect Yang and Pyrrha. It would also mean the end of his original plan. _Running away would hurt them more than anything else. If I choose this then I have to be prepared to stay and die with them._

It was an easy choice.

It should have been an easy choice before. This life, this entire repeat, hadn't it originally started with the goal of spending it with his family? His throat caught as he thought of them, of a family he hadn't called in what felt like weeks… even when he'd promised to call each and every day. His mother, his pregnant mother, his sisters and father… were they worried about him?

He hadn't stuck to that goal at all… in the same way that he hadn't stuck to the plan of getting expelled and escaping. Each time that clashed with a risk to his team, he rushed in and threw the plan aside to protect them. In the same way, he'd thrown his family aside the moment Cinder reappeared in his life. Old duty and habits had settled in. His days had been filled with watching, his nights with covert attacks on the White Fang.

Was that the life of someone living a holiday? What utter nonsense…

 _I said this life would be one I lived for my family,_ he thought. With a smile, he looked down at the woman in his arms. _Weiss is part of my family too… as are Blake and Yang. Ruby, Pyrrha, Ren and Nora too – they're all family to me._

With a sigh, he looked up in time to see Cinder finally leave.

 _You can have this life, Cinder. It was probably yours anyway. But I'm going to spend it with the people I love._ He would move against her still, but only when it was necessary to protect them. No more late-night missions against the White Fang. No more leaving his team behind while he risked his life to try and stop her.

"Why are you doing this?" Weiss asked, voice barely above a whisper. They were the first words she'd whispered since his display.

"Because I care about you," he answered honestly. "I love you like I love Blake and Yang, our entire team, and even Ruby's team too. I'm doing this because I want you to know that nothing is going to change because of this. I want us to still be friends… to still be a team."

Weiss' hands clutched his shoulders, but she finally looked up and into his eyes. They were rimmed with red, the proof of the tears she'd buried in his uniform. She smiled, however, and although it was watery, it was also filled with relief. "Thank you…"

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. "Anything for my partner," he said. "I meant what I said earlier, by the way. You _are_ beautiful and I'm not doing this because I don't think I could love you."

"You have your reasons?" she offered.

"I do," he said with a nod. "That said… there's nothing I'd rather do right now than spend the night here with you. Weiss Schnee, would you do me the honour of being my date to this dance?"

Weiss laughed. It wasn't one filled with joy and there was a definite bitter tone to it, but it was better than the pain she'd worn before. "I suppose I shall have to," she said, "You've taken up so much of my time that people would talk if I didn't."

That smile, those eyes… the way she pushed aside her pain and did what she felt had to be done. She was the most mature of the girls he knew and it showed. Something might have stirred within him as he looked down and into her eyes, but he squashed it ruthlessly down.

Once upon a time he'd thought he'd fallen in love with Weiss; back before this all started. He knew that it'd been nothing more than an immature crush, an adolescent fantasy, but he knew now that if he'd seen this side of her back then it would have been for real. He knew full well he shouldn't fall for her again. He'd meant what he said about how it shouldn't be him. It would be oh so easy to fall for her… he hadn't lied about that.

But it was best for everyone if that didn't happen.

His fingers intertwined with hers and he winked as he pulled her into another, faster dance. She kept along with him easily, her gown swaying behind her as she expertly danced and weaved between other students with him. "You're good at this," he said.

"Dancing? I had tutors… this is nothing."

"Is that a challenge?"

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "What if it is, Arc? I doubt you could keep up with me."

"Well," he grinned and looped one arm about her waist. He tipped her back, but she arced gracefully down and only raised an eyebrow in response. "We'll have to see who has the best moves after all."

/-/

Ruby sighed as she watched Jaune and Weiss tear up the dance floor. Well, that term might have been better used to describe Yang's kind of dancing, since those two moved with much more grace and skill. They made their dances look good, which put just about every other gyrating and arm-thrusting student to shame. It should have made her smile or laugh, even more so to see them together. But it didn't.

"I don't understand," Ruby sighed, "I thought they liked one another."

Pyrrha placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled as comfortingly as she could. It didn't help much, but the reassurance that she was there did. "I suppose the heart is a delicate matter," she said. "I've never been in love but… well, things don't always end well."

Things not ending well… the words brought back memories of Summer. Ruby sighed and looked away. She knew all about unhappy endings, but she'd hoped to never see another when she became a huntress. It just didn't seem fair that Weiss' feelings go unanswered like that.

"At least they're still together in a sense," Pyrrha smiled. "It would have been so easy for the team to fall apart over something like this. I personally think it speaks well of both of them that they're willing to put this aside and continue as friends."

"Yeah… I guess…"

"You disagree?"

"Well, no…" Ruby sighed. "I just wanted to see them both be happy. That's all." Was that selfish of her? She didn't know. She just wanted Jaune to be happy and it always seemed that he wasn't quite as happy as he pretended to be. That he needed to pretend at all was wrong. Weiss liked him too, and she was _sure_ he liked Weiss back. It was just so obvious from how he looked and acted around her.

So where was his happy ending?

A sigh tore itself from her throat and she just _had_ to look away from the bittersweet scene. She'd never understood the word before, since how could something be both good and bad at once? Now she did… seeing Jaune and Weiss have fun together was good, but knowing that both hurt because their feelings had been rebuffed… that was bad. Ruby couldn't look any longer, and instead watched the night sky outside the window.

A dark shape flashed atop a nearby rooftop.

"Ruby?" Pyrrha whispered when the younger girl slipped away. "Where are you going?"

"I thought I saw something… someone…"

Pyrrha sighed and downed the rest of her drink. "Let me come with you then," she said, "I'm fairly tired of guys asking if they can dance with a champion."

"Worry not my fair maiden," Ruby orated, "I shall protect you for the rest of this night."

"My hero," Pyrrha chuckled. "Come on… let's go and see what that thing you saw was. Did you see where it was headed?"

"It looked like it was towards that tower…"

/-/

Weiss smiled as she watched Jaune dance with Blake. Despite her feelings, as sore and confused as they still were, it was impossible to feel jealous. The dark-haired girl seemed to be having fun and laughed as Jaune said something. He was good with her… very good indeed. Blake was such a quiet person, yet even from the start, he'd been the one to get the most emotion out of her. That hadn't always been good emotion, especially when he'd kept getting her name wrong, but it had evolved into something far better. _I bet he'd be good with children too,_ she thought, then shook her head with a sigh.

"You okay?" Yang asked as she settled down beside her. A glass of punch was pushed into her hands, but sadly it lacked any kick.

"I'm fine," Weiss waved it off. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Yang's face twisted as she tried to think of a way to put word to what thoughts hid inside that head. The silence said enough, not to mention the sympathy and anguish Yang directed at her.

"Ah," Weiss said, unwelcome shame pooling inside her. "So, I guess you know what happened…"

"I'm _so_ sorry. I tried to push him towards you but-"

Weiss cut the girl off by pushing a finger to her lips. "You didn't do anything wrong," she said. "You didn't make me develop feelings for that idiot and you weren't the one to make me believe he wanted something more. It's not your fault."

Yang nodded and only then was the finger removed. "Are you okay, though?" she asked. "I… I can't say I know what it feels like but… if you want to talk, you know that I'm here for you, right?"

She looked at her teammate from the corner of her eyes but could detect no deceit in her tone. A moment later she felt foolish for even suspecting it. This was Yang. She was loud, rambunctious and patently bad at wordplay… but she was also someone Weiss trusted and loved dearly. That realisation surprised her for a second. And if she trusted Yang as much as she did her own sister – then why not tell her?

"It… does hurt," Weiss admitted after taking a deep breath. "I suppose I got my hopes up, and for that I'm paying the price. In my defence, since I thought he was asking me to the dance, I went into this assuming it was a foregone conclusion." How laughable… she'd thought his acceptance a formality at best, only to be rejected in the most brutal of fashions. A no would have been more merciful than the slow wait for a date that would never come.

"We did too," Yang admitted, "Both Blake and I thought he said the same. You're not alone in this Weiss."

The heiress smiled when she felt Yang's hand grip her own and squeeze. If someone had told her a year ago that this would happen, she would have called them a fool. For one, Weiss Schnee needed the comfort of no one, but more importantly, no man would say no to her. She squeezed Yang's hand and whispered a thank you in return. "The team is going to stay in one piece," Weiss said. "Jaune and I both expressed our fears that this would cause problems and… well, I suppose we both realised that neither of us wants to see Team Jazzberry run into difficulties. We're still good friends and that isn't going to change."

Yang looked relieved at that. "That's good," she said. "We only just finished with the last intervention to get you two back together. I don't think we could trick you into another classroom."

Weiss laughed and made to swat at her, but the other girl leaned back with a grin.

"There is one thing I wanted to ask, though," Yang said, "What was it that made you actually want to take that step with Jaune?"

"What made me want to attempt a romantic relationship?" Weiss asked, getting a nod in return. "I'll admit… I'm not completely sure. I've liked him for a while, but it was never anything more than how I liked you or Blake."

"You didn't like him at first," Yang pointed out. "Then again... I don't think anyone did."

Weiss laughed. "You'd think that, but..." she trailed off, not looking at Yang but at someone in particular not far away. "Did I ever tell you how we first met, really? That I chose him as my partner over your sister."

Yang stilled. "Apparently not. I thought it was the night before initiation, when he was making a racket."

Weiss smiled at the melancholic memory. "I remember thinking he was being... unconventional at the time. But no- I actually met him not long before. We met at a concert… my last one for charity before I was to study here. He won a competition and had a chance to meet me after the show." Weiss sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I hadn't been warned about it, and to be honest I wasn't in the mood, either. Still, duty called and I put on a polite face as everyone wanted me to. I suppose I expected a rabid fan, or some over-enthusiastic child." She looked to Yang in time to see the blonde's grin. "Instead, I got Jaune Arc. He told me he was there because he'd been injured and it was his family's get-well present. He told me he wanted to be a minstrel, traveling Remnant." She laughed lightly. "When I saw him at Beacon, I thought I had inspired him to apply himself and reach for greater things."

Yang swallowed. "I see," she said awkwardly.

"I know. I soon learned otherwise, of course, but at the time... it was a good impression, if unusual, and that was enough to make me choose him over Ruby." She shook her head and chuckled. "It didn't take me long to regret that choice."

"I'll bet."

"Once _that_ debacle was out of the way, however… I suppose I started to feel the same about him as I do about all of you. He was special to me, a friend, someone I could rely on to say what he felt and not what he thought I wanted to hear." Weiss shrugged. "He always saw me as Weiss and never Weiss Schnee. Not that I think it would have stopped him being a lazy idiot if he did…"

"But none of that is enough to make for romance…"

"It's not," Weiss sighed. "I think the truth of that is… less impressive than you might imagine. I never considered the two of us together, no matter what your silly jokes. I suppose the first person to put it in my head was his mother."

"Juniper said you were together?"

"She hinted at it once or twice," Weiss said. "I dismissed it at the time. I appreciated Jaune then, yes, but romance? It was a laughable idea."

"But the words stuck with you?"

"In a sense..." Weiss took another long drink of her punch as she thought back on it. "Despite what you might think, they never bothered me and I still didn't lend them any credence. They just opened my mind to the possibility, even if it was still 99% impossible in my head. As time went on, I started to forget them entirely. The team was fun, it was family – and feelings like that never seemed apparent so I didn't dwell on it. It wasn't until the recent sparring match that I really tripped up."

"When he saved you?"

"Indeed… but also a little before, I suppose. Your silly prank left my sister with some choice questions, as you might recall." She made sure to glare at Yang for that, even if the blonde looked far too amused in return. "It was like Mrs Arc all over again, but this time with my own sister. I was humiliated when I returned to the dorm, especially when I saw Jaune. I instantly thought of us as together, but not in a romantic sense – more a `oh my god, Winter thought I would be making out with him` sort of way. I was embarrassed and it got stuck in my head again… it didn't help with his display of fighting Pyrrha. Did you know she came to me afterwards and said Jaune had as good as confirmed it to her?"

"No way," Yang gasped. "But if he did… why turn you down now?"

"I have no idea," Weiss sighed. "He gave his reasons." Reasons that were neither satisfying nor detailed. "Either way, after that – and after he saved me from the fireball – I couldn't get the thought out of my head. It plagued me, tormented me, and everything he said and did seemed to suggest it further."

" _I'd jump into an inferno for her."_

He'd meant his mother, but the similarities… the way he would risk his life for his mother, but also did the same for her? Was it so unbelievable that she'd taken it the wrong way? "I thought he had feelings for me and that I'd somehow never realised all this time," Weiss sighed. "I started to wonder if maybe I was wrong… if maybe Winter and Mrs Arc had seen the truth and it was _I_ that was blind."

"Oh Weiss…" Yang whispered, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

Those shoulders hitched. "I started to ask myself if there was something more… and that if there was, what I'd do. When he mentioned my having a date for the dance and not to worry, it felt like confirmation. I went back to my room and asked myself; could Jaune and I work? What did I think about the possibility?"

"And you liked the thought of it…"

"I did," Weiss whispered. "It was so stupid but I got excited. He was different from other men, he saw me for me, he respected me… and I respected him too. It wasn't love, at least not in the way the movies show it… but I decided that when he asked me, I'd say yes." Her eyes closed and she took a shuddering breath. "And then he didn't ask me… so I asked him."

Yang didn't finish for her. They both knew how that turned out. "What will you do now?" she asked instead.

"What can I do? Jaune was… he was kind with his words. He made it clear nothing bad would come of this, he was so much more gentle than I would have imagined."

"He cares for you."

"I know." Weiss sighed. Just… not as she now wished he did. "Honestly, I wish I'd never let this happen, Yang. If it wasn't for him taking that attack, I'd have never considered him as a potential suitor, and I wouldn't be feeling this now. We'd be partners still, arguing and having fun together but with nothing deeper than that. Now… now we're something more and less at the same time and it… it sucks." Not how a Schnee would normally speak, but the Rubyism was perhaps the best way to describe it. "It really sucks."

It was better to have it out though. It hurt, yes, but surely now that it was in the open, she could start to accept the rejection and heal. It wasn't a big deal… people got turned down all the time. It wasn't the end of the world. Surely now she could take a deep breath and let it go.

Her heart suggested otherwise.

"Will you be okay?" Yang asked.

 _I'll have to be, won't I?_ Weiss thought. She watched him approach, catching more than a few eyes in his Atlas uniform. He didn't return those admiring gazes, however, even if once-upon-a-time he might have. As far as she could remember, he hadn't even shown interest in his casual flings since… at least before the end of last term. Had that been another red herring she'd latched onto like a fool? There were any number of reasons for why he no longer slept around like he once had. Even so, she couldn't help but reach her fingers up to brush against her lips. That... she hadn't expected that; hadn't been prepared for it, either. How was she supposed to forget about this, to accept this, if he went and did something like that?

Jaune paused before them, made a quip towards Yang, and then turned to her. "I know it's late," he said, "but would you like to dance again?"

"Wouldn't dancing with me keep you from your fans?" She gestured to another, female, student. "If you went and talked to her, I'm sure you could go home with someone tonight."

Yang kicked a leg against hers in warning, but Jaune was the one to reply. "I'm not here for them. I'm Weiss Schnee's date for the evening. You mean more to me than they do."

 _As a friend,_ she reminded herself, even as she reached out to accept his hand. His skin was warm and his hand was large enough to almost engulf hers entirely. Despite the situation, or perhaps because of it, she found herself smiling at him.

It wasn't everything she wanted… but it wasn't as bad as she feared, either.

/-/

Jaune's shoulders felt lighter than they had in a while. The pain he'd caused his partner aside, the decision to spend his time for them helped him put down the burden he'd been carrying. Weiss' form moulded against his, and they slipped between the other students as they danced.

 _Back when this first started, I promised this life would be a holiday…_ He snorted at the thought of it. How foolish that ideal seemed now. _I guess when it came to it, I couldn't stop wanting to look after them. I never tried as hard as I could to get expelled. There was always something holding me back… something I didn't understand._

Yang at the club, Blake at the docks, Weiss at the dance… he'd spent this entire repeat trying to keep them safe, just like he had each and every one before. It felt natural. It felt right. It was who he was.

He would call his family. He would speak to them, explain and ask their forgiveness – both for his silence and for the fact he would be staying now at Beacon. He would use what little time there was to make sure his team were safe and happy, even if he knew it wouldn't last. _I'll look after you,_ he thought as his arms drifted across Weiss' waist. _I'll look after all of you._

In the distance, barely audible over the music, a great crash sounded. Weiss turned away from him but couldn't escape his arms entirely. "What was that?" she asked, as even a few other students paused to look around.

He took her chin in one hand and pulled her face back to meet his. "Probably someone knocking over some glasses," he lied. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about."

Her eyes remained on his, like gentle pools of water, before thick lashes hid them and she rested her head against his chest once more. Theirs seemed a sign for others and dances soon began as people ignored what must have been an accident elsewhere. He knew better, of course, but this was Weiss' night… not Cinder's.

It would be hard… to act like nothing had changed. Despite his words and promises, things between them _were_ different. She had seen him as something other than a partner, and he? Well, he'd always known what she was. Her body was small and warm against his, tempting in a way he'd promised his friends would never again be. His nose pressed down into her hair and he inhaled of her scent. The taste of her, the touch of her, was still on his lips.

It would have been so easy to love her…

But it would have broken him.

"What's wrong?" Weiss asked as she felt him shudder. She looked worried, concerned, like she would have fought against whatever ailed him.

It filled his heart with warmth, even as he felt guilt eat away at his gut. "Nothing's wrong," he said, placing a chaste – friendly – kiss against her cheek. "Everything is perfect."

Everything would be perfect… he would make sure of it.

* * *

 **Well, here I am, peeking out from my bunkers as I wait for the shippers to ready their artillery. What would life be without a little conflict to liven it up, eh?**

 **I'm also fairly sure his choice will lead to some rage from people and well… all I can say is, people ought to have really seen it coming, based on how Jaune acts and what he's been through. It reminds me of how, up until this point, there are some who keep bringing up how Jaune "isn't trying to get expelled" and "I've forgotten or given up on even writing it" and how "it's a mistake by me"… maybe now it's obvious that I** _ **did**_ **know and I** _ **was**_ **aware, but that it was an actual plot point – not a mistake. You were meant to notice that he missed opportunities or that he prioritised his team more than chances to escape. Those were there on purpose.**

 **Anyway, the chapter is a little shorter this week, partly because of my having a super-busy weekend, but mostly because there wasn't much more to include. I wanted this chapter to be about this issue, and not to include other things unrelated to it.**

 **Naturally, the Weiss x Jaune issues are not over. This isn't a "one chapter write off" or something.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 4** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	29. Chapter 29

**This week has been something of a hectic one after my family went on a cruise and asked me to look after all their animals. I love animals, so it seemed easy at first, except that my sister went with them and left me** _ **hers**_ **too, and suddenly I had a damned zoo. Honestly meant my 6pm – 10pm each night was spent exercising and looking after them, when it would normally be prime writing time.**

 **I guess that's just what I get for being the soft touch that always accepts. Still, pet hotels or boarding kennels are** _ **so**_ **expensive and you just know the animals won't get the loving treatment they do at home. Long story short, god damned lack of writing time really dug into this week for all my fics, but this one always takes the worst since it's the hardest to write.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 29 - Bottle Therapy**

* * *

All action came with consequences; he knew that. When Yang received the call from Team Rubine, Jaune and the others had only been too willing to accompany her. Yang burst through the door and into their dorm with reckless abandon. Pyrrha and Ruby seemed embarrassed to be the subjects of so much attention.

"What happened?" Yang breathed, rushing over to her little sister and checking her for injury. Ruby shuffled and squirmed under her sister's hands and complained about how she was fine and hadn't been hurt at all.

That didn't stop Jaune from doing his own analysis, however, on both Ruby and Pyrrha. There were no bandages on the former, though Pyrrha had a few bruises on her arm. Ruby had a tiny cut on her left hand too, which Yang seemed to be paying far too much attention to. All in all, they looked to be in one piece, which allowed him to let out a long breath of relief. _Ruby was always fine before… I knew I shouldn't have been so worried._

It was hard, though, since it had been hundreds of repeats since he let her face Cinder alone in that tower. Normally he was there too, or sometimes on his own or with others that he drew in to try and capture her. Ruby survived the first time, however, so it made sense she was fine now.

"What happened?" Blake asked Pyrrha. Ruby was still busy trying to convince Yang she was okay. Normally it would have been Weiss to engage them, but she was unusually quiet. She had been… ever since the dance. "We didn't even realise anything was wrong until Ren messaged us."

"My idea," Pyrrha said, "I figured it would be best to get this out, since otherwise Yang would go crazy if she saw Ruby hurt."

"Wise choice, but what actually caused this? I doubt you'd call us over if you had a dancing accident."

Pyrrha shuffled awkwardly but after a quick look towards Ren – and a nod from him – she spoke. "Last night, during the dance, Ruby spotted something unusual outside the hall. I thought it nothing but we were both tired of dancing and decided to take a look."

Jaune pretended to only be half-listening, while internally he nodded at the familiar story.

"Ruby saw the figure on the rooftops and approaching the CCT, but there didn't seem to be anything wrong when we arrived."

 _No unconscious guard?_ Jaune wondered. His eyes widened a second later. He hadn't even noticed at the time, but now it felt so obvious. Penny hadn't been at the dance… he usually saw her and the two guards who watched her, but they'd all been absent. In fact, there were no Atlesian soldiers at Beacon at all. _Winter came instead of Ironwood and she came as a representative and not with a contingent of soldiers. Has the timeline changed so much?_

A cold sensation settled in his gut. If Ironwood wasn't in Beacon, and it was Ironwood who interrupted the fight between Ruby and Cinder…? No, they were both there in front of him, alive and unhurt. The worst hadn't happened.

"We were about to leave when we saw a figure inside," Pyrrha continued. "Obviously the CCT is supposed to be closed at night and since the person was wandering around on the rooftops…" She shrugged helplessly, "It wasn't exactly subtle."

"An intruder in the CCT," Blake mused, "The two of you fought against him?"

"Her," Pyrrha corrected. "It was a woman dressed in black with dark hair. She used twin swords and a bow, weapons I've never seen someone use before. She was very strong."

"Not strong enough, clearly…"

"No… she was stronger than I." The admission seemed to surprise the redhead. "Ruby and I fought together and we're not exactly slouches as a team. Even so, she was able to counter and push us back and for a moment I thought we might be defeated."

"What happened?" Yang asked, her tirade towards her sister having come to an end.

"Pyrrha used her semblance," Ruby answered. "She drew up loads of computers and terminals and started to smash them against the person. She seemed really surprised and didn't know what to do."

"My semblance is polarity," Pyrrha explained for the benefit of three members of Team Jazzberry, though Jaune made sure to make a surprised sound anyway. "It wasn't enough, and she still managed to fire some shots off towards me. One grazed my shoulder and I lost control." Pyrrha's cheeks darkened. "I accidentally sent some expensive machinery through the window."

"That explains the loud noise we heard," Weiss piped up for the first time. "I _thought_ it sounded like glass shattering." She turned to regard Jaune with a wary expression, but the moment their eyes met, she panicked and pointedly looked away.

He sighed and did the same. It had been like that between them ever since they woke up. Things had the vestiges of normality, but all it took was a casual look or touch and an awkward silence would appear between them like some great chasm.

"The noise drew attention," Pyrrha explained, thankfully not commenting on the awkward air. "Luckily, Miss Goodwitch and headmaster Ozpin decided to investigate. That was enough to scare her away and she escaped."

"Did you get in trouble for the computers?" Yang asked,

Pyrrha shook her head. "They both saw the intruder as she was escaping. It was enough to get us out of trouble. They did ask us to keep it secret, however." Pyrrha raised her hands in a `what can you do` kind of gesture when Weiss raised an eyebrow. "We told our team and it's not like Ruby wouldn't have told her sister anyway. We thought it could at least be kept between our two teams."

Blake, Weiss and Yang agreed to keep it secret, while he nodded along. _So, Ironwood wasn't there to interrupt the fight, but they managed to stop her anyway. I suppose that means Cinder's virus is still in the computers. I doubt it matters that Pyrrha tossed a few of them out the window since she uploaded it into the main servers._ _At least no one was hurt._ "Did the headmaster say anything about it?" he asked. "Did he mention anything about what would happen?"

Ruby blinked and shook her head. "No… he just told us to keep it secret and said we fought well against an unknown enemy."

 _No talk of Mountain Glenn?_ Jaune wondered with narrowed eyes. Was that because he'd prevented Roman's speech in the warehouse from ever happening? Normally the CCT incident was a chance to impart that knowledge to Ozpin and start the mission. With that gone, would it still happen? Did he need to act as Silver and pass a clue onto Qrow?

Did he _want_ it to still happen?

Could he afford to stop it?

"You're both okay, though?" Yang asked. "She didn't injure you?"

"Miss Tsune looked over our injuries but declared them minor," Pyrrha said. "Our aura was a little low, but nothing got through. Ruby cut her hand afterwards on a piece of broken glass."

"I tripped on my heels," the younger girl whined. It proved to be what finally dispelled the tension from the room and led to a teasing argument between the two sisters on whose fault that was. Ruby wanted Yang to apologise, while Yang turned it around by saying Ruby needed to wear heels more often to practice.

By the look on Ruby's face, one might have believed she'd just been told she needed a leg amputated.

"Thanks for letting us know," Weiss ignored the two entirely. "We're sorry we couldn't help. We would have been there if we knew."

"It's fine. We just wanted you all to know."

The conversation turned to easier things soon after, with Weiss almost too keen to step away from him and talk to Ren and Pyrrha, while Nora went to cheer on Ruby and Blake to try and stop her partner teasing her sister.

Jaune leaned against the wall and let out a long sigh. Mountain Glenn, the White Fang, the breach… they were monumental events which paved the way for disaster. They were also events that Ozpin had no idea were happening, because he'd prevented Ruby from finding out about them. That left responsibility firmly in his hands, and with the lives involved, it was a hefty one indeed.

 _I said I'd dedicate this life to my family and friends and I intend to, but does that mean I should or shouldn't set events in motion here?_ The answer should have been obvious, and initially seemed so, but deeper thought revealed problems. _If I refuse to tell Ozpin, then it's true that Ruby's team doesn't have to go to Mountain Glenn, but is that necessarily a `good` thing? Team RWBY weren't badly hurt there and they even managed to stop the breach from claiming more lives. All in all, the mission was successful and meant a lot to them._

But now there _was_ no Team RWBY, which meant things might go differently. There was no Ironwood, either, and no telling when the General would arrive. If he only came for the festival itself, then that meant no bots to protect the civilians when the breach hit. Jaune's breath came out in a ragged exhale as he imagined the carnage that would entail. Sure, he might protect his friends from having to deal with the mission, but there was no telling if their lives would be risked in the clean-up. Even if they weren't, would they ever forgive him for sacrificing so many people?

They wouldn't know, obviously, but Blake would be crushed. She would blame herself for the White Fang's inclusion. Ruby would cry herself to sleep too, aghast at the loss of life and everyone else would be similarly affected. They would be safe.

But they wouldn't be happy…

 _If I do make Qrow aware, though, would Ironwood's absence mean the defeat of whichever team goes? If I recall, the Atlas navy acts as the cavalry which stops the breach. If they're not there, the team might be overwhelmed. Everyone that dies here will be alive when I repeat anyway, so is it so much to let some civilians I don't even know die instead of my friends?_

Ruby would have been horrified. Actually, they all would have – but they hadn't seen their friends die over and over like he had. Jaune's shoulders slumped, indecision warring within. There was a visceral part of him which rejected the idea too, no matter how easily he thought it. _I'll have to make a decision sooner or later. The team assignments are soon._

His daughter saved him from such difficult thoughts, sidling up to him with her bow twitching. "Given up already?" he asked with a smile.

"Nora's egging them on," Blake sighed. "I know a losing battle when I see one. At this point I think it's just going to descent into a wrestling match."

"Who do you think will win?"

"Nora," Blake deadpanned, "Since we both know she'll jump in at the slightest chance."

A smile blossomed across his face as he watched the three, Ruby's face red and cheeks puffed as she said something to Yang. The blonde leaned back and gave a theatrical shrug, eyes closed as she laid some no doubt terrible pun on her sister. Nora oohed and gasped like the world's worst diplomat, goading them on towards sibling violence. Somehow it was so very _them_.

"Can you not look proud of this," Blake sighed dramatically.

He chuckled and ran a hand through her hair. "Don't be jealous kitten. I'm proud of you too."

"Call me that again and I'll show you this kitten has claws." Blake's eyes met his for all of six seconds before she realised what she'd just referred to herself as and groaned. "You are honestly the worst influence on my life and I spent years in a terrorist organisation. That should tell you something."

"It tells me I can cause more change than a global movement. Maybe I shouldn't be proud of you after all. I should be proud of myself."

"You're distracting me again…"

"To be fair, I think you're distracting yourself."

Blake didn't seem to appreciate his honest analysis and made sure he knew it with a fierce pout. She sighed a moment later, however, and looked away. "Yang asked me to talk to you about a favour. She wanted to talk to you herself but someone needs to ask Team Rubine too and I figured she would be better suited to that. It's about Weiss."

Jaune's heart hardened and he kept his eyes pointedly off Blake's. "Ah," he said, unsure if he could say anything more.

"I… We all heard about what happened at the dance. I know you have your reasons but Weiss is obviously quite upset. I know you didn't mean to," she added, a hand coming to rest on his arm. "I know you didn't want to, either. Yang had an idea to try and cheer her up, though, or at least to let her get some of it out of her system."

That sounded perfect. A quick breath escaped him and he felt his chest ease just a little. Good old Yang to the rescue as usual. He wished he could help too, but it was obvious that right now he'd just cause Weiss more heartache. "What does she want me to do?" he asked. "I'll do anything."

"I'd be careful of saying that within her hearing," Blake chuckled. "Right now, though, she wants to organise a girl's night in."

"A sleep over?"

"A girl's night in," Blake corrected. Her face was steady but he could almost sense her reluctance to admit she'd ever do something as childish as a sleepover. "I'm sure she would have suggested a girl's night out but Weiss would have rejected it."

"I think she'd reject this too."

"Which is why we're not going to tell her," Blake rolled her eyes as though to say that was obvious. Knowing Yang, it probably should have been. "I'll admit, I don't see how this will help myself but… well, I'm willing to try and Yang says it will."

"It's to help Weiss get her feelings out," Jaune said, resting a hand atop Blake's head. She crossed her arms and looked up at him but didn't move away, even when he rubbed her scalp lightly. "I guess you wouldn't have ever had much chance to, but it's kind of how you felt better once you explained your past and everyone forgave you. It doesn't help to keep problems bottled up."

"Will you ever follow your own advice?"

His hand froze. He caught himself a second later and tried to act natural, but it was clear Blake caught the hesitation. "This is about Weiss," he laughed, "not me. Anyway, tell Yang I'm more than down on her plan. It sounds like a great idea. I take it she wants me to make myself absent?"

Blake looked at him for a long moment, lips set in a small frown and eyes narrowed. Whatever she was looking for, she apparently didn't find it, and sighed loudly. "That's so you…" she sighed. "Anyway, the night in is what Yang wants to talk with Team Rubine about. She's going to see if they can put you up, or failing that if you and Ren can share their room and they can join us."

"Weiss won't open up around another team," he cautioned. "She's too proud for that. You girls are the only ones she'll feel comfortable with. Tell Yang she doesn't need to get me anywhere. I'll find somewhere else to stay for the night."

Blake's hands caught his arm immediately. "Please don't sleep with someone," she whispered, "Not tonight, at least…"

"I won't," he promised. "Blake, I… I wouldn't do that, not to Weiss and not like that. I meant that I'll sneak in to an unoccupied dorm. You know I can."

Each dorm was secured by its own lock, of course, filtered onto their scrolls, but Blake seemed to easily accept the idea he could break that if he wanted to. She wasn't wrong to think so, either. They had their own override codes and it wasn't like he'd never been in different rooms. Sometimes there were repeats where the dorms were different for various reasons. "Thank you," Blake nodded. "We don't want to kick you out but-"

"You're not kicking me out," he said, "don't even think it. If I could do something to cheer Weiss up myself, I would, but…" He shrugged helplessly.

"I understand. We'll do what we can in your place."

"Aww," Jaune crooned and opened his arms wide. "I have the best daughters."

Blake nimbly dodged away, eyes narrowed and one foot placed behind her to run if he gave chase. She was too adorable sometimes. He let her go, however, no doubt to pass on the good news to Yang. His eyes switched over to Weiss.

The heiress looked calm and composed, talking to Ren and Pyrrha. She smiled at the right moments, nodded and spoke back easily. To anyone watching, she looked fine. She'd mastered that deceit a long time ago, no doubt.

 _Yang and Blake will help her. A chance to clear the air and talk will be good for her. I doubt she gets much opportunity with her real family._

It would also give him a chance to think in peace on his latest problem.

But before that, there was another set of apologies he needed to give. He made sure Weiss and the others saw him as he left the room, and flashed them his scroll as he nodded his head to say he needed to make a call. Weiss nodded back, while Yang winked and Blake smiled.

They'd look after her.

/-/

"Jaune!"

His throat clogged up almost immediately when he heard the happiness, the surprise – but also the _relief_ in his mother's voice. "Hey mom," he whispered. "How are you?"

"Great now that you called, sweetie," she said. Her face seemed to shine, and he wondered if that was anything to do with her pregnancy. Her smile was as wide as he'd ever seen it, all teeth as she put down whatever it was she'd been doing. "Oh, it's so good to hear from you. How is Beacon? How is your team? You're not hurt, are you? You look faint; is something wrong?"

The questions washed over him before he could think of an answer to any of them. The concern, though, not to mention her worry, left him filled with shame. "I'm fine, mom," he said. "I just… I'm just a little under the weather today. That's all."

"Well that's no good. Have you had enough to eat?"

"I've eaten." At least half a bowl of porridge and some water. "Are you okay? How is the baby?"

"Growing day by day," Juniper laughed. "I'm a little bigger now; a little less mobile too."

"Should you be standing? You're not cooking are y-"

"Jaune… after the amount of children I've had, trust me to know what I can and can't do." Her rebuke was light and delivered with a smile. "You'd think your father would too, but he's been hovering around trying to cook. Your sisters almost died of food poisoning."

"Hah… that's good; not the food poisoning bit," he added when she raised an eyebrow. "Just… how are they all? Are they okay?"

"They're fine, Jaune. What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Juniper sighed and placed one hand on her hip. "I'm your mother, Jaune. Don't you think I can tell when you're lying? Tell me what's wrong."

"I didn't call…" he sighed.

"Huh?"

Guilt and shame pooled inside him but he forced himself to continue. "I broke my promise. I said I'd call and keep in touch but I didn't. I asked how they are but… if I'd done what I said I would, I wouldn't need to ask. I'd know. I'm the worst brother. I'm the worst son and I'm so-"

Juniper Arc burst into laughter. It cut through his apology and continued as she bent over on the screen, the scroll clacking against the work surface as she lost control. It was only when it moved and she appeared once more that he saw her wipe a tear from her eye. "Is that what's bothering you?" she asked. "Oh sweetheart, you're so precious sometimes. No one blames you for that."

"But I promised I would call."

"And you have," she said. "Your sisters made you promise but I don't think they expected you to literally call every day. I'm sure they'd love it if you did, but they know you'll have your own things to do every now and then." She pushed some hair that had fallen loose when she laughed away from her face. "If anything, your sisters have been waiting for this opportunity. They've probably been counting the days so they can use it to blackmail you into doing things for them." Her face softened. "We're not going to hate you because we don't hear from you for a few weeks."

They should. He'd promised to stand by them and failed.

"Now come on," Juniper smiled and sat down, "I'll tell you about your sisters if you'll do the same about your time at Beacon."

And just like that, without a single condemnation, she forgave him. It was too dizzying to understand, even as he listened with rapt attention as she told him about what was going on back in Ansel. He listened of how Hazel and Jade had argued, sworn never to speak again and made up, of how Sapphire had used her training to break up a fight and protect an elderly woman from a mugging. He also learned how Amber had made friends with a polite young man in school and couldn't stop talking about how much of a nice guy he was. The latter led to some hyperventilation before Juniper told him to calm down and trust his sisters to make sure Amber was fine.

He wouldn't, and the guy would suffer some wrath if Jaune ever found him, but he pretended to accept it.

In turn, he told her about Beacon, about the argument between Weiss and he and how Yang and Blake had conspired to trick them into making up. She laughed when he told her how Weiss' sister had come to visit and mistaken their friendship for something more, and gasped when he revealed the tale of when he took an attack for his partner.

In the end, however, it was sympathy she responded with when Jaune finished with the dance.

"That poor girl," Juniper sighed. "I thought there was something there but… I'll admit, I thought you might have felt the same." There was no answer he could give to that and so he kept silent. "Still, I take it you let her down gently?"

"As best I could," he said. "Yang and Blake want to have a sleep over tonight to try and help her get over it."

"That's sweet of them. They're good girls."

"They are," he chuckled.

"They look up to you, you know?"

He snorted. "I've got no idea why. I must be the worst role model in the world."

"Are you? I think your sisters would disagree. They look up to you as well."

"All but two of my sisters are older than me," he pointed out.

"And yet they still look up to you. Why do you think Sapphire took up the sword? Why do you think Hazel and Jade demand your attention so often? Sable boasts about you all the time and you are one of the few people Coral cares enough about to have a meaningful conversation with." Juniper giggled. "You can deny it all you want, but they all look up to their little brother almost as much as they do their dad." There was a long pause where she watched him, only for her smile to fade a little after. "You don't even believe it… do you?"

Her concern spurred him to life. "No, no, I do – it's fine. I just… well, I'm just surprised, that's all." He scratched the back of his head and grinned. "Those girls are crazy to think so much of someone like me. There are much better people in the world." People like Ruby, Weiss, Pyrrha, Nora… all his friends who rallied behind a fraud who didn't really deserve it.

"Jaune… do you ever think you judge yourself so harshly because you've set your targets too high? Your sisters love you, you saved my life, and you saved the life of your teammate… isn't that enough?"

It was never enough. Not with what would come in the future.

"My silly little boy," his mother sighed. "Tell me again why you turned that lovely young woman down. Was there something wrong with her?"

"No!" The denial came out instantly, if only because he was sick of hearing it. There was nothing wrong with Weiss.

"Then why?"

"We wouldn't have worked out together. Weiss is… she's a great person; kind, smart and beautiful. She deserves better than some lazy man whore who doesn't even care about being a huntsman." He let out a long sigh and massaged his forehead. "She deserves to be happy. I don't think she could be with me. Maybe she would immediately, but the excitement would wear off. She deserves a guy who will take her on dates, shower her with praise and worship the very ground she walks on." Not someone like him went unsaid, but Juniper caught it nonetheless.

"Did you ever consider that she might not want someone like that?" she asked. "Did you ever consider that she might not care?"

Of course, but this was different. "I care," he said. "It matters to me."

"And so, you'll make _her_ unhappy in order to fulfil your own flawed sense of what she deserves? Even when you slept with all those women, I don't think I've ever heard you sound so callous."

"It's not flawed." Jaune protested. "She deserves better than me. She deserves better than some man whore."

"And whose fault is that? You could be better, if you chose to be." Juniper sighed and shook her head. "The only person who determines how good you are is you, Jaune. If you're going to use the excuse of doing this for her, then don't have so lazy a reason. Then again, if I know my son… it sounds to me like you're not just doing it for her."

His eyes drifted shut as he let out a long sigh. She saw right through him… one of the only ones who could. "It's not just about that," he admitted. "I have… there are reasons I said no; selfish reasons."

"Those are the only ones that count. Why else should you make a choice that effects your life if not for selfish reasons? Is it that you couldn't return her feelings?"

"No."

"Is it… that you don't _want_ to return her feelings?"

He didn't answer, couldn't answer. If he allowed himself to feel that way once more then all he did was open himself up to the agony that would come when she died. His sleep was already plagued by Pyrrha's death, by Ruby, Blake and Nora's – by the deaths of every woman he'd ever loved and lost. He didn't think he could survive adding one more.

"I won't push," his mother whispered, "But son… don't you ever think that _you_ deserve a little happiness too?"

"I am happy," Jaune said, "I'm talking to you. Now, tell me more about this guy Amber might be meeting with." The distraction proved a good one, for Juniper sighed and dove into the tale once more.

For now, he wanted to forget about what was going on.

/-/

Weiss knew something was up the moment the door closed behind her. If she'd been in the right frame of mind she might have noticed earlier, when Yang opened the dorm room door and politely offered to let her enter first like some kind of gentleman. That should have been signs one through fifty but she'd been distracted and thus stepped inside. The bottles of pop, sweets and ice-cream on the floor instantly had her suspicious, but it was the sound of the door locking that cinched it.

Blake and Yang's guilty looks only reinforced it.

"No."

"No, what?" Yang asked, one hand on her hip.

Weiss crossed her own. "No to whatever it is you're planning – and don't say you're not planning anything, you're about as subtle as your sister."

"You cut me," Yang gasped, one hand on her chest.

Weiss' hand fell to her side but she cursed when Myrtenaster wasn't there.

"That wasn't an invitation to actually cut me," the blonde deadpanned. "We're not planning anything bad so why don't we all just sit down and have some fun?"

Weiss' eyes flicked to the left. The door was locked but her scroll would open it. Blake stood there, however, arms crossed as she leaned casually against the doorframe. The faunus met her eyes and smiled apologetically. Damn it, she was in on this too!

"We just thought it might be nice to have a night in to ourselves to talk and have fun."

"What are you talking about Xiao-Long? We share a room. Every night is a night in."

"A girl's sleepover," the blonde cheered.

"I will reiterate… this is our room. Every night is a sleep over." Weiss pointedly stepped away from the pop, snacks and ice-cream, not that she thought it would do her any good. "Also, where's Jaune? We can't have a sleep over if he's going to be here."

"Jaune's finding somewhere else to stay for the night," Blake said.

An intense, bitter sensation twisted inside her gut. "Of course he is," she said without any real heat.

"He's going to find a guest room," Blake added. "He said he would find a room to himself. He isn't going to be sharing anyone's bed."

Weiss flinched at being caught and quickly waved a hand as though to say she wouldn't have cared either way. It was a lie, and they knew it as well as her. "This is pointless," she said, "There's no need for all this, not to mention these pointless calories. We should do homework and study."

"Or," Yang said, as though it were up for debate, "we could eat ice-cream, drink and chat. Let's put it to a vote." Yang held her hand up.

Weiss raised an eyebrow.

"I _said_ ," Yang growled, "Let's put it to a vote, _Blake_!"

"This doesn't feel like a very democratic process," Weiss pointed out as Blake sighed and raised her hand.

"If you want to ask for a recount of the votes you can submit a written request which I will consider over the next fourteen days," Yang grinned. "Now get into your pyjamas and sit down."

Weiss scowled and made a mental note to damn well file that request, with legal documentation too, if only to watch and force Yang to read it and then recount. She deserved it for how embarrassing this was. "I want it noted that I am here by force and not at all a part to this… this nonsense."

"Noted," Yang said with a little shove towards the bathroom, "Now get changed and we can start the first ever Jazzberry girl's sleepover. This is going to be great!"

Weiss made sure to stomp her feet as she came out of the bathroom five minutes later, in time to see the other two already changed and sat on the floor. Yang gestured for her to sit down between them, and Weiss didn't fail to notice her scroll missing from where she'd left it. _Great, so now I'm trapped in here with the both of them._

"There's the final member," Yang cheered when she sat down. "Here, have a bowl of ice-cream."

"Yang, we ate only two hours ago. Why would I nee-" Sugar filled her mouth as Yang drove the spoon in while she'd been speaking. The immediate rush of cold against her teeth made her shiver, and she made sure to elicit the same reaction from her teammate through the medium of glares. It tasted like strawberries, and to her immense fury, she liked it. "I can feed myself," she snapped, taking the spoon from her hand and resting the bowl in her lap.

"See, was that so hard? Now you're Weiss-cream with ice-cream"

"Inspired. You must have spent hours thinking of that one."

"Eh, it's a gift."

"From the dark gods," Weiss grumbled around a spoonful of sugary goodness.

"That's the spirit," Yang laughed. "I knew there was a sense of humour in there somewhere. A sleep over is the perfect time to let that out."

Weiss scowled but knew better than to argue. She made some room in her lap for Zwei as he trotted over and nestled his head against her stomach. He let out a contented hum when she stroked his head with one hand. "Well, you have me now," Weiss scowled. "What are we supposed to do? Sit here and eat ice-cream until we get fat?"

"We're supposed to talk," Yang laughed. "Right, Blake?"

"I wouldn't know," Blake said. "I've never been to a sleep over before."

"Someone save me from repressed teammates…" Yang sighed and rolled her eyes. "Okay, look, we sit, eat, play games and talk about things like life, school and cute bo-oks that we've just read." Yang's smile faltered a little as she corrected herself, but it soon came back in full force.

As did Weiss' reluctance. "There's nothing I want or need to talk about."

"Sure there is," Yang said, clearly fighting for a topic.

"The Vytal Festival," Blake offered. "We could talk about that."

Weiss' head perked up a little. "What about it?"

"Well, we want to win it, I assume?" Blake asked.

Win the Vytal Festival? That seemed like a big stretch, especially for a first-year team. That said, they were definitely strong in their own rights, even with Jau- Arc. There was no reason they shouldn't aim for the top, right? Also, wouldn't it be an incredible way to prove herself to Winter and her father once and for all? Weiss nodded to Blake's question.

"Then let's talk about that," Yang said, apparently, all too eager to accept any topic so long as it got them talking. Weiss saw the deception coming a mile away, the manipulation too, but the festival wasn't a _bad_ topic to talk about, she supposed.

It wasn't like she could escape anyway…

/-/

Qrow found him loitering outside one of the guest dorms. "What'cha doing?"

Jaune looked at the disconnected security panel in his hands, back up to Qrow – who looked more amused than annoyed – and decided to tell the truth. "I need a room for the night. I thought I'd sort myself out rather than bother Miss Goodwitch.

"By breaking in?" Qrow laughed. "And here I thought you'd be the kind of guy to break into a girl's room."

"I'm normally invited."

"Smart ass…" Qrow rolled his eyes. "Why do you need a room to yourself anyway?"

"My team's having a girl's sleepover. I wasn't invited."

"So, they just kicked you out?"

"I offered to leave," Jaune corrected. "It was Yang's idea."

"To cheer up the Schnee girl?" Qrow asked. After a moment's silence, he laughed softly. "Sorry. I guess that's a bit nosey of me. You should count yourself lucky, though. After last night, Winter wanted a word with you in private. I managed to convince her to calm down."

He could have handled Winter's anger. She had every right to be angry, after all. She wouldn't hurt him, though; his promise had been to not hurt Weiss, and that was exactly what he'd done. Short term pain didn't hurt quite as much as the long term. "Thanks for the save, I guess."

"You guess?" Qrow looked at him askance, but then soon started to laugh. "I'm not sure if you're suicidal or you have balls of steel. Most people would start running when Winter Schnee sets their sights on them."

Jaune shrugged. "She's not nearly as bad as Glynda."

"See, and there's another thing… most people wouldn't dare piss her off, either, let alone call her by her first name."

"Maybe I'm just special like that," Jaune shrugged and went back to working on the panel. "Now, will you let me break into this room or not? I'd rather not sleep outside in a corridor."

"Why not just sleep in some girl's bed?"

"Because I'm not a heartless teammate."

"Heh… I guess you're not. Yang told me all about you, y'know? Ruby did a bit too but she couldn't stop gushing about how awesome you are and how you're her friend."

Jaune's lips quirked up as he continued working. That sounded so much like Ruby. You could trust her opinion, not to mention her judgment; but if you wanted detail, then it was best to seek our Yang or Weiss. Still, there was something that stuck with him. _Qrow wouldn't bring this up if it wasn't for a reason. In fact, he wouldn't be randomly outside the guest dorms for no reason._ "Was there something you wanted me for?" Jaune asked.

"Wanted to talk," the huntsman shrugged. "But it looks like I could help you out a little too. You need a place to stay for the night… why not with me?"

"Sorry. I don't swing that way."

"Brat," Qrow snorted and swung a fist into the back of his head. It was nothing more than a love tap, however. "C'mon. Your team are having a girl's night, that means we need to go and have a guy's night too."

"I'm not one for sleepovers."

"An' I'm an old man," Qrow said. "We can go out and get some drinks in Vale, then crash in my room."

"Trying to get a teen drunk and take advantage of them?"

"You gonna say yeah, or just keep delaying?" Qrow countered. "Yang told me how you do that too; try an' get a rise out of people when you're uncomfortable or don't know what to say."

Thanks Yang, why not tell him everything else while she was at it? Jaune sighed and gave up on the lock. It was being a pain in the ass anyway. "You're paying."

"That's the spirit!"

/-/

Yang had a plan but no idea how to go about it. That wasn't unusual for her since she normally liked to do things on the fly, but this was a little more delicate a task than fighting some Grimm. Weiss, and the subject of Jaune, wasn't going to be quite so straight forward.

Especially when Weiss was being so defensive.

 _Not even talking about the festival helped. It just gave her a chance to try and ignore the problem._ That couldn't last, especially with Weiss constantly sneaking looks towards Jaune's bed, or the awkward silences they'd seen all morning. Blake caught her eye from the other side of Weiss, and Yang shrugged in response. It wasn't working.

 _I need to somehow bring the conversation onto Weiss and her feelings. If she keeps bottling those up, nothing is going to get fixed._ Weiss needed to get it out before she could move on. Sure, she could do that on her own, but Yang was fairly sure that would end in bitterness from the heiress – which might tear the team apart.

"Have some more ice-cream," Yang offered, trying not to quail under Weiss' arctic gaze. "What? It's good for you… sort of."

"Don't think I don't know what you're doing, Yang."

"What do you mean? I just wanted to spend a night with my team. Is that so crazy?"

Weiss' eyes narrowed into slits but she didn't say anything and instead spooned some more ice-cream into her mouth. On the other side of her, Blake sighed and mouthed something. When Yang didn't catch it, Blake sighed and spoke instead. "Sun asked me if we could go out again sometime after the dance. I'm not sure what to do, though."

Yang's eyes widened. Talking about a date in front of Weiss, was she insane? She had only made to shake her head, however, when Weiss cut her off.

"Did you not enjoy the dance with him? Did he do something wrong?"

"Not wrong per se," Blake sighed. "It was fun and I enjoyed myself but… I think I had just as much fun with you and Jaune. I'm not sure I feel anything more for Sun and don't want to lead him on."

Every word should have been enough to send Weiss over the edge and yet they didn't. The smaller girl hummed and held one hand before her mouth, deep in thought. "I think you should tell him that," she said after a few seconds. "You could suggest that you spend time together as friends, of course. Should something more come from it then it would be your choice."

"Is it really that simple, though? Sun seems to… he seems really determined. Even if he says he won't, I'm not sure he would stop wanting it."

"Yes well…" Weiss sighed. "Saying you'll let someone go isn't quite as easy as doing it."

Blake sprung her trap. "Is that from experience?"

"I don't know what you mean." Weiss' answer was immediate; far too much so.

"We all saw the dance, Weiss," the faunus kept her tone sympathetic. "We've all seen how you acted this morning too."

The thought seemed to cause the girl pain and she recoiled. "I- I didn't mean to," she whispered. "I'm trying to act like nothing has changed!"

"No one is blaming you for anything," Yang interrupted. "You're doing fine, Weiss. We're not saying otherwise. It's just… things aren't going to go well if you keep everything bottled up like this."

"I'm not bottling anything up!"

"Yes, you are. It's normal and I'd be surprised if you weren't, but what we're saying is that we'll happily listen if you want to talk."

"Is this the plan you two have come up with?" Weiss scowled. "Corner me and pluck at what little self-confidence I have remaining? Do you hate me that much?"

She was lashing out. Yang was no stranger to it, nor the emotion the one behind it usually felt. She wrapped an arm around Weiss' shoulder and pulled the girl against her side. Weiss struggled and tried to break free but Yang's grip was absolute. It didn't help that Blake sidled over from the other side too, to rest a hand against Weiss' back. "We're not doing this because we hate you, you dummy. We're doing this because we love you."

Weiss continued to try and break free, but strength seemed to flee her. Her protests became muffled, her anger muted. It took a while, but she started to pull instead of to push, and Yang felt moisture on her arm. She refused to mention it.

"You're doing your best, Weiss, and it shows, trust me. But you don't always have to be at your best. That's what a sleep over like this is about. You can let your hair down and just be Weiss."

"I'm not crying," Weiss sobbed.

"I know you're not," Yang smiled.

"Weiss Schnee wouldn't cry," Blake agreed, holding the girl as well. "If anyone says you did, they're lying."

Zwei pushed his way into the mix as well, squeezing himself between Yang and Weiss, but making sure to keep his head free so he could frantically lick the heiress' chin. It was that which seemed to break the mood, for Weiss started to giggle – even through the tears – and that made Yang laugh too.

"Stupid dog," Weiss said through her tear-stained laughter. She grabbed the corgi around the waist and settled him in her lap. Her eyes were red, cheeks wet, but she smiled once more. It was the first time she'd truly smiled that day, and it was beautiful. "It feels like your mutt hunts out miserable people." Weiss sighed.

"That's because he does," Yang said, and then – when both Weiss and Blake looked at her – added. "When Summer died, dad fell to pieces and was barely able to look after himself, let alone us. Qrow did his best to help but when it was clear dad wasn't getting any better, he bought Zwei in Vale. He's been trained as a service dog for huntsmen." Yang kept one arm around Weiss as she smiled down at her. "He's been trained to respond to upset or troubled people and goes out of his way to shower them with affection. He'll always focus on someone in trouble too and try to cheer them up."

"He sleeps with Jaune every night," Weiss pointed out.

"Yep…"

"That's why you brought Zwei to Beacon, wasn't it?"

"I asked dad for advice on what to do about a teammate who seemed like Jaune… his advice was to bring Zwei and see what he did." Yang shrugged. "Dad's so much better now that Zwei helped him out, so he doesn't really need him in the same way."

"And now he's helping me," Weiss sighed. "I feel so pathetic."

Well that wouldn't do. Yang reached out with one hand to pick up a tub of ice-cream, grinning as Blake reached across to spoon some out into a bowl.

"I think the worst part is how certain I was that he'd say yes…" Weiss accepted the bowl with a sigh, not pausing in her story while they both gave her time to talk. "I said before that I read into things too much, but I started to get excited about it too and make plans."

"Plans?" Blake asked.

"Plans on what we would do, where we would go on dates, how we would act. He's… well, I wouldn't have been ready to go as far as he has with some people already, but I started to think on how we could go out in public, how I'd keep an open mind and let him take me out on some dates." Weiss chuckled bitterly and licked her spoon clean. "Of course, he'd need to take me on a couple before I'd let anything happen. Perhaps a kiss or two, but I wasn't going to be as easy as those idiots he's slept with. He'd need to put effort into me." Weiss let out a long sigh and slumped between them. "That makes me feel so stupid now. Look at me, making plans for dates when he wasn't even interested in the first place."

"I don't think that was stupid," Blake said. "I did the same for Sun, just in case anything happened."

"At least Sun loves you."

"And Jaune does you," Blake stressed.

"Not like that. He loves me in the same way he loves you two."

"Really?" Blake raised an eyebrow. "Somehow, I doubt Jaune would kiss me like he did you."

Weiss' fingers flew up to touch her lips, and Yang knew she was reliving that moment. Still, as tactless as it might have been, it was also a pretty decent point. Jaune treat her and Blake like daughters, the latter more than herself – but even so, she felt like she could have gotten naked in front of him and he'd hand her a shirt.

That kiss with Weiss, though? That seemed a lot more than some friendly smooch.

"He was just trying to prove a point," Weiss protested.

"And what point was that?"

"I said he rejected me because I was ugly or bossy," Weiss said. She held her head a little lower when both Blake and she stared at her. "I know," Weiss said guiltily, "I… I felt crushed. I wasn't thinking straight."

"So, he kissed you to prove you're desirable?"

"I guess…"

"And doesn't that mean he finds you as such?" Blake asked. "I mean, I wasn't sure about Sun so all I gave him was a kiss on the cheek. I don't think I would have been able to do what Jaune did without feeling into it."

"I don't want to think about it," Weiss sighed. "I don't want to get my hopes up. Jaune said no and I want to respect his choice. I just want to get over this…"

Yang felt her respect for her teammate grow, which felt odd, since she already held so much for her. When they'd first become a team, Weiss Schnee had seemed like such a stuck-up and spoiled little brat. Then again, Jaune was a lazy idiot and Blake was an anti-social girl who didn't seem willing to be a friend. It just went to show what first impressions meant.

If Weiss wanted to move on, however, then it was her job as friend, teammate and surrogate daughter to help her. She looked to Blake, who seemed to read her mind and nod back. They both pressed against Weiss, who didn't make any move to retreat away from them.

They would be okay… even if recent events had been painful. _Weiss is strong… and when she's not strong; she has us to be strong for her. Team Jazzberry isn't going to crack over something like this. Not a chance._

"You know what this calls for, then?" Yang cheered, leaned over and grabbed some more pop and treats. "We need to eat, drink and complain about stupid boys – mostly Jaune and Sun."

Weiss laughed bitterly. "How will talking about them behind their backs help?"

"It's cathartic, plus it helps to remind us that they're just normal people, no matter how confused they can make us feel at times. Also, it's not like we're doing anything he doesn't already expect. Besides, a thousand lien says he's talking or thinking about us right now anyway."

/-/

"What do you think happens at a girl's sleepover anyway?" Qrow asked with a sense of childish curiosity. "My sister never told me, though knowing her, I doubt she attended any." The huntsman followed his comment up with a loud belch. Somewhere further down the bar, a person cheered.

"Probably crying," Jaune said as he let his bottle fall back down onto the counter. "That or complaining about me."

"What makes you think that?"

Jaune's eyes closed as he rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Yang wants to help Weiss get over me," he explained. "She's not going to be able to do that until she accepts what happened. Yang knows that; she's smarter than she looks. She'll get Weiss to cry it out and then help her come to terms with it afterwards."

"As her uncle, I feel like I should be offended at the smarter than she looks comment." Qrow looked down into his drink, as though asking whether he could must up the energy to be offended at all. Whatever he found hidden amongst the ice-cubes, it seemed to indicate no. He took another long swig and gasped. "You ever think you did the wrong thing? I mean, isn't it easier to date her and see what happens?"

For any other person, maybe. The future was an uncertain thing and anything could happen. Jaune wished it felt like that to him, in which case he might accepted. "Let's just say I've got a feeling it would end badly," he said and took another drink. It would end with him or her dead, and a new life where the love they might share went forgotten. How was he supposed to deal with that? "Things are better this way."

"Your life, kid. You want me to talk about something else?"

"Please," Jaune sighed, relieved despite himself.

"How about you, then? Yang and Ruby tell me all about ya, but I've got a feeling their accounts are a little biased."

Jaune chuckled at the almost certainly correct point. "Is that why you asked me to go out drinking? I did think it a little odd you'd take a student with you."

"No man wants to drink alone," Qrow said, "Though to tell you the truth, you're not far off. You're the leader of my niece's team, not to mention a pretty interesting kid."

"You want to interrogate me?"

"Too melodramatic. Wanted to have a man to man over some drink, get the scope of you. Care to skip the foreplay and just lay it on me?"

The request was so blunt that Jaune couldn't help but laugh. Maybe it was the alcohol too, since he'd been throwing them back with reckless abandon. "I'm nothing special," he said. "Grew up in a little settlement called Ansel. Never really wanted to be a huntsman."

"I got the scoop from Ozpin. I know he as good as forced you into Beacon."

Jaune spared a glance for the older man. "Did he tell you how?"

"If you're asking if I know about Yang, then yeah, I do." Qrow sighed and rested his glass on the table. "I'd take her to task but… well, it's not a subject I want to cross with her if I can help it. There's some personal business involved."

"She was asking after a woman."

"I figured…" Qrow downed his drink. "I don't know if Yang has, but I'll apologise on her behalf. She didn't mean to do what she did. I doubt she could even control herself."

"I don't blame her. I've already forgiven her."

"You have? That's… generous, considering what she did."

Amusement bubbled through him, even if he hid it in his bottle. Sure, Yang had caused him some problems, but for every problem she caused he could recall a hundred times she'd saved his life. She never held a grudge every time she died… well, she didn't remember it, but if she didn't hold a grudge for that, how could he for starting a fight? "I started that fight as much as she did, anyway. I was drunk and in a bad mood… honestly, I was looking for a fight."

"And you chose Yang?" Qrow whistled. "That's brave."

"I didn't say it was my smartest idea. I think Ozpin's interference as good as proves that."

"How did you hold out against Yang anyway? Not for nothing, but she was one of the best at Signal and if you didn't plan to be a huntsman, I doubt you had much in the way of training."

A trick question if he'd ever heard one, and Jaune cursed himself for walking into it. It wasn't one he hadn't faced before, however, and he had his stock answer. "Maybe you could call it the legacy of a misspent youth," he said, smiling at the line stolen off an old movie. Then, just because he felt like he could, "That or time travel. You pick."

"Wise ass." Qrow laughed and ordered another round for them. "Some time traveller you'd be if you got stuck in Beacon then had to turn down your partner at the dance. If it were true, I'd ask for my money back."

 _Ouch… burned._ Jaune made a show of taking a drink, before he excused himself to use the bathroom. It was a dinghy and grimy little thing, the whole bar being pretty shanty in itself. On the way, he bumped into a tired-looking businessman in a suit and muttered an apology.

When the man left, Jaune looked down at the scroll he'd pick pocketed. _If I send a text as Silver, Qrow and the teachers will know about Mountain Glenn. They'll authorise the mission and the breach will be sabotaged._

Should he, though? If he didn't do this, not only would the breach occur and kill untold people, but both Tram JBWY and RRNN would be sent on different missions. He had no idea what those missions would be, since RWBY always did Mt Glenn and his team cancelled their own to support and stop the breach. Who was to say the missions they would have gone on might not have been just as dangerous. What if by not having this mission, Team Rubine would be sent on a mission that might kill them?

At the very least, he knew what to expect with Mountain Glenn. It was predictable and familiar, and he could use his foreknowledge to ensure it went as planned.

 _But it would put us back in Cinder's sights and she might attack Weiss again like she did the last._

What was the right call?

Frustration burned away inside him. In the end, he typed out the message but didn't send it. Qrow would only be suspicious if he got a message at the exact moment he was absent, anyway. It would be better to send it _while_ he was at the bar with the man.

If he decided it was best to send it at all.

Qrow nodded and held up a fresh drink as Jaune came back and slipped onto the stool. The scroll was held beneath the bar, his thumb on it as the bottle and tipped it back. "Easy with that," Qrow sighed. "I know I said I'd pay for you, but I didn't expect you to handle it like this."

Jaune shrugged and slammed the empty bottle down. "Half your age and I have a better tolerance than you. I'd say that's disappointing but I'm fairly sure we already know that based on how many more women I've slept with."

"Quality over quantity."

"Keep telling yourself that, Qrow."

"You're a mouthy little brat, aren't you?" the older huntsman laughed. "Most people call me Mr Branwen or at least don't have the balls to take the piss like you. I'd call it arrogance."

Jaune shrugged.

"Except I know you can back your words up, at least a little." Qrow made a show of taking a drink, though he paused to reach out one hand and ruffle Jaune's hair. "That said, don't be thinking you're strong enough to take me on, kiddo. I'm leagues above someone like Torchwick. Still... you did good. I heard about what happened at the docks from Yang. There's not many people your age who could stand up to Roman Torchwick, let alone win."

"Did they say I won? I'm fairly sure we both got blown up."

"Still better than most fresh students manage." Qrow pointed out.

"We were surrounded by dust," Jaune shrugged, "What can I say? Nothing equalizes the skill gap like high explosives."

"Heh… I can get behind that." Qrow handed him a new bottle and held his own up. They clicked the necks together in cheers before tipping them back. When they were done, the older man wiped his lips and continued. "Truth be, kid, it wasn't just to get the measure of you that I invited you down."

"You wanted to beg for me to take you under my wing and teach you my secrets with women?" Jaune teased. There was a long moment's silence. "That was a joke, Qrow."

"Damn, and I was honestly thinking about it too," the man laughed. "Anyway, wanted to put you in the picture since both you and your team got involved with Torchwick at least once. You ever heard of a place called Mountain Glenn?" Jaune choked on his drink and sprayed it across the counter. Qrow slapped a hand into his back. "Whoah there, kid. I'm paying for this!"

"I-I've heard of the place," he coughed, thumb still on the send message button. "Failed settlement, right?"

"That's one way of putting it. The whole place was overrun; biggest disaster since the last war. Nowadays it's deserted… a real ghost town." Qrow raised an eyebrow at him. "Or rather, it was. Now, there's White Fang out there. Curious, eh?"

"How do you know?" Jaune asked, internally wondering how they'd found out. Beneath the counter, he retracted his hand and stowed the scroll away. The effort felt pointless now. _This has never happened before… then again, a lot of what's going on nowadays feels new._

"You remember how your team went and bust up a White Fang joint without you?" the huntsman grinned. "Well along with the Atlas robots we rescued, there were a couple of unconscious terrorists. They're just normal people at the end of the day… stick em in a dark room, mention the thumbscrews and let their imagination do the rest. They talked even before we mentioned lesser sentences."

Naturally… most of the White Fang were, after all, just normal faunus disgruntled with their lot in life. For the Mountain Glenn mission, especially, since they weren't expected to survive. "Should you really be telling me this?" he asked. "This feels like something you shouldn't share over some drinks."

"You'd find out in a few days anyway," Qrow said. "I've been tasked to lead a Beacon team on a mission to scout the area. I've decided to take you guys."

Jaune's hands clenched into fists and his breath came out in harsh pants. Was this the influence of fate again? Or was it just the culmination of the events up until this point? Jaune wracked his mind to try and think of how much had changed, but it didn't seem enough to warrant such divergence. Also, why not Oobleck, since he usually ran the mission? Too much had changed, too much was different. In the end, the question that slipped from his lips was only the first of many he wished to ask. "Why us?"

"Your team has experience fighting against people," Qrow said blandly. "It's something plenty of others don't. What's more, I know you at least know your way around a fight. If we end up against Torchwick, then I'd rather have a team that isn't going to freeze up at hand."

Logical, understandable but still so different. It made sense enough not to set off any alarms, but that still didn't make him feel better. "Not Ruby's team?" he asked, just to be sure.

The huntsman sent him a strange look but sighed and explained. "Ruby and her partner fought that woman in the CCT." When Jaune didn't look surprised Qrow laughed. "Heh, figured she'd have told you. Anyway, if that person ends up there, the last thing I want is a team where half the members are already known by the enemy. Ruby's partner had to use her semblance, and Ruby used hers too, no doubt. The enemy knows them, and worse, has showed they can already beat them once."

"And so, you turned to us…" Jaune looked down into his bottle for answers. There were none, and in a way, he was relieved. The agony of choice had been driving him up the wall. In a strange way, it felt nice to have it taken from his hands.

"Your team fought against White Fang, which we know will be there. You fought against both them _and_ Torchwick, who might also be there. The choice is obvious and I'd rather have a first-year team who knows the enemy than an older one going in blind." Qrow turned to him with a smirk. "And that's why I'm also breaking the rules to tell you about it now. If you need any time to prep, I don't see the point in robbing you of it just to make an already rough situation worse."

Someone who would break the rules. He could get behind that. Jaune chuckled and downed the rest of his drink. "Thanks for letting me know, then. I'll tell the others tomorrow."

"Keep it quiet, though. Don't really want Goodwitch knowing I told you all. Try to act surprised when you're called out for it too."

Jaune couldn't help but laugh. "You're such a pussy…"

"No… I'm normal. You're just messed up."

Heh. He definitely was. Wasn't it the definition of insanity to continue doing the same thing over and over when you knew it wouldn't work? If so, he was the most insane person in Remnant. Still… Mountain Glenn might be an issue. Fate shouldn't throw him any curveballs since he was doing what was meant to be done, and it had always gone well before… maybe it wouldn't be so bad; maybe it would be routine.

 _At least I won't have to live with the knowledge that I sacrificed hundreds of innocent people in order to keep my team safe._ Not yet, anyway. Those choices would come in time and he doubted he could get out of each one on the back of Qrow's ability to hunt down the enemy. For now, though, it was a welcome relief. _I guess even I can get lucky every now and then._

"One last drink for the road?" Qrow offered.

"That... sounds grand."

/-/

Weiss shuffled on her bed as the others slumbered on. Zwei was curled up against her side, and although her eyes felt red and raw, she also felt a little lighter too. Yang had been right, it seemed. It helped to cry it all out. Each breath she let out was no longer weighed down by bitter pain. She no longer felt like she might break down and cry at any moment. She felt free... it felt good. At that moment, she didn't think she could have loved her team anymore than she already did.

 _Father would have been disgusted to see a Schnee cry like that…_

Somehow, that made it all the better.

A sigh slipped past her lips as she looked towards the empty bed in the room. His absence was telling, and not only because of the aching hole in her chest. One finger twitched atop Zwei's head as she looked towards her scroll on the bed side table. She shouldn't… she knew that. It would be a backwards step, especially when she'd no doubt see him tomorrow anyway. It would make her seem weak, hurt… desperate. Were Yang awake, Weiss was sure the girl would have tackled her off the bed.

The scroll hummed silently as the call started.

" _Ugh…_ " Jaune's voice, but not his face came through. _"Weiss? That you?"_

"Hey…" she whispered, uncertain... afraid.

" _Are you okay? I-"_ Jaune paused to say something to someone else, and her heart turned to stone in her chest. _"Sorry about that,"_ he said, _"Yang's uncle is being a pain."_

Relief poured through her. "Mr Branwen? What are you doing with him?"

" _Don't call him mister… it'll go to his head. He offered to put me up for the night so I'd have somewhere to sleep."_

So, he hadn't gone to sleep with some random woman. Weiss' breath hitched as a watery smile crept across her face. It shouldn't have bothered her. He wasn't beholden to her… he was free to do whatever he wanted.

It would have bothered her, though.

" _Why are you calling anyway?"_ he asked. _"Are you okay? Is anything wrong?"_

The naked concern in his voice made her pulse race. "I'm fine," she whispered. "I just… I guess I just wanted to see if you were okay." She was thankful for the lack of camera which hid her blush. "Obviously, my reputation would be tarnished if someone found you asleep in the middle of a corridor."

" _Your reputation?"_ Jaune snorted. _"I think my face would be tarnished from all the people who would step on me. Are you okay, though? Did… do you feel better?"_

"I do." Weiss said honestly. "Yang and Blake… they helped."

" _I'm glad."_

"Me too."

A long silence stretched out between them, punctuated only by the occasional snort from Yang and Blake's steady breathing. Weiss felt it should have been an awkward pause, but it didn't feel like that. If anything, it felt like they were sat smiling at one another.

Mr Branwen yelled something in the background, and she was sure she heard the word `bed` and `call`.

She giggled. "I'll let you get some sleep, then. I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast?"

" _I'll be there. This room is an absolute tip. I don't think I could spend another night here without developing some kind of disease."_ He sounded so horrified that she couldn't help but giggle. _"I'll see you tomorrow Weiss. I got a tip off about the upcoming missions too. I'll tell you at breakfast. See you."_

"I l-" Her face went white. "Goodnight, Jaune."

"… _Goodnight, Weiss."_

The call ended, the scroll striking the floor a moment later. It slipped out so casually and Weiss' hands gripped her sheets as she took several deep breaths. Her eyes didn't water, nor did she feel any pain. If anything – and far worse – her body felt light and she wanted to smile.

She groaned into Zwei's fur instead.

"I'm not over him…"

* * *

 **Okay, wow, this chapter was so hard – mainly for the house and animal-sitting reasons. I cannot** _ **wait**_ **for this weekend to be over so they can come back and take their pets away. They're so nice and cute and affectionate, but argh – my writing time!** _ **Everything**_ **this week was pushed back… like, I don't think I got anything to College Fool on time because of it. I never realised how important those four hours in the evening each night are!**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed the chapter regardless. It covered some necessary topics but also pushed us firmly into the next little arc. I'm trying to increase my pacing a little bit since some have pointed this fic as being unusually slow in that regard.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 11** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	30. Chapter 30

**My Gods, the slow feeling of actually clawing back my writing into a decent schedule. It's so easy with fewer animals to look after. My dogs are sweethearts and happy to sit by me while I write, or cuddle against me. My sister's dogs, though, ugh… attention seeking to the max, even when the ferret isn't climbing on my head.**

* * *

 **Beta** : College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 30 – Bracing for Impact**

* * *

It was official. They'd entered the Twilight Zone. Yang knew it when she cracked her eyes open and could see Jaune stood above her. It wasn't that his presence was unusual, but the fact he was awake before her – or any of them. What also set off alarm bells was the fact he was in full armour. But neither his presence nor his outfit made her gasp as loud as the bucket he held in his hands. His wide grin didn't help, either.

"Time to wake up!" he shouted, and upended it above her.

Ice-cold water dashed against her skin, prompting a sharp intake of breath and a scream that could have woken the dead - but settled for Blake and Weiss instead.

Both were trained huntresses in their own right and ready for action, so it came as no surprise when their immediate reaction to being woken up was to consider it a threat. Weiss lashed out with one fist at the air above her, while Blake combat rolled off her bed, tackled the floor and head-butted it into submission.

" _What_ is that racket!?" Weiss gasped, one hand on her heart as she looked around the room with wide eyes. They narrowed when she spotted Jaune, empty bucket in hand. "Jaune? What on Remnant are you doing?"

"Waking you up," he said. He then blinked and pointed down at Yang's chest, or rather what the cold water had done to a certain part of her anatomy. "Someone's looking perky this morning."

Yang would admit to a small amount of satisfaction when her cushion hit him with all her strength, especially when he let out a loud `oof` and collapsed to his knees. She drew the sheets up over her chest, then scowled and tossed them aside when it just made her wetter.

"I'm going to get changed," she growled. "Stay there and be ready to die when I return."

"Wear your combat gear," Jaune groaned. "Not your uniform."

"Why?"

"You'll need it."

Yang glowered suspiciously at him but did as commanded, returning from the bathroom in time to see Jaune stood facing a wall and the other two getting changed. "Not having a shower?" she asked.

"No point," Jaune said. "Ember Cecilia is on your bed by the way."

"These were in my locker…" She reached down and picked them up, quickly strapping them onto her arm. "Do I even want to ask how you broke into my locker?"

"Probably not."

"Do I even want to ask why I'm not the slightest bit surprised you _can_ break into it?" she grumbled. Somehow it didn't surprise her at all, even if it would have required her scroll or password, both of which were firmly kept on her person. "Ugh, forget it; it's like, seven in the morning… on a weekend. Why are we even awake? Why did you go steal our weapons?"

"I didn't steal them."

"You broke into our lockers!"

"Eh… I gave them back."

She could feel a headache forming. The way he acted, not to mention the grin she could see – even with him standing with his back to her… it reminded her all too much of how he'd been back when Beacon started. It was an ominous sign.

"Can I turn around yet?"

Yang looked to the others to see that they were all changed, but shook her head anyway. "No. You get to stand in the naughty corner and think about what you did."

He turned around and rolled his eyes at her. "Cute. Anyway, are you all ready?"

"Ready for what?" Weiss sighed. "Jaune, you snuck in, woke us up, soaked Yang and basically threw our weapons at us. We need more explanation than that. What are we supposed to be ready for?"

Jaune smirked. It wasn't a happy thing, nor was it amused. It looked like the kind of smile a mass murderer might wear a second before he started chopping.

"Training," he cheered.

That was around about the time Yang decided that yes, it definitely was the twilight zone they'd entered and no, it wasn't about to get any better.

"Training?" Weiss repeated, as though she expected she had misheard him. "You, Jaune Arc, laziest man in Beacon… are suggesting that we train?"

"Yep."

Weiss looked over to her and then to Blake. Neither of them had an answer for the sudden shift in his behaviour, except that they could all agree it was suspicious as hell. "Why?" Weiss asked, her eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

"I want to see my team soar to new heights," Jaune preached. He held his hands wide before him, eyes pointed toward the ceiling. "I've reached an epiphany in which I can see our potential realised, our distant capabilities test-"

A pillow to the face cut him off.

"Nice shot," Yang said. Blake smiled back.

"Jaune," Weiss sighed. "Please, it's too early for this… assuming you haven't been abducted by aliens and brainwashed, can we have the actual reason?"

Their leader's smile fell, replaced by a more serious expression. "We have a mission coming up." he said.

"The mid-term missions?" Yang stifled a yawn behind one hand. "Yeah, I heard about them… they shouldn't be too hard, though. We can handle it without waking up early for training."

"Not this one," Jaune said. "I'll tell you about it after, I promise. Let's just say we're getting a _special_ mission."

That caught her attention. Why would they have a special mission? Or was it just that Jaune called it such when it was something else entirely? Either way, that didn't answer the big question.

"How do you know what mission we have?" Blake asked. "Isn't that restricted information?"

Yang groaned. "Oh my god, you hacked into the Beacon servers… we are so expelled."

"Actually, no. Let's just say a big, drunken, middle-age-crisis-suffering bird told me."

Weiss and Blake looked confused, but Yang felt no such emotion. She sighed instead and palmed her forehead. "I thought you smelled like booze. You went out drinking with my uncle?"

"Yep. Then again, the smell didn't come from the drink. Would you believe me if I said his entire room stinks of booze?" She would, if only because she'd had the misfortune of visiting his home in Patch. "Anyway," he went on, "Your uncle is going to be the official huntsman that gets assigned to our mission and he's told me a little bit of what it's about."

"You mentioned that last night," Weiss mumbled, then panicked when Yang's eyes swivelled over to her. Last night? Had Weiss spoken to Jaune? "S-So, what's the mission about?" Weiss asked, almost too anxious to divert attention.

"I'll tell you after training," Jaune said. "You'll be too exhausted to think about it anyway."

"That sounds like a challenge," Yang said. "If I recall, you're the one with the poor fitness around here. Do you really think you'll be able to keep up with your young and fresh daughters, let alone wear us out?"

Jaune's responding grin was filled with _far_ too much malice. "Oh, I won't be the one in charge of your training," he said, "I enlisted a little… _help_ with that."

The door to their room slammed open, Nora practically _rolling_ into the room. She came to a stop before Jaune, hands planted on her hips and smile bright enough to rival the sun. "Right _maggots_ ," Nora yelled. "I've been made aware there are three girls in need of personal training! Are you ready to sweat!?"

"Nora?" Yang tilted her head to one side. Somehow, it didn't surprise her in the slightest that Jaune would outsource the task to someone else. She was surprised he'd bothered to wake them up in the first place.

Still… how bad could it be?

/-/

"My wrist really hurts," Jaune said, working his left wrist with his other hand. He made sure to keep his eyes on his teammates, and to suppress his grin. He wasn't sure he was very successful but they always said it was the thought that counted, right? "I mean, wow… making all those pancakes really did a number on me."

Yang groaned and weakly threw a fist in his direction. It impacted limply on the cafeteria table. Blake might have also thought about saying something rude, but she gave up after trying to push her face off the wood and finding the effort too much.

Weiss just sat there, still shaking slightly.

"Nora?" Ren asked with a knowing expression.

"Nora," Jaune nodded happily. "I asked her to help with a little training session for my team in exchange for pancakes. Honestly, it's amazing how far I'm willing to go for them. Someone should get me a medal."

Yang's fist knocked over a cup as she tried to slither it over to knock him out. It bumped against his arm, then, when that didn't do the necessary damage, gave up entirely.

"I think what we're all wondering is just _why_ you felt such was necessary," Pyrrha said. "At least, I _think_ I'm interpreting Yang's groans correctly."

Jaune would have said they had more swear words in them really, probably ones that compared his face to various examples of faecal matter. Still, it wasn't without good reason and they did need to be prepared. _If I thought some last minute training would be enough to help me, I'd have joined in._ Not that the morning's training would help them at Mountain Glenn; it was too soon and they wouldn't make any meaningful improvement in a day or two. It would prompt them towards making their own preparations, however, and also to improve before the festival and the nightmare that would begin there.

"The missions are coming up," he explained, not only for the benefit of Team Rubine, but his own as well. "I happened to spend some time with a certain uncle of Yang and Ruby's, who revealed that he's taking us on his mission. He also suggested we get some last minute preparation in."

"Uncle Qrow told you what your mission was?" Ruby gasped, with the kind of expression that said her uncle was going to receive a very pouty, _very_ betrayed girl at his door in the next few hours. "He didn't tell me what _ours_ was…"

"That aside," Pyrrha smiled and patted her partner's head, "Was this really a necessary response? The missions are all fairly standard from what I understand. We even have a huntsman or huntress to accompany us. If it's just fighting Grimm, they should be more than capable already."

"They would be… if we were fighting Grimm."

His words were enough to bring some life back to the girls, who pushed themselves up into seated positions. Their faces were red, eyes even more so – and they took great gulps of air. Nora really did push you hard if you let her. He should know. He'd spent some repeats asking her to train him every day.

"You said before that you'd tell us," Weiss said.

"It better be good enough to warrant this," Yang threatened. Blake didn't join in, but her narrowed eyes promised the same, if not worse, should he not have a good reason. Fortunately, he did. Jaune leaned forward and kept his voice low.

"Qrow wants us to hunt Roman Torchwick and the White Fang."

It was like a bomb going off. The table fell into complete silence, instantly dispelled as Blake gasped and sat straight, Pyrrha choked on her drink and Weiss slammed a hand down.

"What?" Weiss gasped. "Are they insane? Why would they ask _us_ to do something like that?"

"Is this because of what happened at the warehouse?" Yang asked, receiving a nod from him. "Sheesh, I guess that just keeps on coming back to bite us. What do you mean hunting them down, though?"

"I mean just that," he said. "After your little jaunt against the White Fang, Qrow apparently captured some of their members who they interrogated. There's something going on in a place called Mountain Glenn – what, I don't know," he added to Blake's almost immediate attempt to ask a question. She frowned and sat back down. "That's what we're to find out, or so I gather. We're going to sneak in with Qrow – and the place is Grimm-infested, by the way, then we're going to look for signs of White Fang activity and trace them back to Torchwick."

"And then what?" Ruby asked nervously. "Are you meant to fight him?"

 _We're not meant to, but we'll almost certainly end up doing so._

"I doubt it," he said instead, more than aware of his hypocrisy. "We're probably just there to locate him and see what's happening so that your uncle can call in reinforcements. Still, we're going to be going against Grimm, White Fang _and_ a dangerous criminal."

"Hence the rather abrupt work out," Weiss sighed. "Our enemies are going to be far stronger than what we're used to.

"That means I can't be angry at you for the training," Yang sighed. He rolled his eyes at how disappointed she sounded. "Still, why give this to people like us? We're only students."

"It's because of who we are, isn't it?" Blake's question brought everyone's attention to her. The black-haired faunus frowned and looked at each of them. "We're one of the stronger teams of the year, but still below older ones. One thing we have, however, is experience fighting against all three of those things."

"Bingo~" Jaune made a firing motion at her with his thumb and finger.

The girls looked at one another and began to talk between themselves and the other team about what that might mean and how dangerous it could be. Jaune watched from the outskirts, mind already whirring. Telling them couldn't hurt and in fact might even help. They'd always finished the mission safely anyway, but going in aware of what they might face would only make it go smoother. It wasn't that he was going back on his promise not to get involved against Cinder… he would still live this life for his team and family. That wouldn't mean anything if he let them get killed early by goofing off, however. _In other repeats when I went here, I tried my best to succeed. I'll have to do the same now, if only to make sure I don't drag them down and get them killed._

Honestly, he didn't think it would be too hard. Qrow had mentioned the idea of preparation, which was something he agreed with and planned to make use of. Sometimes the biggest difference between something working or failing was how much preparation you were willing to put in. That would go doubly for him, given his current state. _Right now, I'm probably skilled enough to hold off or delay Torchwick or Neo, but they'll still outpace me. They're stronger, faster and have more stamina._

Critically, however, they didn't _expect_ Team JBWY. They couldn't prepare because they didn't know their operation was going to be rumbled. Given that it was his only advantage, he was prepared to take _real_ advantage of it.

Upping his team's training was just the first step. He'd make Roman _remember_ this.

"We're going to need to get some supplies," Jaune said, re-joining the conversation. "From what I gather, we'll be out there for a few days, so camping equipment would make our life easier."

"Information too," Weiss agreed. "I, for one, am not familiar with this Mountain Glenn place."

"You won't find any. Mountain Glenn was a failed settlement. My mother was a survivor," he added by way of explanation. "She told me what I know about it."

"Right," Weiss looked down at her food. "Well, I needed to go and stock up on dust in town anyway. I suppose we could all go together to pick up supplies."

"You three can. I have to go to a meeting with Qrow about the mission." He made a dismissive motion with one hand. "Nothing serious, just some stuff he wants to talk about, probably mission-related."

"You'll tell us later?"

"Or course."

Weiss nodded and seemed happy to accept it. "We can pick up some camping gear for you, then," she said. "Is there anything in particular you want?"

"Sleeping bag, pack and some decent tasting rations," Jaune said. He took out his card and handed it to her. "My pin is 7389. I'll message it to your scroll too."

"Ooh, sharing bank accounts already?" Yang teased. Her face went white a second later as she no doubt remembered that things weren't quite as they were before. The blonde looked like she'd just swallowed her own foot and knew it, lilac eyes darting over to see Weiss' reaction.

"It's fine," Weiss said, a smile in place, even if it wasn't quite all there. "Don't worry, Yang." She pushed his card into her skirt. "We'll get what basic supplies we can – and also some cooking equipment to share between one another. I'll do my best to stop Yang from splurging all your money on trash."

"Make sure Blake doesn't spend it on porn either," he said, grinning as said girl flashed him a furiously unimpressed look.

"I'll do my best," Weiss laughed and led them away.

 _She's still a little awkward around me… it's not as bad as it was before, though. I guess Yang and Blake really did help her. I owe them…_

"Do you know when you need to go on your mission?" Pyrrha interrupted his thoughts. "From what I recall, we won't even find out what ours is until tomorrow."

"Officially, we're the same. We'll be `assigned` our mission tomorrow and go on it just about straight after. The only difference is our huntsman told us two days early."

"I guess so… I wonder what our mission will be."

Hopefully, the same mission Team JNPR had received in previous lives. That shouldn't be hard since the location was important to Ren. He'd probably pick it out this time as well and Ruby being Ruby, she wouldn't turn his request down. _Really, everything should turn out just the same… I hope it does anyway. We really need them there when the breach hits._

Otherwise they'd be exhausted, injured and low on aura when a bucket load of Grimm landed in the middle of the city.

Hmm… maybe it would be wise to add a little extra security there.

"I've got to go, anyway," he said, pushing himself up from the table. "I have to go and have a chat with a certain bird, gather some supplies and then meet with the headmaster. I'll see you all later, I guess."

"Good luck on your mission if we don't see you," Pyrrha smiled.

"Yeah, kick ass and take names!" Nora cheered. "Ooh, and bring me back a souvenir. I'd love a Beowolf."

"Heh… I'll see what I can do."

/-/

"Weiss, I'm _so_ sorry…"

It had to be the fourth or fifth time Yang had apologised, and Weiss sighed yet again. "Yang, it's fine," she said. "I told you before I didn't take any offence. I know you didn't mean it like that."

"It was automatic," the blonde chewed on her lower lip and looked genuinely anguished. "I always just teased you about it and I guess it came out before I could stop myself. I'm so sorry."

"Yang… really, it's okay." Weiss laughed and patted an arm on her teammate's hand. "I'm… I won't lie and say I'm completely over it, but you and Blake were right, it _did_ help to get it all out in a girl's night in."

"You mean a sleepov-"

"I know what I said…" Weiss glared playfully at the blonde. "Either way, it doesn't hurt as much as it did before and I think it would be worse if you were stepping on eggshells around me. Just act like normal. Nothing's changed."

Except that it had, as much as she wished otherwise. It was easy to say they would remain friends, even easier to say it wouldn't mean anything for their team, but it clearly did and already had in many ways. Yang no doubt knew that, especially if the look she wore was any indication.

"Okay," she said, "but I still am sorry. Dad always said I have a one way line between my brain and my mouth. Nothing gets filtered or thought about."

"Jaune knows you well, it seems."

"No, I mean my rea-" Yang paused and then burst into laughter. "You got me there… geez, is this revenge for all the times I did it to you?"

"A Schnee does not care about things such as revenge," Weiss smirked. "Didn't I tell you that before?" Yang spluttered something in return but Weiss ignored her in favour of inspecting a rolled up sleeping bag on a counter.

It looked good enough. The brand was a familiar and respected one, the material tough and unyielding. Huntsman goods normally were, and this was one of many shops in Vale which specialised in it. The gear tended to be heavier duty than what someone might use for a camping trip, but it also came with the inflated price tag to match. Still, those that bought cheap bought twice. If Jaune didn't have the lien, then she would happily fill in the extra.

 _He'll need a small tent too, something easy to set up since knowing Jaune, he won't have the patience for anything else._ She'd probably have to roll his sleeping back up again too. Even without having once gone on a mission with him, she felt assured he would be the kind of guy to try and brute force everything back into his bag without properly folding or storing it. _The things I do for you, Arc…_ she thought with a chuckle. The sleeping bag was hefted into her basket and carried along the aisle.

"You're not getting anything for yourself." Yang asked as they walked past without picking up another.

"I already have my own. It's from Atlas and is… well, I'm sure you can imagine."

"Worth more than everything I own combined?"

Weiss blushed but didn't say otherwise. She wouldn't have gone so far as to say that, but well… giving the price tag wouldn't exactly stop Yang from teasing her. It wasn't as though she'd had much choice over it. Her father had simply assigned the task to one of his people once she made it clear she couldn't be swayed, and that had been the end of it. One set of overly-expensive camping equipment shipped along with her other valuables.

"It wouldn't hurt to get some different pans," she admitted. "I think the person who chose mine assumed I'd have a retinue of gourmet chefs following me."

"That would be nice. Hey, Jaune has loads of random skills he keeps surprising us with. Do you think his cooking is one?"

Weiss paused to imagine her partner in an apron, a five course dinner arrayed before him. Somehow the image didn't fit, mostly because such a display would have taken an inordinate amount of effort. "I wouldn't bet my stomach on it," she chuckled. "You can feel free to."

"I think I'll pass. He still hasn't technically pranked me back for the whole locking him in a classroom thing. I'd rather not give him the chance to poison my food."

Weiss smirked. "You do realise he probably hasn't forgotten."

"I'm hoping the icy wake-up call this morning was it."

Weiss was about to say otherwise, but for a loud shout that interrupted them. Yang glanced over at her, and then in the direction it came from. With a sigh, they pushed down the aisle and towards the main counters.

"What's up?" Yang asked Blake, who stood before the cashier with a frustrated expression. The elderly woman on the other side frowned down on Blake, though her ire slipped to Yang too when she came near.

"Nothing," Blake said. "I was just making my purchase."

"Then take off the bow," the woman demanded. "You think you can hide something like that? I'm no fool. Take off the bow and if it isn't what I think it is, you can have your dust."

Weiss' eyes flicked to the bow atop Blake's head. Had the woman seen it twitch – or was she just paranoid? Either way, it wasn't something worth getting worked up over. "My teammate's choice of accessory is no concern of yours," Weiss said. "If she wishes to buy something, I don't see why it should matter."

"I'm not selling dust to one of her kind."

"She is a student of Beacon."

"She's an animal!"

"Weiss," Blake urged, placing her hands on her teammate's shoulders. "Ignore it. I'll shop elsewhere. Let's not cause a scene..."

White-hot anger burned under the heiress' skin, but she bit back on it when she saw the pleading look in those amber eyes. It was hard… very hard to control her fury. She wanted nothing more than to rant and shout at the bigoted, racist woman. She wanted to make her sweat, make her regret so much as _daring_ to treat Blake like she was somehow less than human. "Fine," she seethed instead. "In fact, perhaps we shall all shop elsewhere."

The elderly woman flinched when Weiss' basket hit the floor, carelessly spilling supplies out across the tiles.

"Come on, girls," Weiss called. "I'm sure we can find a higher quality establishment that doesn't subscribe to such petty reasoning."

"Good riddance," the woman snapped.

Weiss' hand tightened on the hilt of Myrtenaster, if only because the way it bit into her skin offered some reprieve.

"What a coot," Yang scowled outside. "Seriously, some people are just asses."

"Thank you, Weiss," Blake said. The girl looked relieved, but also a little pleased. "Other people might have heard… it might have made it back to Beacon. I appreciate you not causing a scene."

"I wanted to," Weiss admitted. "I wanted nothing more than to make her squirm; I still do."

"But you didn't," Blake smiled.

Weiss growled. "I'm still going to suspend dust sales to them. If they want to treat my team like that, they can try and find a different supplier." Good luck to them with that, too, since Torchwick had basically crippled dust coming into Vale. "I'll make her regret what she said… I just wish I could have seen her face."

Blake's cheeks darkened a little, but she smiled nonetheless. Maybe she was pleased that someone chose to stand up for her, but if that was the case, then it was a sad day indeed. _She should expect people to be on her side… not be surprised when it happens._

"I know a good place nearby," Blake said. "It's run by faunus, so it isn't very popular but they sell good stuff."

"It sounds perfect, Blake."

Right now, she wanted nothing more than to spend her money in a faunus establishment. In fact, maybe she should do that more often, just to drum up support for them. It was while Blake led them down the street that Yang sidled up and threw an arm around Weiss' shoulder.

"Look at you," she said, "all standing up for your daughter. You're so cute."

Weiss rolled her eyes but didn't dispute it. Jokes of Jaune and her being married were apparently out, and for good reason, but it seemed the mother – daughter comparisons were still going to be a thing. Honestly, she couldn't bring herself to mind as much as she used to. Teammate, friend, daughter… they all sort of generated the same response. If someone chose to belittle Blake for her heritage, it would invoke fury in them all immediately.

"Jaune would have done far worse," Weiss chuckled. "That woman should count herself lucky he isn't here. His protective streak runs a mile wide, and is as vicious as a Beowolf."

"I'm glad he's not here, then," Blake said. "I appreciate it, I really do… but sometimes he can be a little…"

"Blunt?"

"That's a good way of putting it. Jaune is like a battering ram. He would have wanted that woman to suffer and know what she'd done wrong." Blake smiled back at her. "I much prefer your surgical strikes… especially since they don't come with the same theatrics. I like that we don't have to run away in fear because he did something ridiculous in revenge."

Weiss and Yang had a quick laugh at that. She could just imagine him making the woman look the fool, but Blake was right… Jaune wouldn't stop there. He would have done something to damage the store, likely feigned tripping and knocked over mannequins and aisles, forcing them to flee in panic. "It's a sign of how much he cares about you," Weiss said.

"I-I know," Blake said, and even though the girl walked ahead of them, they could see how the back of neck turned red. "I'm not… I can't complain about that," she said. "It's just… sometimes I wish it could be a little more subtle."

"You mean instead of how just about everyone in Beacon knows you're his adopted daughter?"

"It's not that bad… is it?"

"Sun asked him for permission to date you," Weiss reported with a smirk. "By this point I wouldn't be surprised if Ozpin accepted Jaune's signature in place of any other guardian."

Blake groaned and mumbled something under her breath. Yang laughed and rushed up to tease her, leaving Weiss to follow behind and watch them with a fond, patient smile. Team Jazzberry wasn't what she'd expected it to be… in her mind, back then, she'd imagined a team in which she was the leader and they would follow and respect her orders. They would follow her because they knew she was the correct one to lead, and that she was intelligent and decisive.

The thought of that now… it felt so lonely.

 _I don't want this to end,_ she realised with a frown. _When Beacon is over… when we graduate… I don't want this to stop._ The thought was enough to make her throat feel dry, and she swallowed and let her eyes drift shut. An amused huff escaped her. _Look at me… we've not even finished our first year and I'm already thinking about losing them. Maybe it's me who needs to stop being so dramatic._

"What do you think of this mission?" Blake asked, in what was probably a desperate attempt to draw the conversation away from how she became a docile kitten whenever `Papa Arc` was involved. "Don't you think it's strange how little we've heard of this Mountain Glenn place? Have you heard of it before, Weiss?"

"No… the name is new to me."

"And you're usually the one who reads that kind of stuff," Yang said. "It's a failed settlement from what Jaune said, right? His mom came from there, so I suppose it makes sense he knows about it. You think they knew that when they chose our team?"

"I'm not sure why they would." Weiss sighed and flicked some hair back over her shoulder. "That was likely long before he was born. I'm sure he's mentioned that he was born in Ansel before."

"Just a coincidence, then," Blake said. "I tried to search for a little information about it on my scroll on the Bullhead ride here. I found some news articles inviting people to go and live there, how it would be the next great step." The faunus sighed. "I didn't find any afterwards. The stories just… stopped."

"A failed settlement," Weiss said. "From those words we can assume the place fell, and I believe Jaune said Mr Branwen mentioned Grimm, so no mystery over what caused it. I would take a guess that the Council put an embargo on all news pertaining to the event."

"Government cover-up?" Yang grinned. "Isn't that a little on the conspiracy theory side of things?"

"They're not as uncommon as you might think, and never quite as selfish either. For instance, if there was an illness among cattle, they would seek to restrict news so that exports aren't impacted. Obviously, they wouldn't risk the lives of innocent people, but it might only be one herd, and international panic could drive hundreds of farmers out of business. In this case, however, I expect they limited the news available so as to prevent a panic."

"To prevent the Grimm being drawn to Vale too," Blake finished. "I suppose it makes sense, even if it feels immoral."

Weiss shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, there's bound to be people who benefitted too. The people who thought it was a good idea in the first place, for instance, or those who weeks before influenced innocent people to walk into what by the sounds of it became a death trap."

"The victors write the history books." Blake's hands clenched into fists. "We are… more than familiar with that."

An uncomfortable feeling pooled in Weiss' stomach, namely from the fact that she knew her family was likely responsible for much of what Blake meant. Victors wrote the history books, yes, but there were often those behind those figures – who often provided financial support and incentives. Her father liked to have his hands in as many places as possible.

"We've still got the mission," Yang reminded. "What are we going to do about it? Should we ask Jaune for more info?"

"Would he know any?" Weiss countered. "If his mother survived it then I'm not sure how much she would want to share with him. It could have been traumatic for her, after all."

"We should try and find out ourselves," Blake said. The black-haired girl turned to face them, arms crossed beneath her breasts. "Jaune is already preparing in his own way," she said. "I think… we rely on him a lot, it seems. Maybe we should do a little research of our own, for once. The more we know about Mountain Glenn, the less surprised we'll be."

"Can't hurt, I guess." Yang shrugged. "What do you think, Weiss?"

She felt Blake was showing her daddy-issues again, but she couldn't complain. Jaune _had_ done a lot for them lately, and he'd also had to put up with her feelings towards him – which looked to be as awkward for him as it was for her. "I like the idea," she said. "Blake is right; Jaune is already busy, so let's do this ourselves. We can check the library back at Beacon, or even ask Doctor Oobleck."

"I'm not sure that will be any better," Blake warned. "The school terminals are linked to the same resources our scrolls are. It might be just as censored."

Weiss tutted and looked to the side. "I'm not sure what else to do, then," she said. "We could try a physical library and read through history books… that could take days, though."

"I might know someone," Yang chimed in with a small grin. "He's a shady character, but he's good for info, or so I hear. He works in Vale too, so we can check him out before we go back."

"We should do it after our supplies," Blake suggested. "This is the place I was talking about." She indicated towards a small building, far less impressive than the one they'd shopped at before, and likely because of the dog-eared man who stood behind the counter. He looked nervously in their direction as they entered, but attempted a pleasant smile.

He seemed to relax a little when Weiss nodded politely back. Her critical eyes scanned the shelves, noting that despite the smaller range, Blake had been correct when she said it stocked a similar quality.

"We'll go and see Yang's friend afterwards," she agreed. For now, though, they had supplies to buy. Weiss strolled over to the shelf and looked at the sleeping bag. Same brand; similar price… she picked it off the shelf and placed it in her basket. "This will do nicely."

/-/

"Ooh, this'll do nicely," Jaune grinned and grabbed the cartridge off the shelf. It fell back into his backpack with a light clank of metal on metal. His eyes perused the rest of the shelves, the aisle of grey metal platforms running on until the far wall. Various dust cartridges, weapons and supplies arrayed them, each of which caught his eye.

Something sparkled on one shelf, and he let out a cackle as he rushed up and grabbed it.

He spun the cane in one hand, clacked it against the floor and leant on it with a cocky smirk. "Hey, Red… isn't it past your bedtime?" He grinned. "Not bad, eh?"

" _Jaune_ ," Ruby hissed, grabbing Melodic Cudgel out of his hand and carefully putting it back on the shelf. "We shouldn't _be_ here. We'll get in trouble!"

`Here` referred to the Beacon Storage and Weapon's room, attached to the main arena and stocked with enough gear to supply about a hundred people. It was usually for the teacher's use or demonstrations, and included not only dust, ammo and explosives – but also some gear that could affectionately be called spoils of war, ergo Roman's weapon – which, if he remembered correctly, Blake had stolen and used to protect him against Neo.

Ruby didn't even notice when he reached back over to steal it. She was too busy going on about how much trouble they would be in if Miss Goodwitch caught them. The room was, after all, off limits to all students.

He didn't think there were any rules about time-travelling people, though. Talk about a glaring hole.

"It's _fine_ , Ruby. Here, how about a box of explosive sniper rounds?"

"N-No," Ruby waved her hands before her, though by the way they paused and twitched towards the rounds, not to mention how her eyes begged, he could tell she wanted them. "I-I can't," she said. "It would be wrong to steal them. We shouldn't _be_ here!"

"You don't have to be here. You're the one who followed me in."

"Well what did you expect me to do? Stand outside a door you broke into? I'd look like a criminal!"

"And you thought being found inside would somehow be better?"

"That's _so_ not the point!"

Wasn't it? It kind of felt like it was. Jaune smirked as he watched Ruby work herself up into a panic, eyes growing ever-wider as she rambled about what Miss Goodwitch would do when she found them. Most of the threats seemed unlikely since he was fairly sure the stern woman had never suspended someone upside down from Beacon's tower before. _And if she did with anyone, it would probably be me._

"Ruby," he chuckled, then tried again when she didn't stop. "RUBY!"

"Eh?" A piece of paper appeared before her face, which she took in both hands. "The bearer of this document, Jaune Arc, is approved to requisition whatever tools, supplies and/or ammunition he or she requires from the Beacon storerooms, subject to signature of licensed faculty member or official huntsman acting in capacity of faculty member." She read a little lower and then looked up at him with wide eyes. "You convinced uncle Qrow to sign this?"

"Since he's taking us on our mission, he counts as acting like a part of the staff." Jaune said. "So yeah, I'm free to take whatever I want and however much. Oh, look, that's the tazer I used on Cardin!" It got tossed into the bag.

"How?" Ruby gasped. "How did you manage to make uncle Qrow sign something like this!?"

"How…?" Jaune stroked his chin.

/-/

" _Mrbll…"_

" _Rise and shine, sleepy-head," Jaune grinned, perched over the incumbent form buried under his sheets. "Today is a glorious day and I need you to do something for me."_

" _Hrggh… Erkk… Fkk off…" Qrow pulled the sheets over his head and made a sound half-way between a cough and a desperate attempt to not be sick. While the man's tolerance was impressive, his ability to shrug off hang-overs was not, particularly before he'd had his morning drink. One didn't often deal with hangovers if one remained in a perpetual state of inebriation, after all._

" _I can't leave until you've signed something for me." He poked the huddled form and watched as the man twice his age curled into a ball and whimpered. "It's just that I need a few things for the mission… you know, just to make it go better? I thought you could sign this form for me. Then I could leave and let you sleep."_

 _A hand came out from under the blankets and flailed uselessly in the air._

" _Right here," Jaune said, pulling it to the parchment and pushing a pen between the fingers. Qrow grunted and scrawled something illegible vaguely in the vicinity of the dotted line. Actually, it was about three inches off and perpendicular to it, but close enough. "Thanks Qrow," Jaune waved and headed to the door. "See you on the mission~"_

 _Heh… too easy._

/-/

Jaune lowered his hand and looked down into Ruby's inquisitive face. "Let's just say I presented a strong argument. I can be persuasive when I want to be."

"So you're _allowed_ to take all of this?" Ruby asked, gesturing to the rather impressive amount of ordinance he'd filled his pack with.

Well… _allowed_ was probably a strong term, since he doubted the teachers would be pleased, or that they'd consider this much material to be acceptable for a single mission. Still, they didn't know just how important it was and he'd be proven right in time.

"Pretty much," he nodded.

"Ah…" Ruby paused and kicked one foot against the floor. "A-About those sniper rounds?"

"What about them? I don't have a sniper rifle and you said you didn't want them."

The distressed noise that came from Ruby's throat was nothing short of adorable. Her eyes widened, and her body shook as she tried and failed to articulate her request. She cheered when he laughed and placed a box in her hands, however. She engulfed him in a tight hug. "You're the best, Jaune!"

"I think most people would disagree after seeing me hand explosive ammunition to a fifteen year-old."

"Most people are stupid."

"Yeah, they are." He had no idea if her team would end up saving them at the breach or not, but Ruby having a little extra firepower couldn't hurt. "Don't use them all in one go," he warned, partly because it would be useful for her to save them until the festival, but also because he dreaded what might happen if she did.

"I know what I'm doing," Ruby pouted. "I may be fifteen but I'm better with guns than most people. I'm young; not a child."

"I know you're not," he said with a smile. It was hard to resist the urge to rub her head, but resist he did since he knew it would annoy her. Ruby was cute and innocent, but after spending so long with her in his past lives, he could agree that she was nothing like a child. "Anyway, I need to grab some more stuff. Hold my bag open for me, won't you?" He didn't wait for her response, but instead moved further down the aisles, picking off little bits and pieces that might prove useful – and not just to him.

Dust canisters were stored away that Weiss might use, while some magazines Blake might find useful were stashed in side pouches. There weren't any cartridges for Yang, her weapon being far too uncommon, but he did manage to pick up some explosives she might find amusing. He did pick a few things up for himself too, of course, and it was one of those that grabbed Ruby's attention.

"Wait," Ruby caught the handgun before it could disappear into his pack. "You're taking a gun? Do you even know how to us one?"

"Point at the enemy and pull the trigger?"

Ruby did her best Weiss Schnee impression, and actually managed to make him quiver for a moment.

"I'm joking, Ruby. Don't worry, I know how to use a gun – and I do mean properly use one."

She stared at him for a moment, as though judging his honesty. Whatever she saw must have pleased her, for she nodded and put the gun into his pack. "Who taught you?" she asked. "I doubt that's something for normal people to learn, even on the frontier."

"It's not," he agreed, half-distracted as he considered some dust that might have been a bit too low-tier for Weiss. "I was taught by a friend. She was a mastermind of ranged weapons, from using them to tinkering and creating new ones all by herself."

"Was she a close friend?"

"I loved her dearly."

"Was she… was she nice?"

"She was nice to her friends," he said, a smile slipping across his face. "She was brave, reliable and strong – more emotionally than physically. She could always smile, even in the worst of situations and wanted to help people be happy. She wanted to protect everyone."

"She sounds amazing," Ruby whispered. "Did she like cookies?"

"She _loved_ them. In fact, she wouldn't share them with anyone and would hoard them all to herself."

"Ugh…" Ruby grimaced. "I don't think we would have gotten along much."

He couldn't help it. He burst into laughter. That Ruby – _his_ Ruby – had died, but this one stood before him still and it was _so_ easy to see the similarities between them. "I think it would have been strange to see you together as well," he said. "She taught me how to use ranged weapons and wouldn't stop until I was half as good as her… which still put me above most people who use them."

"What happened to her?" Innocent, sweet, _naïve_ Ruby asked.

"She died."

"Oh…" Ruby's face went pale and she looked away. "I'm sorry…"

"It's fine. Come on, help me finish packing."

It took another fifteen minutes or so until he was happy with what he had, and even then it was enough to have his pack bulging at the seams. Ruby had a few extras too, though if anyone asked he'd sworn he would say she always had them. Ruby's enthusiasm slowly dwindled as they left the storage room and travelled back to their dorm, however.

By the time they reached it, he wasn't at all surprised when her small hand grasped his white coat and prevented him from entering.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"This mission," she said softly. "It sounds dangerous. I… don't like it."

What? Honest surprise flashed through him as he looked down on her. Ruby had never complained about Mountain Glenn before, even when she personally knew dangerous people were involved. She always supported it, never worried – and was the first out there to fight.

Oh…

"Is it because you're not coming?" he asked.

Ruby nodded, and he drew her in against his chest as she lowered her eyes and pressed her forehead against him. "Mom died on a mission like this," she whispered, "and now Yang's going on one too. It would be okay if I was there to help but… but…"

"You're worried something will happen and you won't be there to stop it," Jaune finished. He wrapped one arm around her back, the other coming behind to rest atop her head as she breathed heavily against his chest.

"It's silly," she admitted. "Yang's stronger than me; I know… but at least if it went wrong, we'd be in it together. I wouldn't have to live on my own if something happened."

Ruby almost always went to Mountain Glenn with them, where she fought alongside her sister. Come to think of it, of all the changes he'd made, this had to be the first time he'd ever broken Ruby and Yang apart in team organisation. Whenever Ruby didn't go, Yang didn't either.

"Hey now, you know I'm not going to let anything happen to her."

"I know… I just… I worry, okay? Summer always said she'd come back but she didn't. Dad took less missions because he didn't want something to happen to him, but Summer always refused. She was a hero and wanted to save everyone. Even though she said she'd always come back, there was a little part of me that knew she wouldn't one time."

"Ruby…"

"But you're different," she said, and poked him in the chest. Her eyes never once rose to his but she spoke regardless. "If you promised… I don't know why, but I'd believe it. So, promise me… promise me Yang will be okay but that Weiss and Blake will be okay too. Promise me you'll be okay and I'll believe it."

She would believe him over her own mother? A soft sigh escaped him and he held her against him, savouring her warmth. "I promise," he said. "I promise that everyone will come back from this mission alive. I promise Yang won't die and I promise to do everything I can to make sure we're all as safe as possible."

Ruby's hair brushed against his chin as she looked up at him with wide, silver eyes. "Do you mean that?" she asked. "Or are you just saying it to calm down someone you think is a silly child?"

"Hey now," Jaune smiled. "You're not a child and I've never seen you that way. I wouldn't lie to you, Ruby… not about this. I promise you I'll bring them back in one piece, so wait for us, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. Her smile came back, tentative at first, but then stronger as she pushed away. "I trust you," she said, and seemed almost surprised herself at how truthful that was. "You said you'll be fine, so you will be. I guess you've got uncle Qrow too."

"Yeah… he'll try and drag us down but don't worry, I'll bring his sorry carcass home too."

Ruby giggled and punched a hand against his chest. She then looked down at it, up at him, then stepped in once more to wrap her arms around him.

"Thanks, Jaune."

"Any time, Ruby..."

/-/

" _This_ is the place!?"

The sheer horror in Weiss' voice was enough to make Yang snicker. Yeah, Junior's place wasn't exactly up to the standards the Schnee heiress was probably used to, but it was still a damn sight ritzier than most places in Vale. Well, at least for a nightclub.

"It looks like a dump," Weiss sighed.

"It sounds loud," Blake complained. "I take it this is some kind of information broker?"

"Got it in one, kitty-cat," Yang grinned. "Junior's in the pocket of criminals but he knows his stuff." At least, that was what she'd been told before. He hadn't been very useful on finding her mother, but knowing about an overrun town that was apparently in the media couldn't be that hard. "Come to think of it, this is where I first met Jaune."

"At a place like this?" Weiss sounded horrified, then paused and sighed. "Why am I even surprised?"

"No idea, Weiss-cream. He wasn't here for information, though. He was just drinking at the bar."

"It sounds better than our meeting at least," Blake grumbled. Yang made a note to ask more about that when she had some free time. It sounded like a fun story if Blake's reaction was any indication.

"So, the two of you drank together?" Weiss asked.

"Er…"

"Yang?"

"We may… no, _I_ may have started a fight with him."

"Really, Yang?" Weiss sighed. "Do you make it a habit of starting bar fights with people?"

Not anymore, she didn't. Not after it nearly landed her in a heap of trouble. "It was a mistake," she sighed. "I was angry and Jaune did what he does best – make you even angrier. He gave as good as he got and we both got in trouble for it. I guess it was a wake-up call for me, because I decided afterwards to not do anything like that again."

"Is that why the two of you were so awkward around one another when the team first started?" Blake asked. "I remember you would look at him awkwardly."

"That's rich coming from you… what was it? Natasha? Bethany?"

"That and about ten other names," Blake glowered.

"Jaune was skilled at getting under the skin of all of us," Weiss said. "It's incredible, really… but perhaps more incredible that we rode it out and became a cohesive team. Now, are we going to sit here and reminisce or are we going to get this over with?"

Yang rolled her eyes to Blake, who smirked back, but they pushed the door open and entered the club regardless. The smoke and lights were familiar, but the dance floor was far emptier than it had been before. That was both a good and a bad thing, for while it meant no risk of anyone getting hurt, it also meant Junior – and his men – saw them the moment they entered.

"You…" the bearded man scowled. "You've got a lot of nerve coming round here, girlie."

Oh look, `girlie`, what a crippling insult. Yang rolled her eyes and ignored the goons that spread out around them. Weiss and Blake could deal with them if they had to, but she felt confident enough saying Junior knew that and wouldn't risk it. She'd taken them all down herself… no telling what three of them could do.

"Hey there, Junior. I like what you've done with the place. Business been going well since you repaired the damage I caused?"

"It was," he grunted, "before another incident happened. Look, I've had it up to my neck with blondes, but I don't need any trouble. Tell me what you want and go. If you're after that woman, though, then I told you before, I don't know her."

"I'm not here for her," Yang said, sitting down on a stool. "I'm not here to cause problems, either, so you can calm down. Here, I'll even buy a drink." She pulled out her purse and pushed some lien across the table. The familiarity of it seemed to calm Junior down a little, for he nodded and poured her a drink.

"Your friends want some?"

Weiss scrunched her nose up.

"She's a little high class for here," Yang whispered, "Ignore her."

"Yeah, I can tell…" Junior rolled his eyes and waved a hand behind her. From the corner of her eye, she saw the men spread out and begin to sit down again. She did, however, notice the two sisters from before, who hovered on the edge of vision. "If you're here just for info, then I don't mind letting bygones be bygones," he said. "Like I said, I've had enough crap lately without starting more. What do you need?"

"We've got a little school assignment coming up on a place called Mountain Glenn," Yang said, watching his face. Junior nodded but didn't seem worried or particularly impressed, which was probably a good sign. "We've tried to find out more about it, but there's not much to go on. I figured you might know."

"Yeah, I know about that hell hole," Junior sighed. "Information's pretty worthless too, so I'll give it to you in exchange for not tearing my bar up."

"Generous of you, Junior."

"Yeah, sure… generous." He looked down to her weapons and then raised an eyebrow. "Anyway, Mountain Glenn was the last big settlement attempt by Vale. Space was low, population the exact opposite and there was a baby boom going on. There was a huge class divide too; not enough jobs and with high unemployment that started to make people desperate and adventurous. Crime rates through the roof, general unhappiness – all of which could potentially draw Grimm…" Junior shrugged. "You get the drill."

"Sounds rough."

"It's not unusual. It happens every now and then if there isn't some disaster to cull the population. People think they're safe and sound behind their walls but forget that we don't have the space to grow forever. Glenn was meant to be a solution to that; a walled town built with similar specs to Vale, which would be co-defended by Vale military and huntsman academies. For all intents and purposes, it was going to be Vale two-point-zero."

"But it failed, right?"

"Sure did," he sighed and shook his head. "Before my time, you know, but I heard about it even so. There's more rumour than fact on why, and you can damn well bet no one in the know is talking, but whatever happened, the entire area got overwhelmed by Grimm. They even started to fill the tunnels leading back to Vale, the ones they used to ship civilians and supplies out there in the first place."

"A direct route to Vale," Weiss whispered in horror. "How did the Grimm not invade the city?"

"Through some pretty brutal tactics," the older man sighed. "The tunnels were sealed off; all those who lived within Mountain Glenn left to die. Huntsman were on the front lines, and from what I heard, some chose to stay behind to try and defend the people. You can imagine how that went…"

Yang's eyes drifted shut. She cursed quietly and shook her head. No wonder Jaune had said it was a failed settlement… it sounded horrible.

"Necessary losses," Weiss said, in a voice that made it clear she felt they were anything but.

"That's what they said at the time too. Well, before the Council went and swept it all under the rug. You so much as report on that, you're in trouble. After all, when the next population boom happens, they'll need to convince people to join the new frontier – a land of opportunity and adventure." Junior spat on the floor.

Yang felt like doing the same. All those desperate people looking for better lives, only to be trapped and abandoned in a ghost town. What already sounded like a terrible mission now looked a whole lot worse.

"Why're you lot going there anyway?" Junior asked. "What does Beacon care about a place like that for?"

"We're to find answers," Blake lied before Yang could answer. "It's an investigation into what might have caused the disaster, so it doesn't happen again."

Junior hummed. She didn't think he believed the faunus, but he clearly figured if she felt like lying, he wouldn't get any other answer out of her. "That's all I've got on the place, I'm afraid. I could tell you the aftermath; the orphans, the political drama and the protests, but I don't think you want to hear all that."

"No, you've done enough," Yang said. "Thanks, Junior… you're not all bad."

"You'll forgive me if I don't say the same after what you and that maniac did to my club."

"Hey now, that's no way to talk about me and my squad leader."

Junior stiffened. She did too, especially when she noticed his hand twitch beneath the bar. Behind her, Weiss and Blake's hands fell to their weapons – and the Malachite sisters moved forward.

"He's your team leader?" Junior breathed out.

"Jaune is, yeah… problem?"

"No," Junior sighed and stood back up. He nodded to the twin sisters to back off, and though they did, Yang was acutely aware of the looks they sent her. There was anger there, yes, but also a strange hesitation. "We've done what you asked." he went on. "We didn't cause a scene and we sure as hell didn't approach or do anything to you." Junior wiped a hand against his forehead, and it came away wet. "I'd like it if you left now."

Yang's eyes narrowed but she didn't sense any danger. If anything, they felt all too passive… where was the Junior of before? Why hadn't the sisters intervened like they did against her and Jaune's first fight?

Why did the goons that had once surrounded them now leave a clear and undefended path back to the doors?

"Yang," Blake whispered. "We've got what we need. We should go."

"I agree, Yang. We should meet back with Jaune. We still have the camping equipment to deliver."

Yang nodded and pushed herself up from the bar. "Thanks for the help, Junior," she said.

He didn't nod back… he didn't even meet her eyes. Instead, he picked up her glass and began to polish it – only for his hands to shake and drop it. He cursed when it shattered, and the noise made the goons jump.

Well… that was a thing. She shook her head and followed her teammates towards the door. En route, she paused by the twin sisters. The one in white backed away with a nervous expression, one hand clutched to her stomach and eyes wide. The other darted before her, arms held wide as though to defend her from any attack Yang might launch. "Please… leave…" she gritted, in a tone that suggested she wasn't used to such niceties.

 _I didn't make that kind of impression on them,_ Yang thought. _No way in hell… but the only other person is-_

"Yang," Weiss called impatiently. "Come on, these bags are heavy and we need to catch our Bullhead."

"Coming," Yang called. She shot one final glance towards the pair, but stalked away with a shake of her head. It didn't matter, no matter what it was. They had a mission to do.

There was no time for doubt.

/-/

Winter hummed and looked at the assorted clothing and equipment packed into her cases. The journey to Beacon had been an unexpected one, and only truly to thank the headmaster for his aid in resolving the incident with the stolen Paladins. Atlas expected her back now; even if she would return in a week or two to watch her sister through the tournament itself. There, however, she would be as part of the General's retinue.

 _It's a shame I can't stay to see Weiss off for her mission._

Alas, duty called and she would answer. She would see Weiss again soon, and her sister would be more than fine on her mission. As much as Qrow irritated her, she couldn't think of anyone less likely to allow harm to come to those under his care. Her team too were… capable.

Her right hand curled into a tight fist as she took a deep breath. Weiss' partner had not acted unfairly, even if his… decision to not accept her sister's feelings was deeply flawed. She would not go so far as to say her sister had been rejected, for none could find fault with Weiss. No, and her sister had also made it clear – begged, really – Winter not to intervene or extend punishment on him for his choice.

Truly, Weiss was too kind at times.

At least, she hoped that was the reason. If her sister still harboured feelings for him, then things might become more complicated. _If only I could offer advice of my own, but in matters of the heart, it seems Weiss is more experienced than I._

She might have deigned to ask their mother, were it not for the way _that_ romance ended up. In this, Weiss would have to find her way on her own.

"It could have been worse," Winter reminded herself. "At least he was a gentleman with her." If he'd been anything but, then not even Qrow could have stopped her exacting vengeance.

A sigh escaped her and she shook her head. Such thoughts were pointless and didn't help Weiss or herself. Instead, she busied herself with the final few things to be packed away. The sooner she reported back, the sooner she could return to see her sister's performance. Perhaps by then, the whole issue would be resolved.

The scroll on the dresser table began to vibrate.

Winter's head snapped towards it, her feet carrying her across the room. Who could call at such a time? Her immediate thoughts were that it might be from the General, but barring some disaster, she could not think why he might need her – and surely, she would have heard of such an event from headmaster Ozpin. Weiss, perhaps?

The number was an unrecognised one. With a sigh, she ended the call and placed it back down.

It rang again.

"How persistent," she sighed. Some sales rep, no doubt, having bought her name off some list and decided to call her to sell some worthless service to the SDC. She considered blocking it, but knowing they would try again on another number, decided to answer it and dissuade them herself. "Winter Schnee," she snapped.

 _"It's about time you answered,"_ a rough voice came through. It was unfamiliar and rude… not someone who sought her favour, then, otherwise they'd be far more simpering.

"Who is this? How did you acquire this number?"

 _"I have my ways, Miss Schnee. As for the who, I suppose you can call me Silver."_ Silver? The name flickered in her head, a brief spark of recognition, but she could not place it. _"Qrow Branwen may have mentioned me."_

Her eyes widened. "The white Fang informer?"

 _"The same."_

Her heart beat a little faster as she looked left and right, just to see if anyone was close by. Of course, there was no one. It was a private room.

"Why are you calling me?" she asked. "I wish nothing to do with you or your kind."

 _"Faunus?"_ He sounded curious, perhaps even disgusted.

"Not faunus," she corrected. "Terrorists."

 _"A good distinction. I'm glad to hear it. Either way, I'm not here to make threats or discuss ethics. I bring… information."_

"Then who not speak to Qrow? He trusts you, in so far as one _can_ trust someone like you."

 _"Mr Branwen won't be in a position to make use of the information."_

Winter's eyes narrowed. He knew about the upcoming mission… that was a terrifying though, more so because her sister was on it. "I have no idea what you mean," she said.

 _"I think you do."_

Her teeth ground together.

 _"I'm not your enemy, even if you might consider me yours. I'll cut to the chase… you are intending to leave Vale soon to return to your unit. Do not."_

"Why?"

 _"There is an attack planned on the city in a few days' time."_

Her pulse raced. One hand came down to rest on the dresser as she took several deep breaths. An attack, on the city itself? "When? How many?"

 _"Not many, and it's not an invasion if that's what you fear. More of a terrorist strike… the usual manner for the White Fang."_ He sounded so dismissive and disgusted. The vehemence there made her raise an eyebrow. At the very least, he _sounded_ like he wasn't on their side.

"Why should I not tell the headmaster immediately?"

 _"You can, if you wish."_ Silver's voice was unconcerned. _"I would, however, keep the information to as few people as possible. If it were to get back to the White Fang, the consequences might be terrible. In truth, I believe you could stop much of it yourself, hence my call."_

It could be a trap, of that she was more than aware. She would humour him for now, but only a fool entered such a situation alone and unprepared. "Tell me more," she said, "but I make no promises."

 _"The target is the central plaza, the date unknown to me but within three to four days at most. The White Fang intend to smuggle Grimm into the city and release them there to cause havoc."_

She sneered but didn't interrupt him. It sounded like typical White Fang tactics, and the strategist in her could see the reasoning for it. So close to the festival, and with so many international guests on their way, it would make Vale seem dangerous – and their protectors incompetent. It would also boost unrest against other faunus, which ironically would increase racism and swell the White Fang's ranks. That was the worst thing about such terrorism, that people like the White Fang would willingly place the people they claimed to represent in harm's way, because it would drive those innocent faunus, wrongfully hated by the people of Vale, into becoming terrorists themselves.

 _"I don't mind if you tell the headmaster, or if you tell the rest of Beacon's faculty… I might have contacted them, but you were the easiest to reach. All I ask is that you find reason to delay your departure and to watch the central plaza carefully."_

"And how do I know this is not a trap?"

 _"You don't… however, you can easily tell for yourself whether my words are true or not. You can watch the plaza from Beacon and react if anything happens. If it does not, and I have lied to you, then little is lost but your time."_

Time which she had no assigned tasks for… she tutted and looked away, even if he couldn't see her. It was like he knew more about her movements than she did. In fact, how did he know she intended to leave Beacon in the first place? That wasn't common knowledge.

"Who are you, really? How do you know everything you know? If you're such an ally, why not approach us in person?"

 _"I'm a friend; I'm well-connected, and I believe your boss would have me in a cell faster than I could blink."_ Winter hesitated at his frank honesty. Well, he wasn't exactly wrong there… _"Do what you will with the information, Winter Schnee. I bid you farewell."_

"Wait!" The scroll went dead a second later, leaving her to curse and re-call the number.

 _"This device has been disconn-"_

"Argh!" Winter growled and made to throw her scroll against the wall, only to pause and let out a long breath instead. The General had much to say about those who let their anger dictate their actions, and her Schnee temper had gotten her in more than her fair share of bother when she'd first enlisted.

A potential attack… if she contacted the authorities, they would mobilise immediately to prevent it, but this Silver was correct; the White Fang would then know and plan it elsewhere. Even if they did catch them in the act, the police were ill-suited to deal with terrorists.

With a sigh, Winter dialled a different number.

 _"Miss Schnee. Is there a problem?"_

"Headmaster Ozpin," she sighed. "I realise it is a lot to ask, but might I rely upon your hospitality for just a little longer?"

/-/

Jaune smiled as he watched the scroll he'd stolen on the night out with Qrow plummet into the waves at the bottom of the cliffs of Beacon. Another job completed, and all evidence removed.

Winter was as predictable as they came. She would stay. Her duty to the people, not to mention concern for her sister would not allow her to do otherwise. _That means when we come hurtling through, we'll have her to bail us out, even if Ruby's team do end up going on a mission elsewhere. CFVY should also be there as usual, so we should be fine._ Winter was just insurance to make sure they came out in one piece. Even if she told Ozpin and the other teachers, that would just mean a faster response when the breach hit.

Yang would fight Neo and survive, Blake would take down Torchwick, and now Winter would be there to pick them up at the end.

All he had to do was make sure everything happened in the right order.

* * *

 **Well, there we go, another chapter. I tried to make it clear in here, but since I expect some to question, I shall answer it also. Jaune is _not_ ignoring his decision of two chapters ago about not fighting Cinder. His decisions here is not him falling back into that, but rather him simply wanting to ensure his team's survival. For instance, if he wanted to actively fight her, he could have pre-empted it or given more specific information, etc.**

 **Instead he is doing the mission because he knows it usually ends safely and he feels it has the best chance of helping his team survive and thus be happy. Most of it was explained last chapter, but it doesn't hurt for me to repeat it here.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 18** **th** **March**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	31. Chapter 31

**Every time I finish White Sheep, there's a little part of me that goes; "ahhh, two whole days before my next deadline. What shall I do with my time?"**

 **Then I remember it's Not this time, Fate and I instantly panic and cement my ass to my seat once more. Time to write!**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 31 – Routine**

* * *

"Good morning, Mr Arc."

Jaune rolled his eyes at the enigmatic greeting, a staple of the headmaster, who sat behind his desk, back to the elevator he'd entered through. There were cameras, of course, if Ozpin didn't just sense his presence through whatever unusual means the man had.

"I'm here to have something removed," Jaune said. "Unless you think Qrow would appreciate a wailing alarm while he's trying to sneak through Mountain Glenn."

The headmaster chuckled and turned his seat around. The man's face was as calm as ever, though his eyes appeared amused. "It might make for good entertainment," he said, "but I suppose it's for the best I release you from your anklet. I should thank you, Mr Arc, for not seeing fit to test it."

 _It would have been a waste of time anyway,_ Jaune thought as he approached the desk. He sat down on the seat opposite the older man, then, just because he could, swung his foot up and onto the desk. It clanked down, marking the polished wood a little.

"Thank you," Ozpin managed to sound graceful still, like he'd expected no less. He reached across and waved his scroll over the metal ring. It beeped once and disengaged with a click, falling off his ankle and onto the desk. Jaune removed his foot and rubbed the skin a little. It felt different, somehow, even if the device hadn't ever been noticeable. "I must say, Mr Arc, I found it a little interesting how neither you nor your team seemed particularly surprised at the announcement of your mission details."

"Well, we're all pretty robust. Nothing catches us off-guard."

"I believe I heard Miss Xiao-Long say something along the lines of `called it`."

Jaune leaned across the desk and whispered, "I think she's psychic… that or a time traveller."

"Indeed?" Ozpin sounded amused. "We should be wary of her, then. Such a gift could be quite difficult to handle. I take it, then, that a certain bird had nothing to do with this? One that is perhaps a little lost in his cups?"

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean," Jaune smirked.

"I'm sure you don't," Ozpin returned with an obvious roll of his eyes. "I suppose we shall have to let it go. Qrow is, as always, a law unto himself."

"I like him."

"Somehow, that neither surprises me, nor fills me with confidence. I believe Miss Goodwitch would shiver should she imaging you and he combined."

"Okay, I don't like him _that_ much."

The headmaster leaned back in his seat and took a long sip of coffee. Where anyone else might have expected him to be offended at the casual discourse, not to mention the use of his given name instead of his title, Jaune knew better. Ozpin wouldn't care about crap like that; not when it wasn't important. Even if he did, he'd never give it away, however. The old man kept his cards close to his chest.

"I must admit, Mr Arc, part of me did not expect to see you remain at Beacon for so long. Have you come to reconsider my words?"

"Nope."

"Not even a little? I believe you've done quite well for yourself as a huntsman so far."

"Nope."

"Your reluctance is almost legendary, Mr Arc, even in the face of the bonds you've built here."

"You know why."

"I suppose I do." Ozpin sighed and took a sip from his mug. "You have made strong friendships here, however. In that, at least, I can take some comfort."

Jaune sighed and slumped back into his seat. "Look, Ozpin, I don't really have the energy for all the word games and things. You want me here and I'm here. You don't need to throw my friends in my face; trust me, they're the only reason I'm still here."

Far from being offended, the older man laughed. "I apologise for that, Mr Arc. Sometimes I forget myself and get carried away."

"I'll stay in Beacon," Jaune said. "I'll stay here until it's over, they graduate or whatever comes. It's just… if you're looking for the next person to be your poster-boy, then it's not going to be me."

"I'll keep that in mind," Ozpin chuckled. "Truth be, If I made you the icon for all aspiring huntsman, then I imagine we would suffer a fall in huntress applicants as concerned fathers send them elsewhere."

"I have needs, Ozpin." Jaune smirked. "Sick, twisted needs…"

"And I don't need to know them," Ozpin sighed. "Very well, then, I suppose I shall comfort myself with your continued presence here, even if I do worry. Sadly, not everyone is cut out for the life we lead." Ozpin sighed and placed his mug down. He pushed his hands together, addressing Jaune over the top. "Roman Torchwick might be considered one such example. Though he graduated from Beacon, circumstances caused him to… reconsider his life choices." Ozpin watched Jaune as he shrugged. "You don't seem overly surprised at the knowledge."

"Oh, I didn't know _where_ he trained," Jaune said honestly, "but I mean, it was pretty obvious… the guy hits like a truck, has aura, and has eluded trained huntsman and huntresses for years. If he _wasn't_ huntsman-trained, I think it would be a bit embarrassing."

"Quite," Ozpin smiled. "In a way, Torchwick was a little like yourself. He was skilled, cunning, and rather selfish."

"I resent the comparison, sir." Jaune said. His eyes were deadly serious. "I would _never_ wear mascara."

Ozpin stared at him.

"It's the blonde hair, it just doesn't work well."

"I'll trust in your fashion sense for that, Mr Arc. Rest assured I do not believe you would go the way of Roman."

"How can you be so sure?" Jaune asked with a challenging look. "You said it yourself; I'm a pretty selfish guy."

"Because I do not believe Miss Schnee, Miss Xiao-Long or Miss Belladonna would let you."

Huh… a point to Ozpin, he guessed. "I'm still not going to be a huntsman. Not _your_ huntsman and not Vale's. I'm here for them and nothing else."

"Hm… then in that case, I'll ask no more." Ozpin leaned back and refilled his mug from a thermos flask. "I wish you luck on your mission, Mr Arc."

Luck? Jaune nodded and stood, moving away with an almost amused expression. He'd long ago ceased to believe in something as silly as luck.

/-/

The rest of his team were already busy by the time he arrived back at their room. Weiss had already paid for his equipment, which was great because it meant it was already stored and packed, but bad because he now needed to find a way to force some lien down her throat. It wasn't that he didn't appreciate the thought, but he also didn't want to take her money for granted.

Not when he knew she was going to be cut off in a few weeks.

Either way, it let him lounge on his bed and watch as the other girls neatly folded and stored supplies away. Blake and Weiss, at least, Yang was… well, Yang.

"Did you find out what Team Rubine has?" he asked.

"Eh?" Yang looked up from her backpack, face red and eyes even more so. He'd called her out a second before she lost it and blasted the whole thing into a wall. "Oh, their mission? Yeah, it's shadowing some sheriff in a village Ren and Nora used to know. It sounded pretty cool."

"A sheriff?" Blake raised an eyebrow. "What kind of place has a sheriff?"

"Frontier towns and villages," he answered. "There's not always enough people for proper law enforcement. Some places almost have their own laws and depending on how desperate the situation is, those can be pretty harsh."

"Was it the same where you lived?"

"Ansel is a decent-sized settlement. We had our own police department and court, so no, I didn't grow up in some B-rate Spruce Willis movie."

Blake rolled her eyes but accepted his words, going back to her packing. Yang's news was good, however, since that was the same mission he always got assigned to on Team JNPR. He wondered if that would mean the team would be there to save their asses?

It all depended on whether she delayed her team like he usually did, or not. Either way, it wouldn't matter too much. Team CFVY were probably still around with Port and he'd also laid the foundations for Winter to make an appearance. That ought to be enough to save them once the breach happened. If not, well, that was why he had all those explosives.

Nothing cleared a swarming horde of weak Grimm quite like it.

"I can't believe this is actually out first, real mission," Yang said. The blonde cracked her arms behind her head, grinning widely. "I mean, it feels like we've been together for ages, but we haven't even camped out once."

"We did do Forever Fall," Blake pointed out.

"Bah, that was more of a field trip. This'll be the first time we actually have to make a camp, cook and eat around a fire. It's going to be awesome."

"It's going to be cold and exhausting. We'll be surrounded by Grimm and in hostile territory."

"Blake, can you stop being a party-pooper for like, two seconds?" Yang sighed but quickly spotted more prey. She sidled up to him and nudged an elbow into his ribs. "I wonder what deep and dark secrets will be exposed around the campfire. Do you have any, daddy?"

Secrets they didn't know? Sure, plenty… ones they might find out?

His eyes darkened as he smirked. "Maybe," he teased.

"Ooh, care to share?"

"I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise. I'm sure you'll find out soon enough."

"Tease!" Yang complained. She skipped back over to her pack, pushed down one final time, then pulled the strings over the top. It was a mockery of how to actually pack a bag, and the strings looked like they might snap at any moment. "Done!" she proclaimed.

Weiss took one look at it and sighed. "I can't even bring myself to say anything. If that explodes, it's your job to clean it up. Why couldn't you pack your bags like Jaune?"

"You mean buying them fresh so they come pre-packed? Should I also buy new clothes so I don't have to wash or iron mine?" Yang blinked at the white-haired girl. "Oh my god, you actually do that…"

"I do not! While my family may be… _fortunate_ , I am not so wasteful. I meant his _other_ backpack," Weiss pointed to the smaller one he'd strapped atop his own. "That doesn't look like it's going to explode anytime soon."

Jaune's lips quirked up at the unfortunate choice of words. Oh, it would explode alright… if he so much as pulled a single pin from the various explosives he and Ruby had helped themselves to. Still, where was the harm in a little fun? "Listen to your mother, Yang," he rebuked. "She's just worried you'll become a messy slob with no redeeming qualities."

"A little late for that…"

" _Blake_!" Yang theatrically swooned, one hand held to her heart. "Woe is me, to be betrayed by my own partner. What did the headmaster want with you, anyway?"

"He caught on to us knowing about the mission in advance," Jaune half-lied. "We're not in trouble, don't worry."

"Meh, if we were, we could have just blamed it on uncle Qrow."

"Either way, he just talked about the mission, about us and basically wished us good luck." He shrugged when the three girls looked at him in confusion. "He's a pretty old guy; maybe he's going senile."

"Don't talk that way about the headmaster." Weiss slapped his arm and glowered at him. "We're all ready to go? Mr Branwen wants us to meet him at the pads within the hour."

"You realise he won't respond to `Mr Branwen`, right?" Yang asked.

Weiss ignored the comment and marched over to the door, holding it open for each of them to walk through like Remnant's most indulgent mother. "I know it's early," she said, "but we can drop off our bags there and I'm sure Yang's sister is going to want to say goodbye to everyone."

"Heh, true," Yang smiled. "Uncle Qrow's not one for rules, either, so if we get there early, we'll probably just head off early. It's not like we have anything else to do. I'll drop Rubes a message to meet us there." Yang pulled her scroll out of her pocket, which was Jaune's cue to slap his forehead.

"I forgot my scroll," he sighed and stopped. "You girls run on ahead, I'll catch up in a second."

"You forgot-?" Weiss sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Because you know me too well," he smirked. "I'll catch up in a second."

"Wait!" Weiss grabbed his sleeve and rolled her eyes, digging into her own skirt. "You'll need a scroll to even get back in, you idiot. Here, use mine."

Oh right, yeah, he'd forgotten about that. He nodded and took it, ducking back with a quick wave as he jogged back to the dorm. Once they were out of sight, he slowed to a walk and put Weiss' scroll away.

He pulled out his own and opened the door, grinning like a loon.

"Oh _Zweiii_ …?"

/-/

"Thanks for that, Weiss," Jaune handed his partner's scroll back over to her, adjusting his backpack behind him. The addition of Zwei was a fairly minor increase, given all the metal and such he had in there already.

"No problem," Weiss said and nodded over to where Yang was being hugged to death by Ruby. "Everyone's just saying their goodbyes. From what I understand, their mission isn't until tomorrow."

Jaune didn't get a chance to respond. Instead, he was knocked back a few steps as Ruby crashed into his chest, arms wrapped around his midriff. "Oof," he grunted and staggered back. "Nice to see you too, Ruby."

"Remember your promise," she whispered into him. "Look after Yang for me, okay?"

A warm feeling suffused him as he smiled and patted her head. "I haven't forgotten. She'll be fine. We all will. You be careful on yours too." He added the latter even though he didn't think they would actually go on their mission. It would have felt rude not to.

"Hey," Yang complained loudly. "How come he gets a better hug than I did?" Ruby giggled and disentangled herself from him, rushing back over to her sister.

"Those two…" Weiss sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if they'll ever change. I dread to imagine what people will think when their village gets rescued from the Grimm, and then subjected to this kind of display."

The thought was a nice one… if that future could ever happen.

"What's this," a loud voice called, "a bunch of snot-nosed brats eager to go on their first mission?"

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby detached from Weiss and tackled the man in an instant. He laughed and lifted his arm up so she hovered at head height, which proved to be a mistake when Ruby tightened her grip and glared at him. "Why didn't you want _my_ team for this?"

"Eh?"

"You're taking Yang and _her_ team. What about mine?"

"What about yours, brat?"

"It's only fair if you take us on a mission too," Ruby said, with the kind of irrefutable logic he'd have expected from someone like Amber. "You owe us a mission."

Qrow's eyes narrowed and he started to wave and waggle his arm about in a desperate attempt to force his youngest niece off. It didn't go very well, on account of Ruby being Ruby, and thus more stubborn than a rock.

"On second thought," Weiss sighed, "at least those two won't be as bad as him. Is there _no_ other huntsman who could take us along?"

"Weiss." The firm voice cut through their conversation, in time to reveal Winter Schnee stalking towards them, her expression grim.

Weiss straightened up immediately.

"Is this where the two of you re-enact Ruby and Yang?" he teased.

"Don't be foolish," she hissed back, and then turned to her sister. "Winter! So good to see you, but… I thought you were to return to Atlas?"

"That was the original plan, Weiss, but I reconsidered. The General has been trying to force some leave on me for a while now, so I called in a week's worth before the Vytal Festival begins. I shall be staying here now until it does."

"That's wonderful!" Weiss cheered. Her face went white a second later and she coughed, quickly composing herself. "I mean, that is a pleasant surprise, sister. I am glad you'll get to see- I mean, I hope you enjoy watching the tournament."

Winter's face softened the tiniest amount. "I look forward to watching you compete, Weiss. I'm sure you'll make me proud."

Judging from the expression on Weiss' face, those simple words meant the world to her.

"I wanted to see you off on your mission too," Winter continued. "But before you go, might I have a word with your partner?"

"Jaune?" Weiss looked towards him nervously.

"I assure you it's nothing bad, Weiss. I simply wish to have a quick discussion with him. It won't take a moment."

It was perhaps a sign of how nervous Weiss was that she even thought about arguing with her sister. She looked at him, concern clear in her eyes, then back to the older woman. It looked like she couldn't make the choice at all, so he did it for her.

"It'll be fine." He clapped a hand to Weiss' arm, before he turned to the older Schnee. "Lead on."

Winter nodded and pulled him aside, only a little distance away and still within line of sight of the others, which seemed to relieve Weiss somewhat. Honestly, she acted like he was being dragged off to his execution. With Winter, that might not be too far off, but she wasn't going to maim him. Not physically, anyway.

He eyes her warily.

"I'm not here to cause problems, Jaune Arc." Winter said. "I simply wished to speak with you candidly before the mission."

"Is it to ask me to look after Weiss? I'd have done that anyway."

"My sister can look after herself when it comes to the Grimm. She was trained by the best, but more importantly, she is a determined and focused young woman."

"She is," he agreed.

"It is simply… this task you are to complete. I am concerned that the foes you might face will be a little more than Grimm."

"Qrow made us aware of Torchwick and the White Fang."

"I'm glad. One shouldn't go into a situation without all the intelligence at hand. Naturally, my sister is a target for the White Fang, just for the colour of her hair and the name she bears. I would like to ask you to pay particular attention to ensuring her safety."

"No."

"Excuse me?"

Winter looked furious, but Jaune only shook his head, expression firm and resolute. "I won't pay _particular_ attention to anyone," he said. "I'm going to look after all of them, Weiss included. If something were to happen to Blake or Yang, and Weiss found out you asked me to look after just her, then she'd never forgive you. She would never forgive me."

Winter's eyes met his, and the two maintained their staring contest for a few moments. "I see," Winter said eventually. "I suppose I must defer to you in this. I would still ask you to look after her, however."

"You don't even have to ask. I'd die before allowing any of them to be harmed."

"You should not bandy such casual words around. It's easy to say that you would give your life, but far more difficult in… practice." Winter trailed off, seeing something in his eyes. Maybe it was the certainty there, or perhaps she recognised the look of someone committed to their path. Whatever the case, her eyes narrowed. "Try not to let that happen," she said softly, "Weiss would not forgive you if you died, either."

Heh, she would… well, it wasn't like he intended to let that happen, either. "She's a demanding partner." he said. "I'll do my best."

"My sister means a lot to you." It wasn't a question but rather a statement. He shrugged in return, the answer just as obvious. "You promised me you wouldn't hurt her, yet you rejected her."

"I didn't reject _her_ ," he answered immediately. It wasn't about Weiss and he would have rejected anyone at the moment. "You asked me not to hurt your sister. Leading her on… would have."

Winter looked at him for a long moment.

"I will be honest, Jaune Arc. I… I find myself relieved that you turned her down. I don't think you would be a good fit for my sister. I don't want to see her in a relationship with you."

Bitter amusement made him smile, especially with how she carefully delivered the words, like she feared he might be offended or get angry. What was there to be upset about when the truth was so obvious? Weiss deserved so much more than what he was this life around. That wasn't cruel, nor was it depressing or cynical. It was simply a fact. He'd look ridiculous as the boyfriend of the Schnee heiress, even assuming there _was_ a future beyond the festival.

"It's fine," he said. "I'm not offended. Honestly, I didn't even realise how she felt until after you did, but even if I had, I wouldn't have expected you to approve."

"I don't recall saying I did not approve of you," Winter said, catching him by surprise. "I believe you are a skilled and intelligent young man. You clearly think the world of Weiss - as you should."

He had to laugh at the frank way she said that.

"You also have a strong protective instinct for your team, which only bodes well for your character. I believe you could make a wonderful partner for her. I respect _you_ , Jaune Arc." Winter's smile fell. "I simply do not believe you respect yourself."

Huh?

"You are self-destructive. You speak so easily of giving your life for others, and I, for one, believe you capable of it. If my sister were to bind herself to you, then I fear I would have to comfort her over your death." Winter sighed and shook her head. "Until you change, I cannot in good conscience approve of you and Weiss as anything other than partners and friends. I only allow that because it is too late to change anything."

Frustration billowed up inside him and he bit back on his automatic response. It was fine. He didn't need her approval and it wasn't like he wanted to date Weiss anyway. Nothing she said was wrong, even if she didn't know the full story. He wasn't self-destructive… he couldn't _be_ destroyed, at least not in the way she meant. He was simply being pragmatic; working with what he had to try and save his friends.

"It won't be a problem," he promised. "I'm not going to drop dead on this, and I'm not going to let them get hurt, either."

"I believe you." Winter flicked her head back and looked over him towards her sister. A small smile blossomed and she nodded to the younger girl. "I shall leave you now. Good luck on your mission and please be careful, if not for your own sake, then for my sister's. She would be devastated were you to die."

"I already promised I wouldn't hurt her," he said. "Nothing has changed."

Winter nodded and stepped back. She held a hand up as a farewell to Weiss. She was gone soon after, marching away with a military gait.

"Oh hey," Qrow called. "Did the Ice Queen come to talk with me?"

"Nope, she came for Jaune." Yang called back with a shit-eating grin. "Talk about burned. You gonna need some salve for that, old man?"

"Uncle Qrow wouldn't be burned like that," Ruby protested.

"You tell her, my darling niece."

"He's _used_ to playing second fiddle to a blonde."

The girl was raised up a moment later, still clutched onto Qrow's arm, but now upside down and staring into his deadpan expression. "I see your sister's managed to corrupt you already. Such a shame… you were almost cute." The man tossed his arm back and dislodged Ruby. "Right, then, you guys. Let's get this show on the road, unless anyone else wants to come out of the woodwork?"

To Jaune's amusement, the huntsman actually paused and looked around, just to see if anyone would.

"Be safe!" Ruby called as they clambered into the Bullhead.

"Look after one another," Pyrrha echoed.

"Break some legs!"

Ren shook his head but raised his own hand in farewell as the Bullhead rattled and began to lift off the ground. Jaune sighed and sat down, nodding to Blake as she took the seat beside him, leaving the other three opposite. Mountain Glenn… it always happened. It would end as easily as it always did, he was sure.

Something heavy settled in his stomach, and for once it wasn't apprehension. "Hey Yang," he called, catching her attention. "You remember asking me if I had any dark secrets I wanted to keep hidden?"

"Yeah?" Yang grinned, "Why? You going to tell us now?"

"Oh no," he grinned, almost bitterly, as his stomach roiled at the sudden motion of the Bullhead. "I'm going to _show_ you. Hrk…"

/-/

Jaune's feet hit the floor easily, his knees bending to lessen the impact. It wasn't a particularly graceful landing, but compared to the others, it wasn't so bad.

"Never again," Yang gasped, on all fours and taking great gulps of breath. "Oh God, my nose hurts so bad!"

"That was… that was…" Weiss stared at the floor, body shaking. What it was, he'd never find out, for she just kept repeating the line over and over. Blake was no better, though she did handle her agony in silence, washing her nose with some water from a flask.

"It's just a little motion sickness, guys. You're so dramatic."

" _That_ ," Qrow snapped, "was not `just` motion sickness. That was some kind of chemical weapon. Is that your Semblance?"

Wouldn't that be delicious irony? No, he was fairly sure his Semblance was the whole back in forth resets, but it certainly would be life kicking him in the balls if he had to weaponize his vomit. "So," Jaune said pointedly, looking around, "this is Mountain Glenn, huh? Looks… cheery."

He'd seen it before, of course, but making an effort for the others was usually necessary. It helped to draw their attention to the area surrounding them too.

"It's terrible," Weiss whispered, her pale eyes taking in the ruined buildings. What perhaps made it worse was the everyday signs of life, the road signs – which still warned of little things like children crossing roads. There were vehicles too, with the occasional bicycle, mangled beyond repair, laid at the side of the road. There was no doubt that people hadn't just been here, but that they'd _lived_ here. They had lives, hobbies, jobs, families… not to mention hopes and dreams.

All of it, snuffed out.

"Welcome to Mountain Glenn," Qrow sighed. "The whole place was established by Vale as the next big settlem-"

"We know all about it," Yang interrupted. "We did our research, uncle."

"Huh, that so?" Qrow scratched his cheek and looked a little intrigued. "Most of that stuff was pushed under by the Council. Where did you find out?" The man's eyes narrowed onto Jaune. "Another thing you knew?"

"My mother survived this," he shrugged, "but no, I don't know all that much about it."

"We found out on our own," Yang boasted. "Jaune told us a little but it wasn't too hard to find someone who knew more."

Oobleck, no doubt. That was who informed them in the past repeats, so it made sense they'd go to him this time as well. Qrow seemed to accept the suggestion easily enough as well, and set to informing them of what they'd be doing to try and find the White Fang.

It was during that conversation, that Jaune's bag started to wriggle and shake. _I suppose they normally find out about him now,_ he thought. There didn't seem to be a good reason to try and conceal the thing any longer.

"You brought my dog!?" Yang accused, when he knelt down and opened his bag. Zwei trotted out, rubbed his nose with one paw, took several great gasps of air – then hid behind Yang.

Dramatic little bastard… it was just a little motion sickness.

"Is that what you went back for?" Weiss asked, expression stern. "What on Remnant crossed your mind when you thought bringing a dog to a battlefield would be a good idea?"

"Well, he can help us find the White Fang for one," Jaune said.

"And if he gets hurt?" Yang growled. "Ruby would _kill_ me."

"She wouldn't kill you…"

"She'd _cry_!"

Okay, yeah, Yang was right – Ruby crying probably _was_ a fate worse than death. He held his hands out to calm her down. "He'll be fine, Yang. Ruby told me before that he has his aura unlocked, so it's not like he's in any more danger than us. Zwei isn't going to fight, either. We just need him to sniff around and help us find the White Fang."

"It's not a bad idea," Qrow hummed. He looked down on his niece when she shot him a horrified look. "He won't be in any danger, Yang, sheesh. You can keep him with you if you want; we'll just find some scrap for him to catch a scent off and see if he can find anything. Zwei's trained to find people too… kind of part of his job."

Zwei had a job? Maybe he'd been something else before becoming a pet for their family. It didn't matter, and so long as no one questioned why he'd brought him along, it was fine. He didn't _need_ Zwei per se. He knew where the White Fang were.

But he wasn't going to tempt fate by not bringing him along. Fate had already shown she could be a bitch.

"We'll split up and search the area," Qrow instructed. "You're to look for any signs of people being here recently, from cloth to a campfire – anything that Zwei might be able to catch a scent from. If you're in trouble, shout out. I don't want anyone too spread out that we can't come together if we're in trouble."

"Got it," Jaune nodded, along with the team.

It wouldn't make a difference, they wouldn't find anyone right now – but that didn't matter, either. It was just a case of waiting until they made camp, from which he could go and make sure they found Roman and the train.

Everything was coming together nicely.

/-/

The Nevermores filled Blake's vision without warning. She yelped and flipped backwards, drawing Gambol Shroud and squeezing off several shots that downed a couple of them. The rest fled, not even interested in fighting. She cursed under her breath and glared at the man who called himself their teacher, fighting to control her racing heart.

It caught her off guard, okay? That was no reason for such hilarity. Even the bravest could be startled by Grimm coming out of nowhere and making a beeline for your face.

"That was great," Yang's uncle wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh man, who says teaching brats is boring with displays like that?"

She grumbled and yet again wondered why the man was following _her_ around. Qrow, and she asked again what kind of name _that_ was, initially went off with Jaune, but appeared an hour or two later, drinking from his hip flask.

He'd proceeded to shadow Blake for the last forty minutes, offering criticism on just about everything she did.

"You could help," she mumbled, too low for him to hear.

"I could," the annoying man laughed, proving that he had better hearing than most, "but then you wouldn't learn anything an' I wouldn't be a good teacher."

"And what am I learning here?"

"Not to wander into a random building in a Grimm-infested town without scouting it out first. Well, that or not to waste ammo on things that can't even fight back."

Her ears twitched, but that was the only sign of her irritation that she allowed to show. Why, oh why couldn't he be off bothering Yang or Jaune? One probably knew how to put up with him, and the other deserved it for the rancid stench of vomit that still clung to her senses.

"What," Qrow challenged, "no snappy comeback? I was just getting into it."

She ground her teeth together and ignored him. Perhaps if she did, he'd go away – and no, the irony of that old saying wasn't lost on her. With Gambol Shroud gripped in hand, she poked her body further into the building and looked around. Ruined masonry, dilapidated furniture and signs that something had once been burned on the floor. Nothing to indicate recent habitation, however, and no further Grimm to slay, either.

The arrogant huntsman whistled a jaunty tune as he followed her to the next building. He kept his hands crossed behind his head, lips twisted into a wide smile. His eyes bore into the back of her head.

Blake didn't think she'd ever disliked someone so much.

"So, why did you become a huntress?"

"Excuse me?" The question was so random that she couldn't help but shoot him a raised eyebrow.

He shrugged and made no apology, continuing to follow her as she investigated a different building. He waited outside, of course – it would be a shame if he had to actually help – but he just rose his voice to ask again. "Why did you become a huntress?"

"Since when did you care?"

Perhaps it was rude of her, and she felt she might have been politer with just about any other teacher, but Qrow Branwen had gone out of his way to be irritating, and he wasn't even a professor of Beacon. Technically, that meant she didn't need to be nice, and honestly, she'd seen how he ignored just about every polite thing Weiss said. He wouldn't so much as _respond_ to his last name, or sir.

"I don't," he admitted easily.

"Then why ask?"

"Have to; it's part of the job."

Blake sighed and pulled herself out of the ruined building. Dust and soot rained down atop her, causing her to cough and wipe at her eyes. Her hand came away covered in light grey dust, and she could just imagine her hair being the same colour.

"Part of – cough – what job?"

"Teaching. It's a standardised question we're asked to pose to you all, see if you're on the right tracks or if you know what it means to be a huntress."

"Wouldn't explaining that defeat the purpose of asking me?"

"Let's be honest, kitty cat, do I _look_ like a guy who does things by the book?"

"You look like a guy who doesn't even know what a book is," she grumbled. His grin said he'd heard her, but she couldn't bring herself to care too much. "You're not going to let this go until I answer, are you?"

"Nope."

Oh, look… now she knew where Ruby and Yang got the whole `nope` and `yep` thing from. Come to think of it, was it odd that Jaune used those lines so often as well? _He speaks so much differently most of the time, but he always seems to say nope instead of no._

Weird.

"I'm waiting…"

Ugh. "Originally, I wanted to become a huntress to make a difference. You're aware of my being a faunus, I assume. Well, I wanted to try and change things… to change the way people think."

"Fool's dream," Qrow snorted. "You could have the answer to life itself, from which we'd all rise to disease-free utopia, but if it required people change their minds on something, you might as well grind it into the dirt. People are idiots. They'd rather bite their own noses off than admit they're wrong."

"I said _originally_ ," Blake sighed. She didn't comment on his cynical words, even if they struck a worrying chord within her. "I suppose that was the reason I joined, but it's not really what keeps me going anymore. Now, though? I'm not sure. I don't think I have a good reason, but I want to stay with my team until I find one." Her hand tightened on Gambol Shroud, her fingers going white. "I want to cling on to what happiness I have, even if it's a selfish desire."

"So, you don't know, but you're going to keep fighting because you're scared of being on your own?"

His words stung, more than she'd thought they would. Blake clicked her teeth and looked away. She didn't need his judgment. She didn't care about it.

"Eh, that's not so bad a reason."

"What…?"

"You look surprised, kitty-cat." The man leaned his head back and laughed. "Oh gods, you've got that surprised cat look too, it's great. But eh, not knowing what you want in life isn't a crime. I think not having an answer and being aware of it is a damn sight better than having a bad one. I'd rather you keep looking than run off on some pointless campaign that would end up getting you and your team killed."

Well, perhaps the old man did have a surprise or two up his sleeves. "And my selfish goal?" she asked.

"Nothing wrong with that, either. Everyone's selfish, me included. If you're not doing what you want in life, then I'd question why you're doing it." Qrow scoffed. "Take that leader of yours… there's a perfect example of a messed-up life goal."

Blake bristled almost instantly. "What do you mean?" she demanded. "What's wrong with him?"

"Whoah, showing your claws there?"

He wanted to insult Jaune and then play games with her? Blake turned to face him and crossed her arms. Her eyes narrowed into tiny slits.

"Heh… well, I asked the question to each of your team before getting to you. Yang and mini-ice-queen were funny enough. Flawed, but there's nothing wrong with that. The kid, though? Yeah, perfect example of life gone wrong."

"He is a fine leader and a good friend."

"Oh, I'm sure you'd say so," Qrow said. "An' I bet he is too. Hard not to be with his goal. D'you know what he said, kitty-cat?" The man paused, perhaps for some dramatic purpose, but her fierce glare let him know she didn't have the time for it. "Heh… he said `my goal is to look after my team.`." Qrow shook his head. "Talk about twisted."

"What's wrong with it?" Blake glared at him. "It's a selfless goal and one that puts others before himself. Isn't that something to be admired? If more people were like him th-"

"Then the human race would be dead and gone." Qrow growled. The sudden sound of it made her take a step back in shock. "We achieve things in life because we _want_ them. We excel because we desire. It's what makes us human; what makes us unique. Jaune, crazy bastard that he is, has _his_ goal in life as protecting _you_ and your team. Tell me, what does that say about him?"

"T-That he's a selfless individual."

"Yeah, sure, you could say that… from my point of view, though, it looks more like he's got no purpose for living."

The words caused her heart to skip a beat. No, that wasn't possible…

"What's the point in living if you don't want anything? If you live your life for others, then when are you going to take a moment to live it for yourself?"

"But it's the same goal as mine," she argued, "he wants to protect us – like I do the team."

"You do it for yourself, though. That's the difference. You cling to your team because they make you happy – a selfish goal with an emotional reward at the end of it. The reward keeps you going, makes sure you're motivated and have a reason to push on. He's not the same and he doesn't do it for himself. If he thought you'd be happy elsewhere, he'd watch you walk away with a smile on his face… but then what? What does he have after you've all graduated and gone your separate ways?"

Nothing. He would have nothing. She bit on her lower lip, recalling how he helped Sun with their date, how he approved and suggested she give him a chance. It wasn't quite the same thing, but if Sun and she _did_ hit it off, then it would mean less time she spent with Jaune. He was willing to give that up without a hint of jealousy.

Was it… could it be the same between him and Weiss? Did he turn Weiss down not because he didn't want to date her, but because he felt _she_ would regret it?

That was insane.

"You're wrong," she snapped. Her blood raged through her, white-hot and furious beyond belief. "You're wrong! He isn't like that!"

"Isn't he? I heard about how he saved you at the docks, girl. What was it again? Oh yeah, steals a Bullhead, nearly kills himself ten times over, then fights against one of the most dangerous men in Vale, all for a teammate that ran off on her own."

No… Blake stepped back and shook her head. That wasn't the same, was it? She knew Jaune had difficulties, that was obvious – there was definitely something wrong with him, but she'd just assumed it was distress or depression. Zwei had helped, which was why she put up with the dog's presence, but she'd thought he was getting better!

"Did the same for his girlfriend, didn't he?" Qrow asked. "Big fire attack headed her way and he just throws himself in front like he's tired of life. Oh, sure, _she_ might have been low on aura, but from what I hear, he just got done with his own spar. Not like he would be brimming with the good stuff, either."

Her hands clenched into fists, enough so that she felt her nails dig into flesh.

"I've seen his type before," Qrow shrugged, "Though never for very long. My old pal, Taiyang wore it once, right when he was the closest I've ever seen a man to offing himself."

She'd had enough. Blake whipped an arm across her body, chest heaving as she fought for air. "Enough!" she cried, loud enough to startle some nearby Nevermore and send them into the sky. "Shut up. He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't leave m- us like that."

He wouldn't.

"Maybe not willingly," Qrow shrugged. "Kinda defeat the purpose of keeping you all happy if he died. But tell me, kid, can you honestly say he wouldn't put himself in front of a bullet for you? There's a difference between someone looking to kill themselves and someone who wouldn't hesitate to, but it's only a semantic one. You still lose them at the end."

Blake didn't answer. There was no need to. She scowled and pushed past the man, making sure to knock him aside as she stormed away. She didn't have time for him. How dare he insult her friend like that? But maybe… just maybe… it would be a good idea to keep an eye on Jaune.

Just in case.

As she stormed away, she didn't even notice the satisfied smirk Qrow shot at her back.

/-/

Weiss knew he'd heard her approach when his head tilted but a fraction in her direction. Jaune was never overt, except when he wanted to frustrate her. Out here in Mountain Glenn, however, he seemed even quieter than usual. He didn't respond when she walked over and sat down beside him. He did smile when he accepted the mug of soup from her, though.

"Thanks," he said, taking a slow sip. "Hm, this isn't bad, actually."

"It's not ration food. The brief was only for a day or two, so we decided to bring some canned food instead. It's a little more palatable."

"You don't need to convince me. This is gourmet compared to the crap they stuff in those ration packets."

 _How would you know that?_ She wanted to ask the question, to point out that this was their first mission, and as such he shouldn't really know what they tasted like. Then again, there was no telling what he got up to at his home. He could say he'd tried some from his father and she would have no way to tell if it were the truth or not.

"Why are you hiding all the way over here, anyway?" she asked. Qrow, Yang and Blake were off by the fire, the first two chatting between themselves, and Blake reluctantly being forced to listen. It wasn't too far away - she could still feel the heat from it. Jaune's position, sat on a broken piece of wall, looked lonely and distant, however. Enough so that she felt compelled to keep him company. "Don't you want to sit by the fire and get warm?"

His eyes flicked over to the flames, and then back to her. "I have the soup for that," he said. "Besides, it's easier to keep watch over here."

Again, another line that was oh, so easy to accept, and yet made no sense. Why would Jaune of all people be so focused on keeping watch? They'd as good as killed all the Grimm in the nearby area, and if any had the misfortune to approach, they'd hear them before they got close. Their camp was inside a ruined building, of which only one wall had crumbled. They could all see an enemy approach.

"Is it because of me?" she asked.

"What?"

"Am I making things awkward? Is that why you don't want t-"

"No, no, no," Jaune waved one hand to cut her off. "It's not you," he laughed, "I'm just… I guess you could say I don't like fire very much."

"You're afraid of fire?"

"Not afraid," he pouted, and it was so childish that she couldn't help but laugh. "I just don't like it."

Another thing she'd never known.

"Why do you dislike it?" she asked. She didn't really expect an answer, not from Jaune – as secretive as he could be. That was why she was so surprised when he did.

"I've had a bad run in with fire in the past. I've seen what it can do to a person. I guess I just find it hard to be at ease around naked flames ever since."

"I'm sorry…"

"Whatever for?" Jaune asked, with an expression that was honestly confused. "You haven't done anything. Don't get me wrong; I don't _hate_ fire. I like cooked food and I'd as soon cook it myself than eat something raw. I'm just don't fancy sitting by it when I don't have to."

She supposed he was right. It still felt like she ought to have known; this was the man she professed to have feelings for, and yet she hadn't even known of this weakness. Then again, like he said, it had to be the first time they'd ever been around fire together. There was one outlier, however.

"I made you face fire when you protected me. I'm sorry."

Something light tapped against her nose. It surprised her enough that she reared back and nearly dropped her mug. It took another second to realise it had been Jaune, leaning over and flicking her nose with one finger.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to dwell on that? You didn't make me do anything; I chose to."

She felt blood rush to her cheeks. "Still, it wasn't something I wanted to see happen. If Myrtenaster hadn't-"

She stiffened a little when he wrapped an arm around her shoulder, but he made no move to do anything further.

"You need to stop looking for blame about that." he said. "It's not the first time I dealt with fire to help someone. You might not remember, but the docks were pretty hot when you guys arrived."

"Hot would be an understatement, Jaune. That was an inferno. Didn't it bother you?"

"I didn't even notice it," he grinned. "Something to do with a mascara-wearing clown trying to take my head off."

Weiss laughed at the thought, relaxing just a little. With the others all loudly going on, the fire heating them and Jaune leaning against her, it was almost possible to forget they were in an abandoned city entirely. "Didn't you cause it, though? The fire," she added when he shot her a confused look.

"Roman did."

"Blake told us the truth," Weiss said, feeling a small smirk come on as she caught his irritated eye roll and grumbled words of Blake being a `tattle-tale`. "We told everyone it was Torchwick to get you out of trouble. She said how you crashed a Bullhead into a building. I can't believe you managed to fly one all the way there, then crash. It's a miracle you even made it that far if you didn't know how to pilot it."

"What can I say? I'm a lucky guy."

"Most wouldn't consider crashing a vehicle into a pile of dust containers, on a port, surrounded by terrorists, as being particularly lucky."

"I never said it was _good_ luck."

She snorted and smiled around taking another drink of her soup. "You're an idiot," she said when she was finished.

"You're only just figuring this out?"

"It's a scale," she explained imperiously. "Before, you were an imbecile, and then a moron. Now, you have been relegated to the realms of the idiots. Feel proud of your inadequacy."

Jaune grumbled something under his breath and poked a finger into her ribs. She clamped down on a giggle and glared at him just to make sure he didn't try again. "You picked me as your partner, you know. You could have had Ruby."

"Believe me, I remind myself of that fact every day."

Not that she would, of course, even if she could go back. It wouldn't hurt to make him think that, however. Except that, from the way he grinned down at her, she was fairly sure he'd caught her lie. She refused to meet his eyes and sipped at her meal a little more.

"What did my sister talk to you about?" she asked, more for a distraction than because she really wanted to know.

"Oh, just about how I need to look out for you," he said, "Honestly, it's the same as what Ruby did over Yang."

"Are you suggesting my sister is like Ruby?"

She tried to imagine it, and then promptly suffered a mental breakdown. The image of Winter Schnee, refined and regal, rushing across the courtyard to latch onto her in a tackle hug… there was something dangerously unnatural about it.

"Okay, not _exactly_ like her – but they both were worried about their respective sisters and decided to badger me to protect you."

Weiss' shoulders relaxed, a palpable sense of relief washing over her. She would well imagine her sister showing concern for her, but had for a moment feared Winter might have talked about her feelings for him. The last thing she wanted was her sister deciding to champion her corner on something like that.

"I can look after myself, you know."

"I told her that," Jaune said. "I said you were more than strong enough. I guess she was just worried. Why did you ask?" he asked with a small grin. "Were you afraid she might be coming onto me?"

"As if," she scoffed. "Winter has more taste than to fall for someone like you." Left unsaid was how hypocritical that sounded coming from her. "Ruby asked on Yang's behalf too?"

"Yep."

"It feels a shame that no one asked for Blake," Weiss sighed.

"No one asked for me, either."

"Not true, actually." She smirked at his surprised expression. "Back when your parents came to Vale, your mother specifically asked me to look out for your well-being. I agreed to do so."

Jaune shook his head and laughed, saying something under his breath about meddling parents.

"I suppose we should complete the set," she went on, "Jaune… I need you to look after Blake as well, okay?"

"Well, when you put it like that, how can I refuse?" He laughed and bumped his shoulder against hers. "I guess as her parents, we've got to do what we can for our little porn-addicted daughter."

"Who will, if not us?" Weiss agreed. They shared a long look with one another before they descended into muffled laughter.

Talking to him… it felt comfortable. It wasn't something she could easily place, but it felt light and easy, as though she could speak her mind and he would never judge. She smiled and brought one knee up, wrapping her arms around it as she balanced beside him. "This isn't so bad," she whispered.

"Hm?"

"Nothing," she said, unwilling to let him hear her thoughts. She pushed up off the wall and immediately missed his warmth. "I'm going to get some rest. Make sure to wake me up for my watch, okay?"

"You got it, Weiss. Good night."

"Good night, Jaune."

/-/

Jaune waited until his team was asleep, and then waited another hour in silence. The fire continued to crackle and pop nearby, but he fed no logs unto it. The light would only serve to draw Grimm, and his team were snug and warm in their bags.

Zwei slumbered a little to the side of Weiss.

He didn't bother to wake the dog. That might have worked for Ruby, but the circumstances were different enough that he didn't want to risk it. From what he recalled, and the few times he'd mimicked it before, he simply had to let Zwei lead him towards some White Fang, then fall down a hole and be captured by them. Zwei would then lead the others to him. That was all well and good, bug for one small fact…

He wasn't Ruby.

Ruby was a small girl, unassuming and weak when disarmed, while Roman was a narcissistic braggart with a chip on his shoulder. Disarming a little girl and taunting her was one thing, but after the things _he'd_ done?

 _I tried to kill Roman once, he felt threatened enough to send Neo to spy on my family, and then I trashed Junior's club, killed some of his men and nearly executed Melanie Malachite. Somehow, I doubt Roman is going to be comfortable with treating me like he did Ruby._

He'd be lucky if he got a bullet to the brain while unconscious, but chances were Roman would want to exact his own revenge. Either way, it defeated the point of his trying to save his team if he got himself killed in the bargain. The best bet would be to manufacture a scenario in which his team stumbled upon them himself since he could pass that off as a stroke of good luck. His eyes scanned back to the others. How was he meant to convince them to follow him, and could he afford to wait until the morning?

Realistically, yes. Roman had been pushed into an early attack, but there was no sign he _intended_ it to be that day. In fact, from what he recalled, the original attack had been planned to take place in a day or two, when all the students from Beacon would be gone. He had time to spare, so long as the foppish crook wasn't tipped off.

He knew where Roman was in the city, of course. The subway system was well sig-posted, and although the city itself was in ruins, it wasn't like it was hard to find the way down to it. Mountain Glenn had been designed around it and so, in a sense, every street led to it. Finding Roman wasn't the problem, it was convincing his _team_ to find Roman.

 _I get the feeling Qrow's going to figure me out if I tip him off any more than I already have. It would be better if Blake or Weiss found Torchwick._

Both were fast asleep, however, and there was no guarantee either would indulge Zwei's late night desire for a potty break. Jaune's eyes strayed over to the wall that bordered between Mountain Glenn and Vale.

Perhaps, there was another option…

He rose as silently as he could, boots crunching gently across gravel as he slipped out of the ruined building. En route, he knelt down and woke up Zwei. "Watch the camp for me," he whispered, knowing the dog would understand. "If any Grimm appear, bark and attack them." Zwei yawned but nodded and staggered to his feet, allowing Jaune to slip away.

None should appear. They hadn't when Ruby left the camp and he was simply re-enacting history at this point. The streets were deserted and they'd been killing Grimm all day.

The ruined city was oppressive enough during the day, but downright miserable at night. The lack of sunlight worked to make shadows stretch, some of which he imagined looked like children and adults, reaching out for help. How many had remained within their homes, desperately hoping for help that would never come?

It was too cruel to imagine. He did, however, if only because there was nothing else to do as he clambered through the remains of what might once have been someone's living room, and then slipped past a crushed car. He kept his eyes up, out of fear of spotting something that might indicate life. The Grimm didn't leave much behind, however… sometimes not even skeletons.

A snuffling noise up ahead alerted him to the danger before he saw it. His pace didn't slow as he slipped under a road sign and into the shadow of a nearby building. Crocea Mors came out almost silently, the blade held behind him so that the light didn't reflect forwards.

A Beowolf… alone, less than forty feet ahead of him; its lupine snout pushed against the ground, sniffing and snorting as it moved across the road.

Irritation flared through him. He clucked his teeth and poked his head out again, waiting for it to move away. A single one wasn't a big threat, but the last thing he needed was the bloody thing roaring and growling at the top of its voice. It might wake his team – or worse – alert the White Fang to his presence.

It paused in the middle and looked around, then started to move further down the road. The same road _he_ wanted to use.

 _I can never get a break,_ Jaune sighed. He crouched low and slipped out from the building's edge, making his way towards the creature as carefully as he could. Grimm could be unpredictable at the best of times, which meant haste was a little better than care.

It caught the sound of him at the last second, turning and glaring at him with red eyes – but that was far too late.

His hand gripped its snout and bit down, forcing its jaw shut as he rammed Crocea Mors into its left breast. The blade ripped through flesh and organs, erupting from its back in a shower of crimson. Jaune released it and latched onto its snout with his other hand too.

It batted weakly at him, but quickly expired. As it fell to the ground, he caught the hilt of his weapon and let gravity pull the beast off it. The body hit the floor with a quiet thump, a cloud of dust and its slowly dissolving form the only evidence of his passing.

 _The hole Ruby falls down is somewhere around here,_ he mused, looking left and right. He wouldn't make the same mistake, of course, but from what he recalled, the entire road was sheared in two – and there was a cliff edge that looked down into the tunnels below. So long as he could get a good view, he could see if there was any errant White Fang he could snatch.

He didn't have to lead his team to them if he could pretend one had wandered close to their camp and been knocked out while they slept. He could even claim the victim had given up the location before they woke up.

The chasm ahead revealed itself slowly, mostly as a few juvenile Nevermore fluttered out from within it. A clear enough sign of movement itself, it gave him the warning he needed to crouch low and make his way cautiously to the edge.

Several figures in grey and white milled about far below, some lugging great wooden boxes into a half-ruined building while others stood guard.

It always amazed him how blasé the White Fang were about it. No attempts at staying hidden and no discipline in masking their tracks. He knew they didn't expect anyone to know about it, but it felt too amateur, even for Roman. _It must have been a rushed job. That or Cinder just didn't care whether it worked or not._

Attacking up front was out of the question, even if he probably could pull it off. His backpack was on the street behind him, filled with enough hardware to make it work. It would be loud, however, and in the time it took to get back to his team, there was no telling if Roman wouldn't start the train and seal them off.

They'd probably live… picked up by a Bullhead; but it would cause untold losses in Vale. They needed to disarm the bombs on the train. Even without the stolen Paladins, it was the explosives that would cause the most devastation. If the hole was too big, then Glynda wouldn't be able to close it on her own – which would mean a swarm of Grimm pouting into the city for hours.

All things considered, Ruby and her team were lucky to pull the whole thing off perfectly the first time. Or skilled, in any case… you made your own luck.

He'd need to make his here as well. If he took a grunt while they were separated from the others, then Roman would probably write it off as a useless civilian-turned-terrorist getting gobbled up by a Beowolf. Regrettable, sure, but not worth causing any fuss over. Luring one away wasn't going to work… there was no way these faunus stuck in Grimm-infested territory were going to wander off to investigate a noise… not on their own, anyway.

They were undisciplined, not suicidal...

 _The best bet would be to wait for one to wander off, or for one of the scouts to return. I can pick them off away from here and reduce the chance of any alarm being sounded._

A stone cracked beneath a foot behind him.

Instincts flared. He struck like a coiled snake, spinning and lunging towards the figure with both hands. One clamped over its mouth, and he pressed his forearm across their throat as he choked them against a nearby wall.

Fingers struggled with his hand as wide amber eyes stared back at him.

Damn it. He cursed and let go, allowing Blake to fall to her knees, where she quietly coughed and massaged her throat. "What the hell were you doing?" he snapped. "I could have killed you if I went for my sword first!"

"W-What am _I_ doing?" She took great gulps of air, baleful eyes locked onto his. "I could ask the same of you. I saw you get up and leave the camp. What are you doing out here!?"

"I needed to take a leak."

"And you felt it necessary to trek across a ruined town for that? Is killing a Beowolf part of the process too?"

"I have very specific needs."

"Apparently so…" Blake glared at him, clearly uninterested in his lies. He made a move to stop her, but she pushed past him and approached the edge. He knew full well what she saw. "The White Fang!?" Blake ducked low and pressed her stomach to the road's edge, peering over. "How did you find them?"

"I saw one," he lied, grasping for any excuse. He doubted she would have believed it normally, but nothing distracted Blake like her former comrades. "Followed them back here… I was worried they might have alerted the camp about us but it looks like we're in the clear."

"You should have woken us up."

"And start a battle in the middle of the night? Most of our team doesn't have night vision, Blake. All of them do."

Blake scowled up at him but didn't argue. She pushed herself a little further, drawing forth her scroll and using it to zoom in on those down below. "It looks like they're gathering things," she said. "Do you have any idea what?"

"Considering what they've been stealing for the last few months?"

"Dust," she finished for him. "I don't understand what they would gain from bringing it here, though. Is Mountain Glenn to be a stronghold for them?"

"Maybe," he shrugged. It wasn't like he could really argue. "We should get back to the others anyway. We can lead them here in the morning."

"You're right," Blake sighed but made to stand. "We'll have the best chance of stopping them as a full tea-" The ground beneath Blake cracked ominously. She looked down at it, eyes wide, but she was still on her stomach with one hand pushed below her.

He was moving before he could think. He covered the distance in a second, and his hand latched onto the back of her collar a moment later. He heaved the girl up and back, sending her sprawling further down the pavement, but the addition of his weight on the damaged overhang proved to be the final straw.

The ground beneath his feet gave way. Weightlessness gripped him as he tried to reach out, and his fingers scrabbled at the edge, even as he saw Blake – eyes wide – try to scrabble over to catch him.

She didn't make it. The yawning chasm below him opened up and gravity took him in its inexorable hold. With a startled gasp he slipped down.

He didn't feel the impact, however, for a chunk of debris slammed into the back of his head.

The last thing he heard was startled shouts from down below.

* * *

 **Oh dear, Jaune. What will go wrong does go wrong, or maybe it's just that Fate demands someone fall through the concrete. Who knows?**

 **Naturally, some of the early events of the MG visit were skipped here, mostly because while I could show them, it would drag out sections which are essentially the same as canon. For instance, in the show they land and fight some Grimm, but nothing would have really been different about that here, and so I didn't want to write it out and waste time. This chapter could have been two or three for all the content it covered, but I instead went with a few skips to make the story flow a little better.**

 **Hopefully it didn't appear too rushed, but that might be an impossible task since that was my obvious intent. I guess it's easier in a book because no content is "overused", but in fanfiction you clearly do have some parts which would be just straight lifts from the show. It's those I tried to skip where I could in an attempt to move us closer to when stuff _will_ happen.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 25th march**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	32. Chapter 32

**Here's another chapter, I hope you enjoy. It proved to be... a bit of a mental challenge, and you'll likely see why.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 32 - Squeezing Blood from a Stone**

* * *

Blake's heart hammered in her chest. Her body shook as she watched the great cloud of dust billow up from below, where Jaune fell – where he fell after dragging her back. She cursed and pushed forward, prepared to leap off and after him, but a startled cry from the faunus made her hesitate. She forced herself down, crawling over to the edge so that she could peek over.

The white-uniformed men and women approached carefully, weapons trained on the disturbance. One held their arm up for the others to wait and crept forward.

The jagged and cracked tarmac cut into her palms as she gripped the edge tighter. If the person made one move, if they even _looked_ like they might hurt him, she would jump down and attack them – no matter the consequences.

It was so hard to watch and wait as the people below approached his body. It felt like an eternity, during which every muscle in her body tensed. Her breath came out in short gasps, eyes wide as she fought her instinctive urge to rush down and stand before him, arms held open. It wouldn't help him, however. She needed to save him – not serve herself up alongside him.

There was no telling how many more terrorists hid within the nearby buildings.

"It's a human," the faunus said, "a huntsman!" The other four looked nervously between themselves but made no move to lower their weapons. Their muttered conversation was too quiet to overhear, but eventually one strode forward.

"Just kill it," she called.

Blake's breath caught. Gambol Shroud slipped free from its holster in an instant, and despite her shaking hands, she trained it on the head of the woman who'd spoken. She'd never killed a person before, at least not so directly. The thought of it was enough to make her mouth feel dry. She took a deep breath, muscles relaxing, but the gun did not falter.

Jaune killed for her, and so for him, she'd pull the trigger.

"Don't be a fool," the first said. "You want to kill someone in the middle of this place? You'll have the Grimm down on us in a matter of minutes. Besides, what do you think a young huntsman is doing here on his own?"

"Asking for trouble."

"Moron," he scoffed, "Where there's one, there's more. Get over here and help me secure him. We'll let the boss decide what to do."

The female faunus tossed her head but made no move to help, leaving another to holster his weapon and do it instead. They approached Jaune carefully, but became more confident when it was clear the huntsman wasn't about to wake up anytime soon. They crouched down and hefted his body between them, lugging him slowly away.

Gambol Shroud fell as Blake's shoulders slumped. Relief was quick to be overcome, however, leaving only fear and a grim sense of determination behind. The question of what she should do was an obvious one, the answer even more so. There was no way she could leave him behind, not like this – but that decision only led to further problems.

Did she attack now, though? Like they'd said, too much noise and disturbance would draw the Grimm down on them and Jaune was unconscious, possibly injured. He'd be torn apart while he couldn't protect himself. It would also lead to a fire fight, in which he'd be unable to defend himself. If she let him be taken away, then at least she could spring him loose when he was awake, or when she could get him out quietly.

Weiss - she would know what to do. She drew forth her scroll and tried to call the heiress, only to curse angrily when no signal came through. She couldn't go back and get her team. These people were already moving Jaune somewhere, which meant even if she went back and got the others, they'd have no idea where he was.

She had to move to, if she wanted to keep up with them – which left her no time to decide.

Blake scowled, snatched up his backpack and weapon and hurried after them. Their gait was slow, especially with Jaune lugged between them, but they moved purposefully through the ruins, showing some familiarity with the area. For a while she was able to follow them looking down from above, but she had to descend when she saw a party of Grimm ahead. There was no time to fight them and the White Fang were travelling underground in what looked to be some disused subway system. Her feet cracked against concrete, and she quickly ducked into cover lest they turn around. Fortunately, they were lost in their own conversation – chatting in an attempt to keep their spirits high.

The faunus moved through a dark tunnel, cut off from all light and shrouded in darkness. It was a good place for them to hide since much like her, their eyes could pierce the darkness with ease. The rest of her team would have had trouble not tripping on the broken masonry that littered the floor. Eventually, however, a light revealed itself.

A stifled gasp slipped past her lips as their destination was revealed. It was a large, open-topped area, converted of an old subway with several grey-walled buildings on either side. Train tracks, curiously in one piece, ran down the centre of it – but it was the fully functional train that shocked her the most. Figures dotted around it, transporting goods into its carriages. Why would there be a train in Mountain Glenn? This was a ruined city… surely each and every train would have been taken out in attempts to escape?

Anxiety settled over her, followed by a muffled curse as she saw a white-coated figure by the train. It only got worse when he turned to those who approached. She ducked into an alcove between two of the apartment blocks, out of sight, but close enough to listen in. So, the headmaster had been right, Torchwick _was_ here.

"What is it, you animals?" the criminal sighed. "Can't you see we're a little busy?"

"We found this, sir." Jaune's body was unceremoniously dumped down before the man, causing Blake to hiss. "We thought you might be interested."

"Well, well," Torchwick chuckled, "If it isn't a familiar face. It seems like you guys aren't as worthless as I first thought. Perry, grab hold of him and follow me. The boy and I have… unfinished business."

Blake could only watch a larger faunus step forward and lift Jaune up onto his shoulder. As he was drawn into a building, she pressed her back against the wall and tried to control her breathing. Okay… Jaune was alive still, though she didn't know for how long. If Torchwick wanted him dead, however, then he'd have done it then and there – and taken a bullet from her before he could so much as lift his cane. He didn't, and that meant she had time. How long, she couldn't say.

She had to save him… that much was obvious, but the question of how was one that forced her eyes shut and sent waves of panic shooting through her mind. How had it even come to this? This was supposed to be a simple mission – why did Jaune wander off alone? Why had he risked his life to save hers?

" _Tell me, kid, can you honestly say he wouldn't put himself in front of a bullet for you? There's a difference between someone looking to kill themselves and someone who wouldn't hesitate to."_

She clenched her eyes shut and shook her head. No, that wasn't true – just because Jaune wanted to look after them. That just made him a good teammate, a good friend. He wouldn't let himself be killed, even for her. Blake's hands curled into fists, shaking as she took several sharp breaths. She knew it was a lie even as she thought it. The docks, Weiss in training and now this…

She needed to save him. Once she saved him, she could talk to him – force him to understand that he was more important than that.

Desperate for any help, she pulled out her scroll once more. _Communications are still down. I have to do this on my own, but how am I supposed to get beat Torchwick?_ No, that was foolish. She'd been on many a raid with the White Fang to break out captured comrades, and while Adam _could_ have fought his way through, he always taught her the value of stealth and misdirection. It was one of the few things she appreciated learning from him.

She just needed something to serve as a distraction, to draw their attention away. All she had was her weapon, Crocea Mors – and Jaune's backpack, though.

It was a stupid idea, but she knelt down and flipped it open. Maybe he had something – anything – that would help. As she unbuckled the catch and pulled it open, she drew the pack apart and looked into it.

What the hell…?

Jaune had some serious explaining to do.

But, she thought, as hope bloomed to life – maybe she could make this work.

/-/

"Wake up."

Weiss groaned and stirred a little as something shook her shoulder. Her brain was slow to respond, but as she tried to snuggle deeper into her blanket, it was torn from her body entirely. The chill air of the despondent and broken city they were in struck like an avalanche. She was wide awake in seconds.

"Ya- Mr Branwen?" Weiss corrected, surprised to see the man knelt by her – and even more concerned with how his face, normally somewhat taunting, now looked like it was carved from granite. Her heart sank. "What's happened? What's wrong?"

"Your boyfriend is missing," he said, "The moody girl too."

At any other time she might have argued the term he used for Jaune, but the moment she was about to, her mind connected the dots on what he'd said. "What!?" she gasped and lunged to her feet, only to get tangled in her sleeping bag half-way. He didn't even try to catch her, but instead strode away as she slammed against the nearby wall.

"Missing," he snapped, "gone. Those stupid… Ugh, get up."

Blake and Jaune…? Weiss' heart twisted in her chest, a strange sense of vertigo taking her as she tried to process the information. It took a few seconds, and that was only because of how impossible it sounded. If they were missing… then she had to find them. She tore herself from the bedding, dusted down her combat clothes and rushed up to stand before Qrow, fully awake.

He eyed the equipment she was willing to leave behind, but didn't comment on it. Pots and pans could be replaced, even her new sleeping bag. There wasn't any time for storing all that away when half her team was in trouble.

"I found some tracks," Yang panted as she leapt over a low wall and into the building. The blonde looked as worried as she felt, the largest frown she'd ever seen on her face, but she pointed in the direction she'd come from. "They're pretty worn and they don't go far enough to follow, but it's a direction at least." she said. "Come on, we might be able to catch up!"

"Any sign of a struggle?" Qrow asked.

"None… it's just two pairs of footprints, like they just up and wandered off in the middle of the night." Yang shot a worried glance towards Weiss, which the heiress returned. What could Jaune and Blake have left for? It didn't make any sense.

"Maybe they went to bang," Qrow grunted. "I've heard about his rep."

An unpleasant sensation shot through her at that suggestion, but she shook it off almost immediately. "They wouldn't," she snapped. Jaune wouldn't do that to Blake, and she knew Blake wouldn't do that to her. It wasn't even worth considering. _Jaune wouldn't leave us, not for anything – and I know Blake wouldn't betray us to the White Fang. She loves Jaune and the team too much for that._ They were a family… a stupid family, but one nonetheless. Blake looked to Jaune like a father, and as bizarre as that might have sounded, it was the truth.

"Perhaps they saw something," Yang countered. "Maybe they went to investigate."

"Maybe…" The older huntsman didn't sound like he believed it.

That was more likely, and more worrisome too. Blake and Jaune _had_ been the two to rush off and do all that dangerous stuff with the White Fang, back before Blake confessed the truth and brought them into it. Surely they wouldn't be so foolish to do that again, though? They would have woken her and Yang up at least, right?

To her frustration, her denial was not quite as immediate as the last. _You better not have,_ she scowled. _If you two ran off into another dangerous situation, I swear I won't stop with just a lecture like the last time._

"Arf!"

Their heads snapped to the side, in time to see the small corgi Jaune had brought along, its face pressed against the ground. It snuffled and sniffed, then barked again and wagged its tail. Weiss' heart soared as she noticed it staring firmly in a particular direction.

"Have you found their scent?" she asked, rushing over to Yang's dog. It barked again and took a few hurried steps forward, then turned to regard them with excited eyes.

"Huh," Qrow grunted, "I guess the kid was right when he said the mutt would be useful. Yang, grab something from their packs – anything that might have a scent on. Zwei might need it."

Yang nodded and rushed over, rummaging among their things. "Jaune's bag isn't here," she called back a moment later. "I found one of Blake's bows, but his is gone."

Weiss bit her lip. Why would Jaune take his bag? Was he… was this some attempt to get away from them? No, it couldn't be. Weiss shook her head and frowned, her thoughts whirring. There was a reason – there had to be. She would trust in them.

"Tch," Qrow spat. "If this is his way of getting out of Ozpin's deal…"

"Deal…?"

"Nothing," he said. "We follow the tracks, and then take Zwei's nose as far as we can. Take only what you need. We travel light."

Weiss nodded and hefted Myrtenaster and nothing else. Yang did the same, strapping a water flask to her belt then stepping up beside her. The ruined city sounded so quiet, so lifeless.

It preyed on her every fear, reminded her of the cruel reality of what befell the people here, and what might also have happened to Blake and Jaune. She shook her head and tried to dispel it, but the fear lingered – clung to her like a thick miasma. It made her heart race, her voice fail her and her hands shake. She had to hold onto what hope she had, but it felt so hard.

 _Whatever you two are doing... look after one another. Please just stay safe._

/-/

A dull ache throbbed through his skull. It was the first thing Jaune noticed when he came to, followed by the discovery that he was in a bright, stone-walled room. He tried to move his hands up to touch his head, but something bit into his wrist. Confusion settled for a brief moment, before the memory of what happened came back. He'd saved Blake from falling, but fallen himself. Ironic, he supposed.

A machine revved behind him, metallic crunching and grinding echoing about the room before it settled into a loud, abrasive noise.

"Ready to die?" a low voice asked, as a huge chainsaw was placed in front of his face. The blades moved too fast to be seen, but he could feel the air displaced by them on his skin.

"Talk about dramatic," Jaune sighed and rolled his eyes. "If you wanted me dead, you wouldn't have me tied to a chair… nor would you wait for me to wake up."

"Hah," the man stepped in front of him, huge and burly with a White Fang mask. He hefted the chainsaw in one hand, as though it weighed nothing to him. "Are you so sure of that, human? Willing to bet your life on it?"

"Yes."

The faunus paused at his casual response. He growled and spat to the side, and even raised the chainsaw above his head, as though to bring it crashing down on the huntsman.

Jaune huffed and raised a single eyebrow, unafraid. Even if the man did it, what did he have to fear from death? He would lose his friends – and that thought hurt, he could admit – but it wasn't a pain he wouldn't face in time anyway. He always lost them.

The faunus huffed and lowered his arm. The chainsaw came to a grinding halt.

"I told you he wouldn't be afraid, Perry," a far more familiar voice oozed. "There's a few screws loose in the kid's brain." Roman emphasised the point by grabbing Jaune's head between his hands and shaking it.

It hurt more than he expected it to, indicating some kind of lingering injury as he watched the flamboyant criminal stroll in front of him. Great… he'd been captured, then – and despite his expectations, Roman apparently _was_ arrogant enough to try and taunt him over it. He wasn't sure if that was good or bad, even if it let him live a little longer. _Will the others even be able to find me? What's to stop Roman killing me before they can?_

"Well, well, well," Roman drawled, "Can't say I expected to see you again, kid."

"Maybe you're not…" Jaune grumbled, more defiant than anything else. "Maybe I'm a figment of your imagination."

"If so," Roman said, his hands coming down to grip the armrests of the chair, "then my imagination is about to become a very twisted place."

"Oooh," Jaune rolled his eyes, "spooky." He made sure to keep his expression bored, even if his thoughts were racing at a mile a minute. Blake was safe, that was a good thing at least. Maybe she'd have been able to handle the fall better, but with all the falling rubble, that wasn't a given. He'd acted before he could think, anyway. He just had to save Blake and not let her be hurt – not let any of them be hurt.

"You're a regular comedian," Roman sighed and pushed pack. "I have to say, after that sweet, little love letter I got from you, I was under the impression we were going to avoid one another. What do you call this?"

"It's just a little field trip. How was I supposed to know you'd be in Mountain Glenn of all places? I thought you had class, Roman. When did you turn to grave robbing?"

Roman started to chuckle. He stood up straight and turned away, building up into an all-out laugh. When it reached a crescendo, he spun back and slugged Jaune in the jaw.

The blow made his head crack back, vision blurring as agony seared across his face. He toppled to the side and fell, shoulder crashing against the stone floor. "Okay," he coughed, "I can see you're in a bad mood."

"Very astute of you, kid. I _am_ in a bad mood. Do you know why?" Roman leaned down to grip the chair and sit him back up. "I'm pissed, quite justifiably, I think, because a certain _brat_ saw fit to come and interrupt my plans, _again_. Now tell me, is there a reason I shouldn't kill you right here and now?"

Jaune tried to smile. "My dashing good looks?"

He received another blow for that, even if Roman's foot caught his chair and stopped it from falling over once more. Jaune's head swayed. Gods, he was glad Ruby never had to put up with this. Then again, she hadn't been considered enough of a threat for it – and her team usually arrived earlier.

It was a relief… he didn't want to imagine Ruby in so much pain.

"Try again." Roman hissed.

"You want my secret," Jaune said, "You want to know…"

"Yes?"

"It's…" Jaune forced himself to look into the other man's eyes. "It's about having a big penis," he grinned, "and not wearing mascara. That's the secret of how I sleep with so many- ugh!" Jaune grit his teeth together as Roman slipped Melodic Cudgel between his arm and the chair, using it like a lever. It forced his left arm at an unnatural angle, making it feel like the bone would pop out of its socket. Sweat beaded on his brow but he refused to make a single noise.

He wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

"I know there's more of you," Roman began, "You wouldn't be out here alone, even if you are crazy enough to consider it. How many of you are there?"

"Millions," he grit out.

Roman growled and pulled Melodic Cudgel out. Jaune breathed a sigh of relief for barely a second, before the man took the weapon in two hands and swung it like a bat.

Pain exploded through his shoulder. The force was enough to knock him over, and this time the other man made no effort to stop it. The chair hit stone, his head cracked against it a second later. Jaune gasped for breath, but it became ragged when Roman's foot hit him in the stomach, driving it from his lungs. The metal cane came down another time, on his ribs and chest, and he instinctively tried to curl into a ball, only to find he couldn't. Every time it hit, his body shook, and the bindings around his wrist cut deeper and deeper.

He forced his eyes shut and grit his teeth.

"You think you're so funny," Roman yelled, lifting his cane up and down with an almost rhythmic fury. "You huntsman think you're such heroes. You're not and this isn't a game. You mess up in this life and you die!"

Jaune couldn't help it; he started to laugh. Even as his body was wracked with pain, he laughed and laughed. It angered his attacker even more, but that didn't stop him – nor did the heavier blows that rained down upon his body.

"You're mad," Roman gasped a few seconds later. The crook staggered back, red in the face. Sweat dribbled down his brow and he panted for breath. "You're actually insane, aren't you?"

One sapphire eye cracked open. The other was swollen shut, the after effects of the beating having already taken hold. "Insane?" he whispered. "I'm not the person working for a mad woman. She'll kill you, Roman. You're going to die."

Roman would… if Jaune didn't die first. His head swam as he took great gulps of air. The pain was an ever-present reminder, but it didn't affect him like it once might have. What was this compared to the times he'd been tortured before? Roman was an amateur compared to Ironwood. Ironwood was an amateur compared to Cinder – and nothing compared to the pain of losing someone you loved.

He'd felt the flesh burned from his own body, for crying out loud. What was this compared to that?

"What do you know of her?" Roman growled, kneeling down and clutching Jaune's cheeks in his hands. " _How_ did you know about all of this?"

Torture lost its use once the victim accepted their death. For someone who didn't even fear it, the effort had been wasted from the start. Jaune spat a mouthful of blood into the man's face. "Nice try, Roman," he said. "I'll give you a six out of ten, but only for effort."

"I _will_ kill you," Roman threatened. "Do you honestly think I won't do it?"

"Join the queue." Jaune laughed. He wasn't going to reveal anything that might land his team in trouble, even if it did end up a moot point when he died. The world would reset, and they with it. Even so, he would never betray them – even if it was for but a few minutes.

"Ugh, what a waste of time," Roman sighed. "What do you think, want to kill him?"

Was there someone else in the room? Jaune strained his neck to try and see, but the seat stopped him from doing so. He hadn't sensed anyone nearby, and his instincts were usually good. A white and black heeled boot appeared in his vision. Jaune sighed.

Neo pressed her foot to the chair leg, causing it to slowly push him back up into a sitting position. The cute girl smiled cruelly as she inspected him. She even ran a finger along a cut on his cheek, and seemed amused by the smear of blood it left behind.

"Roman," Jaune said, keeping his voice light. "Is this your girlfriend? I don't do sloppy seconds if that's what you're offering."

Neo didn't seem offended. If anything, she looked amused. The girl leaned closer to him, her head tilted to one side as she looked deep into his eyes. Whatever she was looking for, she apparently found it – for her eyes widened and she clapped her hands together. She turned and made a `wait here` gesture to Roman and rushed out of the room.

 _Great,_ he sighed. _Now what?_

A startled yelp came from outside, followed by a loud thud, before the girl bounded back into the room. He couldn't see her from since the door was behind him, but he could hear the click-clack of her heels on stone as she skipped over to him.

He froze as her small hands draped themselves over his shoulders from behind. Neo, more than anyone else, was just unpredictable enough to snap his neck right then and there. She didn't however. Instead, his vision was blocked as she held something up and against his face.

He blinked through the eyeholes, spirits falling as he realised it was a mask. There was only one type of mask readily available in Mountain Glenn at the moment, he imagined. That explained the noise too… he wondered if she'd honestly killed someone just to get it.

"Neo," Roman breathed, "Have I mentioned lately how much of a gem you are?" The girl laughed silently. Jaune could feel it against his back, but his attention was soon taken away as Roman kicked one foot up, to rest on the chair, right next to Jaune's crotch. "I thought you looked familiar, kid. I couldn't quite place it, but even when you were right there in that warehouse with me, something stood out. You were too calm… too distant," Roman shook his head, "-too efficient. No one your age, no matter how much a prodigy, can take so many lives so easily. You know how to fly a Bullhead, you tore into those animals like they were paper. There's something very weird about you… and I intend to find out what."

"It's nice to have dreams," Jaune chuckled.

Roman laughed and pushed his head away, so that he fell and smacked it against the floor once more. "You're pretty good at resisting pain," he said, "but there's more than one way to crack a person. Not a fan of it myself, but needs must, eh kid?"

Jaune's eyes widened when Torchwick opened the bag, revealing several pouches of unidentifiable substances, along with some needles. No… no way. Panic shot through him and he thrashed in a wild attempt to break free. The restraints bit so deep they drew blood, but it didn't stop him. The chair clattered and moved across the floor, but came to a halt when Neo placed a foot on his chest.

She smiled down on him, an amused and cruel smile on her face.

"You'd be surprised how many of these animals are hopped up on this crap," Roman laughed. "I guess it makes sense… most of them know this is a suicide mission – a task for martyrs. Why go out in agony when you can do it on a drugged high? It didn't take Perry long to confiscate some, and there are always other ways to use them."

Jaune thrashed, fighting to break free even as he looked at the needle with horror. Pain he could handle- he'd learned to focus past pain long ago- but what good was a mind when the body betrayed it? He had no idea what was in that concoction, but he could imagine what it would do- how it would pull apart his mind by affecting the foundation of his body. Patience, purpose, clarity... it would all be lost in a haze once that needle violated his skin and injected him with some junkie's feel-good concoction.

He wouldn't just lose his ability to resist. He wouldn't even care if he betrayed his friends, not until he came down amongst the ruins of Vale and his friend's deaths once again.

 _No! Not like this! Not again!_

Roman turned with a syringe in hand, filled with some brown liquid. "Not a massive fan of drugs myself." he said. "Worthless fools who hide in some induced dream rather than face life itself." Roman gripped Jaune's arm. "You brought this on yourself, kid. All you had to do was answer a few questions and all this business could have been avoided." The crook smirked. "Last chance… you can start by telling me about your friends and we'll move on from there."

Jaune stared at the needle, sharp and thin, with a droplet hanging from the end. His body shook, his eyes as wide as saucers. Inside, his stomach flipped and flopped, unprepared for the agony – or whatever this unknown drug would do to his system. He glared up at Torchwick and spat out his defiance. "Fuck you. I won't tell you anything."

"I tried, Neo," Roman sighed theatrically. "I try so hard to be nice, and this is what I get. I guess, then, that I'll have to be the monster! Keep in mind, kid, I'm neither a practitioner nor a user – so forgive me if this is… amateur, at best."

Jaune's skin burned as the needle pushed through. He could feel the cold liquid being injected, the agony as it seared through him. He grit his teeth together and tried to focus on the pain – to ignore all else. It was _so hard_. It felt like liquid fire injected straight into his veins, and it burned up his arm and towards his neck. Tears, something he'd long thought lost, brimmed at the corners of his eyes. When it stopped, and the needle was draw free, he slumped forward, haggard breath coming from his lips. The stinging slowly started to diffuse, but he felt sick inside.

"That's one," Roman laughed and tossed the syringe aside. He rummaged in the bag and pulled out another, this time with a different fluid in it. Jaune's eyes widened. "Oh, we're just getting started, trust me. I want you _nice_ and co-operative." The man smiled as he moved towards him and placed a new needle against his arm. "Look on the bright side... after a few more, you might even start to enjoy it."

/-/

The last time a train, explosives and her had been involved, it proved the final incentive she needed to leave her old life behind. It was almost ironic now that she was crouched in the back of one of the buildings the White Fang used to store their dust, setting up one. The device beeped once, a quiet sound but one that still made her flinch and look around. No one was there, however. Blake sighed in relief and pushed the device behind a crate.

 _That's the third one set. It should be enough to take out the entire building._

Not the one Jaune had been taken to, of course. She didn't want to risk him like that, and with Torchwick and the girl from the docks there, she was more than aware of how dangerous breaking in was. This building was currently not being used, but the dust stored inside was clearly important – likely destined for that train. It would cause a big enough distraction when she set it off, and that would give her a chance to break in and rescue him.

She looked at her scroll once more and cursed. No communications, still…

With a growl, she hauled Jaune's pack back onto her shoulder and snuck out a smashed window on the back of the building. It was a little lighter now, the explosives set and just a few toys remaining. How Jaune had even come into possession of them, she had no idea – but those were questions she intended to pose to him once they were back in Beacon.

Once they – he – was safe.

The White Fang were inattentive. Perhaps it was because they thought themselves safe, or maybe they'd just always been this bad and she never noticed when she was a part of them. Either way, she was able to bypass most of them simply by sticking to the alleyways and moving behind the buildings. They were focused almost entirely on the main tracks and the train itself.

 _That's all the better for me,_ she hummed, approaching the building she'd seen Jaune be carted in to. The entrance was a no go, not with who was inside, but she was able to clamber up a drain pipe that still stood strong. _Hang on, Jaune. I'm coming._

One of the windows on the third floor was already smashed. She gently pushed a few shards off it with her foot, before she slipped inside and fell to the ground with the faint sound of glass crunching beneath her heels.

There was no response from inside, be that an alarm or gunfire.

There was no time for relief. She pushed forward and against the entranceway and leaned out of the room to scan the corridor. It was empty and abandoned, covered in dust and cobwebs. _It doesn't look like they've used this floor at all. At least that cuts out having to check all of them._ Had they gone higher, she would surely have seen footprints in the dust, but the stairs were covered in them. They rose in small clouds as she silently descended them – but she paused before coming onto the second floor.

The ground there was cleaner… still abandoned and mucky, but with signs of dust dispelled and pushed around. She closed her eyes and listened. There was muffled conversation in the distance, but little else.

She swallowed and stepped out into the corridor, wincing at the sound of her heels clicking on the concrete floor. The first room she passed looked to have some White Fang grunts inside and she snuck past, staying low and ready to hide at any moment. Jaune would be with Torchwick… that seemed obvious. The monster was no doubt interrogating him, and that thought sent a spike of fear through her heart.

 _He'll be fine,_ she told herself. _He's resourceful, he's strong… stronger than me. He'll be okay._ The words didn't help. Her hands shook and as she tried to control her frantic breathing, she felt her pulse racing. Jaune was in this situation because of her… because he'd saved her. If it wasn't for him, it might be her being interrogated – or worse – given the punishment a traitor deserved.

A door opened further down the corridor. She cursed and ducked into a room on her left, leaning against the wall as two faunus walked by.

"The boss wants us to load up the carriages."

"So soon? I thought we had a few more days."

"It's changed apparently. No complaint here, I'm sick of this dump."

Blake kept her breathing even as they passed, and slipped back out once they were gone. _Something changed… a time frame? Does Torchwick intend to relocate out of fear his base has been discovered?_ If so, that could be bad. It might mean losing track of Jaune; something she couldn't allow to happen. The room they'd left stood ahead, the door still ajar, and she slipped into it as silently as she could. There was no errant team leader, but a map strewn out across a table caught her eye.

It was an old thing, more of a diagram or blueprint, really, but it detailed some kind of underground system of tunnels and tracks. Blake's eyes narrowed as she looked at a circle drawn in green pen, likely marking their current location if the sketch of a train was any indication. It was by the central line… one that went all the way back to… Vale?

Hadn't that been sealed off? That was what Junior said. But if a train struck it, packed with dust?

The realisation slammed into her. Blake gasped and slammed her hands onto the table, eyes wide. The train wasn't to ferry supplies or ship dust back and forth – not if they were moving dust back _on_ to it. It was a moving bomb… and this map showed the method of delivery.

Straight into the heart of Vale.

 _The others need to know. Beacon needs to know!_ She fumbled with her scroll but it was as dead as before. A device on the table by the map caught her attention, an old signal radio with a satellite antenna beside it. She rushed over to grab the speaker and look at it. _This must be how they stay in contact with one another when there's no signal for scrolls._

It was an old thing, archaic, even – and there was no way she could use it to get in touch with the others. It wasn't like they had radios on them. The antennae, though? That was just a booster, to give the radio extra range. The White Fang used them all the time, even when she'd been working with them – it was harder to track and more secure.

It also meant she knew how to use it. She tore the radio free, pulling some of the wires out the back and freeing the antennae and the black boxes attached to it. By hooking it up to her scroll, it should allow her a little more distance – enough, perhaps, to reach her team and draw them to her. With Yang and Weiss to help, not to mention a fully trained huntsman, they'd be able to force Torchwick back and save Jaune.

 _Please work,_ she begged, holding the scroll as she positioned the antennae and squeezed the wires into the device. It flickered and blurred a little, but as she dialled the number, she breathed a sigh of relief as it started to ring.

" _Blake!?"_ Weiss answered almost immediately. _"Blake, where the hell are you – where's Jaune? Why did you leave camp?"_

"I don't have time to explain, Weiss. Jaune's been captured by the White Fang!"

Weiss gasped in horror, but was quickly pushed out of the way as a man's face took over the screen. _"Where are you?"_ Qrow asked. _"We're following your tracks, but the going is slow – do you know the location?"_

"We're by the central tunnels that lead back to Vale," she said, "Torchwick… he plans to send a train filled with explosives down the tunnel. He's going to open a path for the Grimm to invade the city!"

Qrow cursed angrily. _"Right, I've got a vague enough idea where that is. What about the kid – he safe?"_

"No. He was captured by the White Fang. They gave him to Torchwick and I haven't seen him since. Please, I need you to get here as quickly as you can. They might kill him!"

" _We're en route. Just hold out there and stay safe. Don't do anyth- BEHIND YOU!"_

Blake gasped and tried to turn, but was unprepared for the metal pipe that struck the side of her head. She cried out as she fell back, the scroll wrenched from her hand as she hit a wall and slumped to the base. One eye cracked open in time to see the call ended as a foot stamped down on the device.

"Well, you guys are all just popping out of the woodwork, aren't you?" Roman Torchwick snarled.

Fighting through her panic, Blake staggered to her feet – only to fall as he hooked the end of his cane around her foot and tore her feet from under her. Her head slammed against the ground, dazing her.

"I've had it about up to here," he growled. "You and that bastard both, you've caused me no end of problems." He stalked forwards and kicked Gambol Shroud out of her hand. Blake gasped as he placed a foot on her stomach and pushed down. "So, you've seen the plans for this little jaunt, and I'm guessing by that call, you've let your little friends know as well. Seriously, am I cursed or something?"

"W-Where's Jaune?" she gasped and struggled to push his foot off her. "What have you done to him?"

"Hm, the kid? I asked him a couple of questions – he wasn't very co-operative at first, but he learned to talk with the right... motivation. He told me all sorts of things. So many crazy things."

Her breath caught in her throat. Jaune wouldn't betray them – there was no chance in hell. She wouldn't believe it for even a second. The only _agreement_ she could imagine them making was… her eyes widened. "What have you done to him? If you've hurt him-"

"Hurt him? Oh, quite the opposite, I just gave him a little something that made him open up. Well," the man smirked, "maybe a `little` is the wrong word. As for pain, though, I'm not sure he would even recognise was that is anymore."

"You monster!" she howled. "Where is he - what have you done with him!?"

"I don't think you need to know, kitty-cat. He's an interesting one… I can think of a few people who'd like to speak with him. But you, you're just an annoying insect." Torchwick flipped his cane over and fiddled with the barrel. "And insects get squashed."

She was going to die. The certainty of that slammed into her, drawing her eyes wide and inciting a desperate panic within her. She kicked back against him, trying to force the larger man off – but he leaned forward and placed all his weight on her stomach. She felt her ribs creak and threw her head back to cry out in pain. As she did, through the haze of tears, she noticed Jaune's bag nearby. Her eyes widened.

"Say goodnight," Roman chuckled and pointed his cane down at her.

Blake's hand fell to her waist – to the detonator that lay there. "Say boom."

"Wha-?" A great explosion cut off the thief's words, causing screams from outside and making the man atop her look in the direction of the window.

Blake took the brief opportunity for what it was. She pushed his foot off her and lunged for the bag, reaching it with one hand and grabbing the first thing she could. Torchwick looked down and tried to adjust his aim, but she grinned viciously and _stabbed_ the thing straight up and into his crotch.

"Arghhhhhaiiiieee!" Torchwick squealed and spasmed as the current from the Taser ran through him. He fell back, smoking and twitching, and caught himself on the wooden desk, slumping against it. With a growl he lifted the cane and fired a shot at the fleeing girl, but his muscles twitched at the last moment, causing it to miss and detonate on the wall above her head.

Blake darted out of the room, eyes growing wide as she heard the commotion of several White Fang members rushing up. She needed to find Jaune – but she couldn't afford to be captured and killed.

"I need the others," she gasped and rushed for the nearest window.

/-/

Jaune twitched and shook on the concrete floor. Drool pooled under his mouth as he clutched his stomach and rode out another undulating wave of nauseous bile. His head… his heads… they pounded and swam, swishing and swashing – so much so that he wanted to bash it against the wall until it was mercifully still. That would take too much effort, however, and he just wanted to lay there and die.

 _Have to... get up..._ a distant voice tried to tell him.

Who was it to do such a thing? Who was it to order him around? He vomited instead. It came out in a spurt of fluid, black and green at the same time, and it bubbled out from his lips. Some dribbled down his chin; the rest stank on the floor before his face.

There was something… wasn't there something he was supposed to do?

Argh, but his head pulsed and twisted. He'd forgotten something, he knew, but finding it was like trying to catch smoke with your bare hands. He grasped at something, but it twisted out of his mind and fled away into the night. That frustrated him, a rare feeling past dizziness and vertigo. He had to remember, he had to do something. But what?

"S-S-Save…" he mumbled incoherently.

"What was that?" a gruff voice asked.

"T-them…" He hacked and coughed, unable to get any more out. A spasm shot through his body, and he contracted in agony, shivering as sweat beaded on his brow. He was so… he was sick. He was angry. He was sad. He hurt.

Everything was a kaleidoscope.

A kaleidoscope of colours, a kaleidoscope of sound – a kaleidoscope of pain…

Red… red was the colour that he recognised the most, but also black, white and yellow. Those colours made him feel better – but also made him feel worse. They hurt; they made his eyes hurt. He had to do something with them, had to… no - it was gone again, lost as an explosion rocked inside his head. He whimpered and clutched his skull. Why couldn't he reach into his brain and stop it? He thought of snow too, fresh and white, yet warm as well. Warm snow? Since when was snow warm?

Warm snow would melt and fade away.

The thought of it was almost enough to push through the maze his memories had become. He didn't want that to happen, the snow to vanish and leave. His hands pushed down against the ground, a desperate attempt to climb to his feet. His strength gave way, however, torn asunder as another spasm struck his muscles. He twitched and shook on the floor.

"He's completely fucked," the voice continued, "This is what that kind of crap does to you. I can't believe some of the guys actually use it."

"Yeah, well," another said, "I think they use it a little more safely than he did. You think whatever Torchwick got out of him was worth it?"

Torchwick…

That was a word with meaning. His eyes blazed, even through the pain and the nausea, they cracked open. He _hated_ that word. He wanted to fight it – to kill it. Information…? That one burned too. It sent a horrifying chill through his body. No… what had he done… had he… talked?

 _Have to... remember…_

Remember what? There was just way too much. His blood was on fire, his senses burned and he had an itch in his skull he couldn't quite reach, no matter how much his nails tore at his scalp. He wanted to coil up and hope it went away, but a part of him also wanted to stand, to do... something. To stop something. What did he need to stop? Couldn't it wait?

The door slammed open. Footsteps echoed, discordant and odd – the person was limping. How did he know that? Should he have known that? A hand settled in his hair and dragged him up. His scalp hurt, but no more than everything else. Green eyes peered into bloodshot red. A thumb and forefinger pulled his wider, as though to search for treasure within them. He tried to slap the hand away, but missed by a good metre and gave up.

"Still out of it, eh kid?" the man laughed.

He hated that laugh. It was so familiar; he'd heard it _so_ many times. The laugh was there when people died, when loved ones fell, when a small red shape was beaten with a metal stick. Something burned inside him, and for once it wasn't blood or pain – but something far more visceral… something primal. He didn't want to see anyone in that pain. He didn't want to see red suffer, nor anyone else.

He wanted to silence that laugh... silence it forever.

All he could do was gasp, though, as the man dropped him and he slammed back down onto the floor.

 _Have to... stand... to fight..._

He didn't want to move. Who kept telling him to? Why should he?

An image assaulted his mind, of laughing, chatting voices - all around him. They were muffled and muted, but he didn't care. There was music too, equally difficult to hear, as though it were played through a long tunnel. Something was in his hands... something white and soft and warm. They spun, twirled and danced across a floor filled with other people. He tried to speak, but no words came forth. He tried to see who the white person was, but their face twisted and swirled. It ought to have frightened him, but it didn't. He felt content... not alone.

The figure laughed, so different a laugh to the one he hated. It was light and airy, beautiful...

The scene started to blur out of existence. _No - don't go!_ He reached out for it, one arm suspended in the air as he lay on his side. _Come back!_

"Neo!" not-white said. "We're getting a move on – the base has been rumbled and we're starting this train _now_. Perry, I need you to carry overdosing beauty here and get him stowed away somewhere. I know someone who might want to have a little word with him."

A word? He didn't like the sound of that. He tried to move but froze and shivered when pain seared into his bones. The world dimmed for a moment. Sweat poured down his face and it felt like he couldn't breathe. Oxygen came a second later – it had always been there, he knew, but for a moment he'd forgotten how to actually draw breath.

A burly arm settled beneath his body and hefted him up. Weakly, limply, he flopped over the man's shoulder.

 _He... knows...?_

"Whadd'd say…" he gurgled, content for once just to follow the voice's commands.

"Hm?" Torchwick asked, lifting his cap just a little. "You say something, my little bargaining chip?"

"What… did… I say…?"

The words were important, even if he wasn't sure why. What did it matter what he said? He couldn't remember anything – only that the floor was cold, the man holding him was warm and his body flicked between the two extremes. It was on fire one moment, freezing to ice the next.

"Oh, you said some _interesting_ things," Torchwick smirked. "Some that I'm not sure I believe – but others? I think Cinder will be _intrigued_ to meet you."

Another name, but this one brought on more than just anger – it brought on _murder_. Fire and ash, slash and cut, rend and tear – kill, kill, kill.

"She'll kill me…"

"Maybe she will." Roman laughed. "At least she won't kill m-"

"She'll kill you too… you'll die, Roman. You always die…"

"Tch, I've had enough of your garbage. She'll get the real answers out of you. All you've bought here is a short lease on life. Perry – take him away."

/-/

Weiss' breath came out in sharp gasps as she followed Yang's uncle through the streets. He moved without pause, at a pace they struggled to match – and yet neither she nor Yang begged him to slow. If anything, she wished he would go faster, that he would leave them behind and get there as soon as he could.

Jaune… Blake… one captured and then the next attacked right before their eyes, her scroll dying a moment later. It had been too much for her already frayed nerves, and clearly too much for Yang and Qrow's as well. The journey was in silence, only the sound of their feet slamming against the pavement and their laboured breathing.

Up ahead there was a great explosion and a cloud of dust that billowed up into the sky.

"Head for it," Qrow growled. "Whatever's attacking them is a friend of ours right now."

"Maybe it was Blake," Yang gasped. She didn't sound like she believed it, and neither did Weiss – but she nodded nonetheless.

She wanted to believe it – to believe them both safe.

Jaune would be, she told herself. He was strong like that – there was no way he, out of all people, would succumb to something like this. He was lazy, sure, but he always had a way out, even when he had to fight against people stronger than him. He'd cheat and trick people. This would be no different. They'd probably arrive there to find the White Fang all tied up, because he'd somehow convinced them to do it. He, in turn, would be lounging on a seat, some white fang girl cradled in his lap.

She'd kill him for making her worry. Oh, how he'd regret leaving them behind while he ran off to fight against those terrorists.

Angry tears pricked at the edge of her vision, and she clenched her hands into fists. She'd make him suffer – because he would be okay. He'd be there for her to scold him. He'd be in one piece, fine and healthy, with Blake rolling her eyes beside him. She'd be so angry, but he would make some stupid wise crack and turn her anger against her. Then he'd pull her in for a hug and tell her not to worry.

She forced any doubts aside. That was the way it would happen. She'd make sure of it.

"Be ready for combat," the huntsman warned. "Don't hesitate. We strike hard and fast – and take out every person we find. I know you want to rush in and help your teammates, but we have to get them out safely as well."

They erupted out of a dark tunnel – into a scene of complete chaos. Fire and smoke rolled out from one building, and as uniformed faunus ran back and forth, another explosion shook it – the acrid scent of dust on the air. A little further to the north, a bestial howl cut through the din, a sign that they had not been the only ones drawn to the carnage.

"The train," Yang said, "that's what Blake said they're going to use to hit Vale."

"Not if we stop it from moving," Qrow growled.

Weiss barely listened to them. She looked around the battlefield, eyes darting for any sign of her missing teammates. "Blake!" she yelled, uncaring of the White Fang around them. It wasn't like their arrival had been stealthy. "Blake – where are you!?"

"Looks like we've got company," Yang growled, as several men ran their way. "We don't give a hoot about you right now – get out of our way!"

"Kill them!" one of the attackers shouted.

As if they'd get the chance. Weiss' fury fed her exhausted muscles, revitalising them as she dashed forward and past the first goon's attack. Myrtenaster pierced deep into his arm, causing him to drop his weapon. He fell to one knee, clutching the wound, only to receive the hilt in his face. "I don't have time for you," she snapped, "Jaune! Where are you!?"

A bullet whizzed past her own, a second aiming a rifle at her as he fired wildly.

Weiss darted to the left, summoning a glyph beneath her and zigzagging her way towards her foe, dodging his shots with ease. He panicked when she came close, but she gave him no time to flee. "You're in the way!" she yelled, charging at him and sweeping his legs out from under him with her blade. He looked up to her with a terrified expression, but she slammed her foot against his face. "Blake?" she howled. "Jaune?"

A shotgun blast rang out behind her, followed by a loud yell as Yang introduced someone to the side of a nearby building.

"BLAKE! JAUNE!" Weiss yelled again. She scowled as another attack came, which she parried to one side. A leap and a pirouette allowed her to backhand the faunus, then follow up with a stinging slap delivered on the edge of a blade.

He flipped through the air and landed with a groan. Behind his downed body, rushing towards them, she spied a familiar figure.

 _Blake…_

The sight of her was enough to make Weiss cry out – not words, just a visceral sound of pure relief. She surged forwards and caught the girl as she stumbled, kneeling down as Blake panted for breath. She was slick with mud and covered in bruises, but oh, so very alive. Weiss pulled her into a tight hug. She didn't want to let go. "You're alive," she whispered, voice hoarse. "I thought the worst, I thought you'd been… you _stupid_ girl."

"Jaune," Blake gasped, hugging her back but pushing away a second later. "I couldn't find him – Torchwick has him… he… he said he'd done something to him, something to make him talk."

"He wouldn't talk," Weiss said, but that only made Blake's message worse. They both knew he wouldn't sell them out, so what had Torchwick done to actually achieve it? She bit her lip and tried to smile for her teammate. "It doesn't matter, anyway. We're here – there's nothing he could reveal even if he did. We're going to save him, Blake. It's going to be okay. We'll be a fa- a team, again."

"Where is he?" Qrow asked, striding up, even as Yang rushed forward to throw her arms around her partner as well. "Yang, this isn't the time. Where's your team leader?"

"That building," Blake pointed back at a rather dull building. "He was in there, but-"

"Never mind," Qrow growled. "I see him."

What!? Weiss gasped and spun about, eyes going wide as she saw a large figure in White Fang uniform clamber onto the train. Over his shoulder, a familiar mop of blonde hair bounced up and down. "Jaune"!" she cried. He had to be alive – why else would they carry him? It was another shock of relief, but also one of anger and rage. They had him.

The train rattled and shook - a horrible sound of metal clanking into metal rushing through the air. With a great ka-chunk, the pistons began to turn the wheels, the vehicle coming to life. White Fang members screamed and cried, many of them breaking ranks to rush towards it as it left without them.

"We can't leave him!" Blake said.

"We won't," Weiss promised. "We need to stop that train from bringing the Grimm to Vale anyway. Isn't that right?" she asked, looking to Yang's uncle.

He nodded back. "Get on that train," he said, "That's our ticket back to Vale and we'll pick up your boyfriend on the way. I've no idea what Torchwick wants him for, but it can't be good."

Whatever it was, it didn't matter. He wouldn't be allowed to have Jaune Arc; not when _she_ was here. He was _her_ teammate, _her_ leader – _her_ partner! Her eyes burned as she dashed forward, the team following behind her. He was hers, and if anyone dared to stand in her way?

Well, they would find out what happened to those who dared take something away from a Schnee.

/-/

Ozpin stood at his window, high in the tower of Beacon, a mug of coffee in hand. It failed to warm him like it should, and the pervasive chill that had seeped into his body some hours earlier remained. As it had for the last fifteen minutes, he found his eyes drawn in the direction of that mountain – of Mountain Glenn.

He sipped off his coffee, if only to ward away the chance he might speak his doubt. A man in his position had to lead, not be seen to worry. They were a skilled team, led by a bright young man – old before his years, and oh so jaded, but cunning in his own way. Qrow would see them safe as well. Irresponsible as he might appear, there were few he trusted more.

Why, then, could he not shake the strange sensation that gripped him? Why did he continue to stare?

Perhaps he worried for nought. Perhaps dear Glynda was right, and he needed some time off for himself. He would not take it, of course, not with the actions of this Queen weighing heavily upon his conscience.

A distraction, then… something to busy the mind and allow him the peace he required.

It was difficult to turn back to his desk. His eyes wished to watch still, his hand to touch the glass and dispel his own reflection. He forced himself to take one step, however, and one soon became two – and two three.

A little paperwork, some forms about the upcoming festival, and even an open and read missive from his old friend, James.

Those things, and simple, steel anklet – open and discarded upon the woodwork.

Perhaps indulging his curiosity a little would take his mind away from such concerns. It could not hurt, at least. The small chip came free from the anklet, the tracker slotting into his terminal as he brought up a map of Mr Arc's movements across Vale.

His hands stilled.

/-/

The floor rattled. Metallic, cold, against his face – it soothed and hurt at the same time. Sound came in and out of focus, but he could hear loud clunking, like metal falling and rising – of motion and locomotion. There was rattling too, as though the box they were in might shake itself loose.

A train, his mind told him.

That felt… important, somehow.

 _Why can't... remember…?_

There were four people nearby, another a little distance away, talking to the one he hated. Five animals and one monster. One of the animals was a big one, but the other four were small and insignificant. They were mice. They were rats.

"I don't care what it takes, Perry. Detach the last few cars early, whatever is needed. The last thing we want is for those blasted idiots to catch up with us."

"I can see to them personally," the masked one growled. "I've always wanted to kill a Schnee."

Fingers scraped on the metal floor, drawing into a fist.

There was... no, there was only anger; a visceral hatred that boiled within him, that made him snarl and try to move. White and red, but no red on white - that never washed off and it never went away. He wouldn't let that stain happen, he couldn't let it. Was washing important? He felt like it wasn't, and yet all that repeated in his head was that he had to make sure no red dashed the white.

"Fine, do whatever you need to do. I'll be ahead making sure this damn thing goes to plan. Do not let anyone past, got it?" The man in white didn't wait for an answer, but instead strode past and through a metal door. His footsteps echoed away.

 _He knows... too much..._

It was a certainty, somewhere deep inside. He needed to stand and follow, to ask him to forget - to take that knowledge and remove it. What knowledge? It was something to do with remembering... it was something to do with colours and fire and ash and blood.

 _Have... make... stop..._

Make what stop? The memories, the pain or the man who knew too much?

 _Both..._

"You four stay here," the large one instructed. "Make sure he stays in one piece – don't let anyone kill him."

"Yes, sir," one of them sighed. He waited until the large one left before sighing. "Sheesh, talk about a waste of time. People are out there fighting for the cause and we're stuck guarding a stinking human?"

"Drugged up at that," another laughed and delivered a sharp kick to his stomach. "Who's the animal now, huh? You're lying on the floor like a dog!"

"Quit it. If Perry finds you doing that, or worse – Torchwick - then you'll be in trouble."

"Who's gonna know? We'll say he had a fit and did it to himself." He laughed and kicked the downed man again, delighting in the groan that came from him.

It wasn't the impact he reacted to, however, but rather the rolling waves in his head. The pain was muted, dulled by experience, but also the fire that burned inside his body, the drugs that tore away at his insides. It was the thick mist in his head that made him moan, more because he knew - with a certainty he couldn't place - that he _had_ to do something. But what? What was he supposed to do?

 _Need... focus..._

Focus on what? What was he supposed to focus on! He wished the voice would tell him, if only so he could do it and shut it up.

 _Stop… he knows…_

He knows? Knows what – and why? Too much, is that what the voice meant? He felt he knew too much as well, too much of what the floor felt like, of what the inside of his mind looked like. He could smell colour and see the sound of the men above him cackling. He knew he hated the animals, and that someone - something - important was happening. He was on a train, that was important. He was headed back to Vale.

What was Vale? Vale was important... he was... train, Vale, breach, Beacon - death, blood, ash, fire-

 _-Cinder…_

That word! He hated it, oh, how he hated it – it made his teeth grit together and his head pulse. He growled into the metal floor, coiling in on himself. What was Cinder? How did he stop it? How did he make it go away? That word, it would do something to someone - and that was something he knew he couldn't let happen, even through the fog and the nausea. It was... purpose. It was direction. It was everything he was.

 _She'll hurt them…_

Hurt who?

 _Weiss, Yang, Blake… all of them…_

Names? He didn't know names, and yet he did – a blast of colour and emotion that stole his breath away. They were nothing, just words on the wind, and yet everything at the same time. They meant everything – _were_ everything. He would do anything - he would do everything. He had to do everything. Who would dare hurt them? A single tear ran down his cheek.

 _Make... stop…_

Yes… he wanted to make it stop. He wanted to make _them_ stop. There were wild animals everywhere, and they were so dangerous. They wanted nothing more than to rip and to tear. To tear at what? To tear at white, to tear at black and yellow - but to make them all stained red.

Yes, he had to make that stop... make them stop.

But how was he supposed to? He asked the voice, repeating the question in his mind.

 _Kill them._

 _..._

Oh… was that it?

Bloodshot eyes snapped open. His body shook.

"Okay."

* * *

 **Okay, I'll start this by saying I've never used drugs, and clearly never overdosed, and so this might be very far off what it actually feels like. I make no apologies for that, as the last thing I want to do is accidentally glorify it or something. Anyway, here's the chapter - and a different tack on how the Mountain Glenn journey goes. It's worth pointing out that these events _are_ caused and influenced by past ones - for example why Roman did so much more to Jaune than he did Ruby. I didn't just add this for the sake of it.**

 **Jaune, despite his best efforts, has clearly made a lot of changes to the timeline.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1** **st** **April (No April Fools)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	33. Chapter 33

**NOTE: Chapter 34 is up at the time of me writing this, but the site is doing another error and believes it is not. You may need to change the number in your html bar to 34 in order to access it. There is nothing I can do.**

* * *

 **Various responses to last chapter, and I'll reiterate again that I don't actually know what being drug-induced is like. The only drugs I've had are painkillers and anaesthetic, which I don't recall. For the details, however, I went and visited the CIA's website, which has a delightful article on drug usage in interrogation techniques, the validity of it and the manner in which victims responded, both emotionally and physically – so it wasn't based off "random guesswork."**

 **Naturally, I'm sure the full details of those studies was obfuscated somewhat (and yes, there were details of studies done on unwilling participants), but it was close enough for me to get an idea, or at least to have Jaune emulate it.**

 **Gods, I bet my search history looks interesting… T_T – Torture, drugs, overdose, tentacles, sheep puns.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 33 – The Breach and the Burden**

* * *

Weiss staggered for a moment when she landed on the roof of the moving train. It was slow at first, but each time the locomotive juddered, it made her stomach leap up into her throat. A heavy hand landed on her shoulder, pushing her down to her knees.

"Stay low," Qrow advised. "Take a few seconds to get used to the motion or you'll fall off." He followed his own advice by falling to one knee, with Blake and Yang mimicking him. His head turned to Blake. "You said this is destined for Vale?"

"That's what the map said," Blake called, voice raised to be heard over the sound of whistling air and rattling tracks. "They were moving dust on board, and the exit tunnel was sealed up. When the train hits…"

"Boom," Yang finished. "Sheesh, talk about a one-way trip."

"We need to push forward," the huntsman decided. "Our destination is the head of the train – to bring it to a stop so the people of Vale don't have to deal with this."

Weiss' patience couldn't hold any more. She pushed his hand off her and stood up. "What about Jaune? I refuse to ignore what happened to him!"

"Well, he's on the train, ice-princess. Chances are, he's somewhere near the front."

"We'll find him, Weiss," Blake whispered, appearing behind her and placing both hands on her shoulders. "Don't worry… we're not going to leave him behind. I've got to give him this, after all." Blake pointed over her shoulder, to the familiar sword which was strapped across her back, between her shoulder blades and the backpack she wore.

"Y-You're right." Weiss took a deep breath and let it go. "I'm sorry. I allowed my emotions to get the better of me."

"Heh, a good job you apologised," Qrow grinned. "I was almost starting to respect a Schnee for a moment. That was close."

"Can it, old man," Yang said. "I'm with Weiss on this one, now let's get going." The blonde didn't wait for them to respond, but rather dashed forward, trusting in them to follow. They did, of course, with their huntsman bringing up the rear. They leapt from the first carriage to the second, sticking to the top of the train, since the ceiling was quite a far way above them.

"What about the bombs?" Blake asked.

"De-couple the cars," Qrow leapt down between two of them and drew back his weapon to do just that. There was a loud ka-chunk, however, and the last car they'd been on began to slip away.

"Did you do that?" Yang asked nervously.

"I'm good, fire-cracker, but I'm not that good…"

They watched in silence as the car rolled back, putting twenty, maybe thirty metres distance between them, before a loud crack sounded and an explosion rocked the back of it. The metal groaned and twisted, flipping off the tracks entirely, before a second – larger - detonation blasted a whole into the ceiling.

"Were they trying to catch us in that?" Weiss asked as she felt the wind from the blast buffet her face.

"No," Qrow growled. "It wasn't us they were aiming for…" Several chunks of the stone roof slammed down, and a beat of sunlight cut down into the depths. Among the wreckage, black rain seemed to fall down from the opening. No… that wasn't rain at all.

Weiss' eyes widened as she saw red eyes flash in the dark. "They're drawing the Grimm," she said, "This is how they intend to bring them to Vale. They don't plan to just open a path as a distraction; this is an all-out attack on the city!"

"Get to the front!" Qrow roared. "Hurry – stop this train at all costs!"

Her heart pounded, but she nodded and pushed on across the carriage, leaping over the gap at the end and landing on the next. He sped after them, and the noise sounded again as that car too started to pull away. Qrow leapt the distance with ease, and signalled for them to keep going.

The next two they crossed as well, and however the White Fang were releasing the carriages, they seemed to be doing it to some kind of plan, rather than to get rid of them. The three of them, plus Zwei, kept running on, moving as far up the long train as they could.

Jaune would be near the front, she had to believe that was true. It wouldn't have made sense for them to abduct him and then let him go in one of the rear carriages. They might as well have left him to die in Mountain Glenn. Weiss narrowed her eyes, determined to find her missing partner.

Movement up ahead signalled a change in the White Fang's tactics. Several figures in uniform clambered up and onto the roof of the train, ascending ladders between each car and drawing weapons.

"They must be out of bomb cars," Yang said. "At least I hope that's the case, otherwise that means these guys are perfectly okay with sacrificing their own to die."

"I'm sure Torchwick would, but these guys are the ones who filled the train." Blake pointed out. "They wouldn't come up here if they knew it was going to detach and kill them."

Good thoughts across the board, but unimportant in the current situation. A growl slipped from Weiss throat as she tore Myrtenaster free and levelled it at those before them. "We're not taking any chances," she said. "Deal with these guys and push through. Our destination is the control room!"

"Aye, aye," Yang laughed. The blonde ducked under the blade of one of her opponents, knocking his arm wide with a slap before launching a punishing blow into his face. The figure snapped down into the compartment below, but Weiss' attention was soon taken up by her own.

She swayed past a clumsy lunge and stepped by the faunus. The hilt of her weapon slammed into his spine, knocking him back even as she moved on. _There's no time to deal with each and every one of you,_ she thought, igniting her dust and causing an explosion that blasted a second attacker to the ground. The woman with antlers rolled and shrieked, patting the flames off her clothing – but Weiss had already dashed by.

"Stop them!" one faunus yelled.

Tch, how relentless… the fanatics pulled themselves up and onto the carriages even as others were incapacitated and knocked away. Qrow caught up with them before long, and then the battle really went against them – yet still they came.

"They're determined," Weiss panted, back against Blake's. "I'll give them that…"

"They have nothing to lose. I'm not sure any of them expect to survive this." Blake pushed off her back and ducked under an opponent's lunge. Gambol Shroud cut a pattern around their legs, the ribbon tripping them even as she slammed the butt of her gun into the jaw of another. She pirouetted and dropped a heel on the first, right as he cried out and covered his face with his hands. "They're not going to stop," she called back. "All they need to do is distract us long enough to reach Vale."

That much was obvious, but what wasn't was their plan upon hitting the city. Weiss parried a staff and pushed its wielder aside, moving on the flick her rapier against the cheek of a second and drive them down. If the train hit the city, those on board would surely perish, if not from the explosion, then caught in the crossfire between Grimm and the huntsmen… why would they agree to that?

Realisation dawned, in a moment that had her gasp and turn to the others. "The Paladins… This is what they wanted those stolen Paladins for."

"Seems like it," Qrow grunted, a White Fang member under each arm. He slammed their heads together and then tossed them off the train in a rather blasé disregard for their lives. Those that fell surely died, if not from the fall than the Grimm which pursued the train. "With those suits, they'd have been able to make an escape, or go down in a serious fire fight. I guess you girls managed to put a stop to that, even if you did run face-first into trouble."

"Heh, I can't wait to tell Jaune," Yang grinned. "That'll teach him to say we risked our lives for nothing."

"We'll tell him when we find him," Weiss smirked. She darted towards the last opponent but backed away when he swung. The faunus' blade struck the metal floor at the same time his eyes widened in panic. She gave him no further chances, slipping into his guard and driving the hilt of Myrtenaster up under his jaw. She caught the body as it fell, and pushed it back into the carriage. She wasn't quite as prepared to have blood on her hands as Yang's uncle. "Well," she said, and dusted her hands, "That's that dealt with."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Blake murmured.

Weiss was about to ask what the girl meant, but for the clack of something landing atop the train ahead. She pointed her weapon at the foe, tilting her head to the side at the sight of her.

She was small… smaller than even herself, with odd-coloured hair and mismatched eyes. The girl stood up from her crouched position and twirled a small parasol onto her shoulder. With an almost cocky smile, she looked towards them and bowed.

"Blake, you know this one?" Weiss asked.

"I've never seen her before. She isn't with the White Fang."

The heiress hummed. Whatever she was, the girl was standing in their path. She made no move to approach, but clearly wasn't going to allow them past, either. Against three huntresses-in-training, and one official huntsman, the girl's cruel smile seemed out of place. That worried Weiss more than she dared admit.

"Gah," Yang yelled, "I don't care who she is. You're in our way. Move!"

The pink and cream-haired girl tilted her head to one side and smiled cutely, as though asking her to repeat the question. That proved too much for Yang's patience, and the brawler's hair flashed gold as she rushed forward.

"Yang, wait," Qrow yelled.

Yang didn't. She threw a punch towards the smaller girl's face, only to growl as it missed. The tiny girl slipped from left to right, dodging each attack with ease, never once breaking her smile – nor her pose. She was fast… deadly fast.

"Sit still and take a beating!" Yang yelled. She reared one arm back and lunged forward, discharging her weapon as she did.

Weiss' eyes widened as she saw the smoke clear, and that the girl had easily caught Yang's arm on the edge of her parasol. The criminal wrapped her hands around the limb, twisting and stepping into Yang's guard to pull her off balance. Yang staggered back, footing lost, towards the edge of the train.

Her heart leapt into her throat, one arm outstretched as she watched the girl chamber a kick, prepared to launch Yang off – to fall back into that tidal wave of death and murder. "No!" Weiss screamed.

A gunshot rang. It struck the ground where the girl had stood, forcing her back. Heavy footfalls echoed as Qrow dashed forward and grabbed Yang by her jacket, hauling her back and into them. The blonde fell, cradled between Blake and Weiss. The older huntsman stood before them, weapon deployed as he stared at their foe.

She twirled her parasol and smiled at them.

 _She's dangerous,_ Weiss thought. _She was able to defeat Yang so easily, and she's probably the strongest out of all of us._ Their chances against this girl were all the worse for the battlefield they fought on. Normally, they could have used teamwork to wear their enemy down, but out here, all it would take was to lose your footing for a moment and you'd be dead. This girl didn't need to beat them. She just needed to knock them off the train.

Qrow seemed to realise that, for he flung an arm out before them. "Get Yang up and go downstairs," he said, never once taking his eyes from the girl. "You'll need to make the rest of the way below. I'll keep her busy while you get to the front and shut this down."

The train continued to rattle and howl as it travelled through the tunnel, but if the girl ahead heard Qrow's words, she appeared remarkably unconcerned with them. Blake helped Yang to her feet, while Weiss backed away to the last carriage they'd crossed.

The last thing they saw as they descended, was the huntsman's weapon crack apart and begin to extend. Any more was cut off as they forced the door open and pushed inside, but the sudden clash of steel above told more than enough.

"Will he be okay?" Weiss asked, gripping the corgi and putting him down on the ground. This wasn't a place for a dog, but there was little she could do.

"Uncle Qrow is tougher than he looks. If anyone can handle someone like that, it's him. We should focus more on finding daddy-dearest and stopping this train."

"There will be White Fang ahead. We should stay together and be cautious." Weiss fished around in her skirt for a second. She found the clip she'd been looking for and held it out. "Blake, I had this made for you. It might come in useful."

"Oh, thanks… but I already have plenty of dust ammunition."

Weiss blinked and looked at the girl. She did? Dust had gotten pretty expensive lately, and the last time she'd checked, Blake wasn't exactly made of lien. "How?" she asked. "Did you steal it from the terrorists?"

"Not exactly…" Blake shrugged the backpack of her shoulder and placed it down between them. Curious, Yang and Weiss leaned over as the faunus pulled it open.

Yang whistled.

"It's Jaune's," Blake said by way of explanation.

It was honestly irritating how easily she accepted that. _That partner of mine certainly has a lot of explaining to do when I get hold of him._ School spars were one thing, but this was ridiculous. Still, there was no arguing it wasn't useful.

"Ladies," Yang grinned, "Let's get to this."

/-/

Weiss' breath came out a little heavier as they cleaned out the last of the White Fang in what felt like fourth carriage. She brushed Myrtenaster against her skirt, cleaning it of some blood and grime. Her opponents would live, be that in pain. A part of her thought that too much a mercy for terrorist scum, but it was hard to take that final step to ending a life.

"Sheesh," Yang sighed, "Quantity has its own quality. I'll give them that." The blonde dragged a faunus up by his collar and knocked him out with one solid blow. "Not much," she added, "but it's starting to wear even me down."

"They can't keep it up," Blake said. "They're just trying to overwhelm us, but these all feel like new recruits."

"Some of them don't even have aura," Weiss pointed out as she stepped cautiously past the unconscious figures. Up ahead, one of the White Fang grunts groaned and tries to pull himself up. Weiss moved to knock him out, but stopped when Blake's hands clutched her shoulder.

"Let me talk to him," she whispered, stepping past and towards the figure. She knelt down by the terrorist, turning him over so that he lay on his back. He limply tried to punch her, but Blake swatted the arm away with ease. "We're looking for our companion," she said, "Where is he?"

"Race traitor," the grunt whispered. He tried to spit up at Blake, but it just dribbled across his face.

"I won't ask again," Blake growled and gripped the man's collar and banged his head against the floor.

Weiss hesitated nearby, unsure what she should do. She wanted to intervene, to stop Blake from doing that to a defeated foe, but at the same time, it was Jaune's life on the line. A look to Yang didn't provide any answers, for the blonde's face was uncharacteristically grim.

"U-Up ahead," the faunus moaned. Perhaps he'd given up, or maybe he just thought it pointless. "You won't reach him, though. You won't get past Banesaw."

"Let us deal with that. What have you done to our teammate? What did Torchwick do to him?"

"In-Interrogation…"

"Jaune wouldn't talk," Blake scoffed. "I want details. What did he do?"

"He gave him… something special, ha. It's too late. Even if he lives, his mind will be gone." The racoon eared man tossed his head back and laughed. "A better fate than what awaits him and Vale when we strike. At least he won't feel the same pain we felt when the hum-" Blake growled and took out her weapon. She cuffed the faunus about the skull with it, and then dumped his body onto the ground.

"What was that about?" Yang asked nervously. "Not in his right mind… what did he mean?"

Weiss gnawed on her lip. She wasn't sure, but the certainty in those words made her worried regardless. They'd given him something… something that would make him talk? "Blake," she asked, "do you know anything about what this might be?"

Their raven-haired teammate looked furious, hands curled into fists as she stared at the unconscious grunt. "I've been thinking about it," she said, "back when Torchwick said he did something to make Jaune talk… to tell him all sorts of things. At first, I thought torture… some of the White Fang would do that to humans they captured, sometimes even faunus too."

Her breath hitched. Torture… it was something she knew was almost a certainty, yet had been denying with every fibre of her being. To imagine him broken and bloodied… she didn't want to.

"I don't think it fits, though," Blake went on. "Not with what Torchwick said or what Jaune is like. He's too stubborn for that, and there wasn't much time. I doubt Jaune would give in that easily, and we know he's alive, so it can't have been anything too violent. This guy said Torchwick _gave_ something to him." Blake cursed and looked to the side, furious beyond belief. "It sounds like he's been given truth serum."

"Truth serum," Yang scoffed, "You've got to be joking?"

"It's not a real truth serum. That's just what people call it, just to make it sound nicer. Most people would just know it as pumping someone with drugs until they talk or die." Blake looked away. "It's… it would be an easy way to break someone too stubborn to give up."

"And the White Fang are willing to do this!?" Weiss snapped. "Do they know no low?"

"They never did before," Blake protested, "at least… not that I know of. Honestly, these guys are just chaff, Weiss. This is Torchwick we're dealing with, and he definitely _would_ do it."

Weiss shook her head, agitation mixed with fear flashing through her mind. This was worse, so much worse, than mere torture. So long as Jaune was alive, he could recover from physical wounds, but narcotics struck the mind. What if he…? No. She wouldn't believe it. She wouldn't even entertain the thought. "We move on," she snapped. "Finding Jaune is now our biggest priority. We've no idea what state he'll be in, but he probably won't be capable of defending himself."

"He won't be capable of much if it's as bad as this guy said," Yang growled. "When I get hold of Torchwick…"

"Join the queue," Blake tossed her head, amber eyes ablaze. "He has a lot to answer for, and I intend to collect."

 _Not if I get there first,_ Weiss thought, running a finger across the hilt of her weapon. She stepped past the other two and into the next car. It was empty… a change from the past few. Above them, a gunshot sounded, a reminder that the fight between Qrow and the mysterious girl was still in full swing.

The second carriage was empty too, but when she rushed into the third, it was only her honed instincts which prevented the chainsaw taking her head off. Weiss' shoulder hit the ground as she rolled beneath it and away.

The bulky man turned with a snarl. "A Schnee… I've always wanted to kill one."

"Weiss!" Blake yelled, firing a shot off that the man deflected with his weapon. The dark-haired girl used it as a distraction to push by and help Weiss back onto her feet.

"I'm fine," Weiss whispered.

"I take it this is the `Banesaw` that guy spoke about." Yang looked the man up and down and then laughed. "Banesaw with a chainsaw? What a stupid name!" Yang had to duck back as the weapon grated and sparked against the wall she'd been by. "Whoah, looks like someone's self-conscious."

"We don't have time for this idiot," Weiss growled. "Get out of our way. We're here for our teammate."

"You mean the blonde kid?" Banesaw asked.

The three of them froze. "Where is he?" Blake demanded.

"He's around," the man chuckled. "I doubt he'll want to see you, though. Last I saw, he was having a good time, all lost in his own little world."

Myrtenaster was torn free in an instant. "You monster!" Weiss snarled.

"Weiss!" Yang interrupted her. The blonde shook her head. "Don't let him get to you, Weiss-cream. Tall, blonde and scraggly is going to need your help. Leave me here. I can take this guy."

Leave her? Weiss hesitated, teeth biting her lower lip. The man was huge, enough so to wield his unusual weapon with ease, but this was Yang they were talking about. She didn't have her reputation without good reason, and despite her brawling style, she was as quick on her feet as the best of them.

"Hey," the blonde grinned and sent her a wink. "Have a little faith. I'm gonna trust you two to find and save Jaune. Don't let me down."

Determination slammed into place. "Got it," she nodded, taking a step back. "Make sure you come out of this as well, though. He'll be furious if you get hurt."

"Don't I know it," Yang chuckled. "He might even try and spank me again. I'll be fine. Go."

Weiss nodded and darted to the right, Blake on her heels.

"Not on my watch," Banesaw yelled, cutting towards them.

"Ah, ah, ah." Yang taunted, slipping between them and kicking the terrorist back. "Your fight's with me big guy."

Yang would be okay. Weiss was sure of it. The sounds of combat echoed behind them as the two remaining members of them team sprinted down the train. The first car was empty, as was the second, and the third. By the time they reached the fourth, Weiss started to worry.

"Where are all the White Fang?" she asked, head turned to Blake as they kept running. "It doesn't make sense for them all to be missing."

"They rushed us earlier. They might have exhausted most of their numbers."

"Then why have that guy at the end? He should have fought at the front. We're only halfway down the train, for crying out loud. There _has_ to be more of them."

"I don't know," Blake sighed. "This whole thing… this isn't how they normally do things. You're right, though. We should be facing more resistance."

 _Something is wrong here…_ The thought refused to leave her mind, even as they approached the end of the current car. If that man back there was some kind of commander, then surely he would have placed reinforcements nearby. It just didn't make sense.

Blake pressed her back against the wall beside the next door, having reached it first and decided to wait for her. Weiss nodded as she arrived, weapon in hand as she touched the button and watched it swish open. With a quick nod to one another, they stepped inside.

It was like a scene from a nightmare.

Bile rose up in Weiss' throat, and she had to grip her mouth to avoid throwing up. She staggered instead, one hand pressed against the wall for support, only to gasp and tear it away when it felt slick and wet. Her hand was covered in blood.

"My god…" Blake whispered. "This is… this…"

She didn't need to finish, not for this. It was the site of a massacre. Four bodies littered the floor, while two more slumped at the base of the walls. Blood pooled from them, but there were stark patterns painted on the walls as well. Bullet holes, smears and scorch marks were all evidence of some horrible battle having taken place… one that the White Fang had most assuredly lost.

The acrid scent clogged her nostrils, bringing up her dinner as she took several large gulps of air. She couldn't speak, and limped towards the next door in search of an escape. Blake didn't argued but followed instead, hitting the door open so they could break through and away from the horrible scene.

It proved futile. The first thing Weiss saw was the terrified face of a man with glasses. Then she saw the curved sabre that protruded from his throat. It propped his head up so that it looked like he stared at them, his body impaled to the wall. She gagged and fell to her knees, clutching her mouth.

"Take deep breaths," Blake whispered, rubbing her back. "It's… it doesn't get easier, but you get used to it."

Weiss took her teammate's advice. She greedily drew in air, exhaling it just as quickly, eyes clenched shut. It didn't help nearly as much as she would have liked, but the shock wore off soon enough. When she opened her eyes, it was still to see the nightmare before her, but also to find that her mind could rationalise it.

"This is…" Weiss shook her head. "What do you think happened?"

"It looks like a Grimm got on board," Blake said. She stepped warily past the dead faunus and indicated towards the floor. There was a trail of blood, that looked as though something had been dragged away. It led down the centre of the car and towards the next door. "We should follow it."

That… sounded like a terrible idea. In fact, she was fairly sure those were the exact lines spoken by every horror movie victim ever, right before they stumbled upon the beast and got their insides torn out. Blake seemed to agree, for she winced.

What choice did they have, though? "You're right," Weiss forced herself to stand, but refused to look at the dead man as she stepped forward. "Whatever this is, we need to find and stop it before it reaches wherever Jaune is kept. He won't be able to defend himself."

"I won't let anything hurt him."

"We," Weiss corrected. Her eyes were hard, her heart even more so. "We won't let anything hurt him."

/-/

He had to kill them.

It was so simple, so blisteringly simple. He wasn't sure what it would achieve, that was still lost to him, in a haze of muddied thoughts and nausea, as the sound of rattling tracks, gunfire and screams echoed in his ears. He only knew that he had to do it. Not because the voice told him to, but because deep inside, a part of him agreed with it. A part of him felt… used to it, as though it were normal.

There was no hesitation in driving the sword through the chest of one animal-eared man's chest, nor was there any awkward feeling in taking his gun as he fell, in turning and spraying at another until that person's body was pinned back against the wall, riddled and twitching as blood poured from his body.

If anything, he felt detached from it all, distant; on a cloud in the sky… his body shook as he crashed back down. Pangs wracked his stomach and he bent double. It was always up and down, there one moment, gone the next. He needed to concentrate, but someone was screaming to kill him now, while he was distracted.

Why was he screaming?

He… he would need to make him be quiet. Something ricocheted off his shoulder, but he ignored it and clamped his hands around the neck of the one that wouldn't let him concentrate. Blessed silence reigned, but for the gurgled and mumbled words he couldn't make out. Feet, suspended off the floor, kicked at his shins.

"S-Shut up already," he slurred.

The animal did. He stayed quiet when he was let go. In fact, he slumped to the floor and didn't move at all. That was good.

Another wave struck him, along with something metal, and he staggered to the left. Something filtered back into his head, through the maze of fogged-up thoughts and dizzy dreams. He was on a train. That was… that was important.

It was very important.

He had to get to the front to stop something.

Did he need to stop the train?

The thought made him panic… enough so that he was nearly sick. Not to stop the train, he decided. He wouldn't if it made him feel that bad. Something else then, but what could he stop if not the train itself?

"D-Don't let him past," someone shouted. "Don't let him get to Torchwick."

His body snapped.

His body moved.

How could it move if it were snapped? He wasn't sure, but as he pinned the one who'd spoken up against a wall, he realised. Not his body, but something deep inside him. He bared his teeth, snarling at something he hated more than anything else.

"Torchwick." he hissed through teeth that felt too big for his mouth. That name; he hated it. He had to stop it. "Where is Torchwick?"

"We'll… kill you."

Kill him? It wasn't even something that registered as a threat. They couldn't kill him, he knew that, even if they could draw blood and make him stop breathing, they couldn't actually cause his life to end. No one could.

"Kill… all of you!" the animal said.

That…

That frightened him. Even through the drugs, through the nausea and the hate, he felt that fear lance through his heart. "No!" he growled and slammed the animal back against the wall. "No!" He wouldn't let him, wouldn't let any of them. They couldn't kill him but they could kill someone… something. The images were blurred still, but the emotions behind them were crystal clear.

An arrow, a tower, a dark-haired girl on the floor, red-stained snow and a white shape twirled about a dance floor filled with laughter. His hands tightened in cloth as he lifted the figure before him and _threw_ him at another.

They both fell in a tangle of limbs, but something struck his side when he turned to them. It didn't hurt but he staggered back from the force of it.

 _Move…_

The voice returned and with it, action. He lunged forward, clumsily but with a savagery his opponent couldn't hope to match. His hand settled around something hot that bucked as he turned it away. A scream echoed in his ears but it cut off as he snatched something from the anima's belt. It flashed silver in the air, but soon began to flash a pretty crimson.

It felt wrong. It wasn't his. It did the job, however.

Ahead, the tracks and train churned, and something burned within his mind. He didn't have much time. He didn't know how he knew, but he did, with a certainty that made him sway and push against one wall for support. His hand fell to his side and came away wet. Was that his? How could it be when he couldn't feel anything? There was a keening wail in his ears, like a high-pitched siren that never changed pitch and wouldn't stop. His world swam, but one thought remained clear.

 _Hurry…_

He had to hurry. He had to make it to the front, to the orange and the name and the fire and the twisted metal. He had to… he had to finish something.

And then… only then… could he close his eyes.

/-/

Roman scowled as he checked the monitors and then looked down at his scroll. There was still some time before they hit, but it was close. _I best hope Cinder proves as good as her word; otherwise I'm not going to be in much of a condition to do otherwise._ It was an intimidating prospect, to trust his life to another, but she left him little choice and he was too important for her to lose.

Right now, he reminded himself. He would become expendable in time, and then his future was less assured.

"Not much I can do about that for now," he mused. "Better to be on this side than the other… at least this way I'll live long enough to have a chance." A chance to do what, he wasn't sure. Run, maybe, hide away, ingratiate himself to the monster she was? It was hard to tell.

He did what he had to, in order to survive. It was the law of the jungle.

Right now, that meant driving a train loaded with explosives straight towards a solid barrier leading into Vale. The impact would hurt like a bitch, even before the explosions, but it wouldn't be quite as bad as the Grimm that poured in afterwards. Not for the first time, he wondered if he shouldn't have Neo take him away, to go on the run and risk it on their own.

That would mean giving up everything he'd ever worked for, though.

It wasn't an option.

A loud clang echoed on the door behind him, followed by another as someone struck on it.

Oh for… were those animals really so incompetent that they needed his guidance on every little thing? What part of `throw your petty lives in front of the enemy until you die` did they not understand? "What is it," he yelled, "can't you see I'm busy in here?"

The banging didn't slow, nor did it relent in its force. There was a muffled thump, followed by a sound almost like metal grinding against more metal.

And then, there was nothing…

A long sigh escaped him as he locked the brake lever into off and picked up Melodic Cudgel. _Oh yeah,_ he thought to himself, _that silence doesn't sound ominous at all._ He pulled his hat down a little tighter over his head, took a long puff of his cigar, and waited for the fireworks to begin.

To be fair, it didn't take long.

The door exploded back, the metal frame broken through as a body covered in blood pushed in. He tutted and aimed at it, only to curse as he realised it was a dead faunus impaled on a long knife. The true threat came behind, sailing through the air like some rabid animal crossed with a banshee.

With a roll of his eyes, he hooked the end of Melodic Cudgel around its neck and dragged its face into the steel wall behind him.

It struck with a mighty clang, enough to send the creature back. It fell to the floor in a heap, but almost seemed to not recognise the pain. In fact, its hands scrabbled for his feet. Blonde hair was matted with blood, but he knew those eyes, even if the blue was stained red with veins and blood.

Roman's lips peeled back in anger. He couldn't believe it, out of all the people… could those animals do _noting_ right? With a growl, he stepped out of reach of the mad fool, turned and strode back to the controls. "I can't believe this," he said. "Really, I can't. I give those stupid beasts one task, and not even a very difficult one." He turned back to the huntsman, who writhed and struggled on the floor. One hand reached out towards him, but he clamped his foot over it. "Look at you, kid. You're no better than an animal yourself… how is it possible that so many people couldn't stop you?"

"Stop… you…" the overdosed idiot mumbled.

"Stop me, yes, I've heard it all before, believe me." Roman waved a hand dismissively. "Trust me, kid - better men than you have tried. Honestly, it's starting to get old. And do you know what else is getting old?" Roman leaned forward, to slowly crush the man's fingers beneath his heel. To his displeasure, the idiot didn't scream. Hell, he was probably so high, he couldn't even perceive it. Tch, there went the worth of his lines. "You," Roman sighed, aware his word play was lost on his audience, "You're getting old. You _and_ your dogged refusal to lay down and die."

Like a wild animal, the blonde leapt to his feet and surged forwards, no regard for pain or injury, or how his fingers broke beneath his foot. All that was in those eyes was murder, a primal desire to kill.

Roman rolled his eyes at the stupidity of it all. Berserk rage might be all well and good, but it didn't leave one with much in the way of skill or ability. He slipped past the fist and buried his own in the brat's stomach. Whether he felt the pain or not, it forced the air from his lungs and left him open. Roman stepped up inside his guard and snapped his cane into the opponent's jaw. The huntsman dropped like a sack of vegetables.

"What is it that separates us from the animals?" Roman taunted as he stepped around the downed boy. "It's our intelligence, our minds… but once you lose that, what are we?" A hand lashed out to try and grip his ankle. He let it, then stomped his other down atop it. "We're nothing," he laughed. " _You're_ nothing. Look at you, you're like some mindless beast – no better than a Grimm!"

He snarled and growled on the floor, a writhing mass of arms and legs that futilely tried to reach him.

He might have felt pity for the fool, but could only bring himself to feel disgusted instead. He spat down on him and stepped away. "This is what drugs do to a man. I knew there was a reason I always stayed away from them." Roman crouched down before him and gripped the brat's chin between his hands. He pulled the head up so that he could look into those bloodshot eyes. "You were an actual threat back in Vale," he mused. "Funny how fast you lose all that when your mind isn't in the right place. I could tell; back when you were masquerading as one of those animals… you're not a fighter, kid, at least not like those brainless idiots." Roman tapped a finger to the boy's forehead. "You're a thinker, a schemer." He let the head fall. "Without that, you're nothing more than a below average psychopath with a weapon and your aura unlocked."

More than enough to kill the White Fang, clearly, but that wasn't very hard, was it? Not when he had the worst of the worst, the uninitiated peons and those who no longer cared for life. The only one worth crap among them was that lug with the chainsaw. Well, that and Perry, he supposed. Not that he could remember who that was… honestly, he'd just taken to calling them all Perry.

"You're too late to stop this show," Roman said. "We're almost there and… you know, just in case." He lifted one foot into the air and slammed it down onto the break. The thin, metal stick bent and snapped in two. "Yep, no stopping this wild ride now," he laughed and turned back around. "So, what are you going to d-"

The monster was right in front of his face. How it had gotten up, how it had done it so quietly, or why he hadn't sensed it, he didn't know – but it was less than a foot away. His arm snapped to bring his weapon forth, but _it_ was faster.

He cried out as his back struck the control panel, jagged machinery digging into his spine. A hand gripped his hair and pushed his head back, and it was instinct alone that let him get his arm up before his throat. A searing pain shot through it, and he gasped as he kicked out to push the monster away. "You bit me?" he cried. "You bloody freak!"

"Rarghhh!" The incoherent roar echoed off the cramped cabin as the beast lunged for him. Roman growled back, twisted and flicked out his cane to deter the attack. An arm came up at the last second, catching the steel on the back, even as that caused bone to crack loudly. The second's hesitation cost him as the full weight of the huntsman bore down upon him.

It bit and tore, snarled and gnashed its teeth with wildness in its eyes that spoke of naught but murder. Through the haze of pain, Roman struggled to keep his weapon above him, between his face and the madman's. It was hard… the monster pushed down with reckless strength, unheeding of what damage it caused itself.

Maybe, he considered, in the middle of his panic, just maybe pumping someone he _knew_ to be a psychopath full of drugs might have been a _bad_ idea. To be fair, though, he hadn't expected the bastard to get up and kill his handlers.

Gods, he hadn't expected him to be able to get up at all!

"You're persistent," Roman gasped, "I'll give you that."

"Torchwick…" it groaned, like a freaking zombie.

"Oh yeah, definitely a bad idea… I should have killed you when I had the chance." Roman bunched his legs beneath them both and pressed his knees to the mindless boy's chest. "I won't make that same mistake twice," he yelled, kicking up with both feet.

His assailant was lifted off and crashed back against the nearest wall. He, it, recovered far faster than it should have been able to. It fell to one knee, a hand wrenching its weapon out of the dead faunus. The bloody knife flashed in the air, a grim spectacle as it lunged in once more for his face.

He parried it with ease, deflecting the clumsy lunge to the side, and then blocking the follow-up slice with the side of his cane. In and out, again and again, he hacked and slashed to no avail, each attack echoed by the sound of steel on steel and their panted breath. _I could kill this idiot,_ Roman considered. _I could knock him down and blow his brains out, to hell with what damage a shot in this confined space would do._

It would be so damned easy… but it wouldn't fulfil _her_ plan. He needed to be arrested, he needed to be taken in and handed over to Ironwood, all to turn their silly, little toys against them. If he killed this kid, if he butchered him right here and now, then the chances of that peaceful arrest happening soon dwindled.

Yet again, that crazy bitch had his life on the line, and yet again he was dealing with the fallout. A bead of sweat ran down his brow as he felt fatigue rear its ugly head. Surely the kid would run out of steam first… surely.

As the monster masquerading as a man screamed and lunged in once more, however, Roman wasn't quite so sure.

/-/

The signs of slaughter didn't stop as Weiss and Blake rushed further down the train. If anything, they got worse, with bloody handprints on walls and doors, more weapons lodged into bodies and a trail that led inexorably onwards. Weiss' teeth ground together as she did her best to ignore it all and force herself onwards. They still hadn't found Jaune. They had to find him.

"Whatever's doing this is using their weapons against them," Blake said.

"I know."

"Grimm don't use weapons, Weiss."

"I know."

"Jaune doesn't have his-"

"I KNOW!" Weiss snapped. She clenched her eyes shut and shook her head. "I… I know what this means, Blake."

"It was a massacre at the docks too," her teammate whispered. "He tore through them like they were nothing more than paper. He didn't even hesitate."

A ragged breath left her as she tried to control her thoughts. She shook her head again, not in denial, but more to rid herself of the scent that clung to her nostrils. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked. "I know what this means. I'm not an idiot, Blake."

"I know you're not," Blake said, as she opened another door for them to rush through. "It's just… I know what he can do. I've seen it before. I didn't want you to go in blind, to not know what to expect and to say or do something bad."

Irritation flashed through her, followed by a frustrated growl that slipped past her lips. "Do you think this is going to change anything?" she asked. "Do you think I'm going to not want him as my partner before, or that it will change how I feel? Is that what you're worried about?"

Blake looked at her for a long moment, before the girl chuckled. "I guess I was being stupid."

"You are," Weiss agreed, a tinge of anger in her voice. "Jaune is my partner before everything else. I knew that he'd killed before, back when he saved you. This… this is a shock, I'll admit, but it's not going to change the way I see him."

"I just wanted to be sure."

"You wanted to make sure I wouldn't hurt him," Weiss countered, "that I wouldn't say something that would cause him distress."

"Perhaps," Blake admitted. "I didn't mean anything by it, but-"

"It's fine," Weiss said. It was okay. Blake was closest to him, especially after he'd saved her life, so it made sense she would prioritise him over her. Weiss felt she should have been offended at that, but she wasn't. It felt good to know someone cared for him so. "It's more than fine," she whispered. "Let's bring him home, Blake."

Their feet echoed against the steel carriage as they dashed forward, followed every now and then by a splash as they stepped in something she'd rather not notice. Up ahead, there was the sound of combat. Weiss' heart hammered in her chest as she increased her pace. He was close, he was so close! Blake sped up too, and they both crashed into the room around the same time.

He was there. Jaune, on his knees, knelt over a figure that struggled to remove him. Torchwick saw them too, his green eyes wide with panic. "I surrender!" he yelled "Just get him off me!"

He… surrendered? They'd done it? Weiss felt a rush of joy, only or it to die an ugly death as Jaune pushed Torchwick's cane aside and raised his dagger into the air. One swing was all it would take to end the criminal's life, and to her horror – the knife descended.

"No!" Weiss cried. Her arms wrapped under his shoulders before she could even think about it. All she knew was that she had to stop him, just to stop him from killing someone who had already surrendered. He roared like a wild animal. She struggled to hold on, but cried out as his elbow slammed into her face.

She staggered back and fell, one hand cupped to her cheek as she looked up at Jaune with teary eyes. He turned and swung at her, bloody dagger flashing in the air.

"Jaune?" she whispered.

The blade stopped. It was but a few inches from her face, so close that she could see her frightened reflection in it. Sweat ran down her brow as her eyes traced up the knife, his arm, and then towards his face.

Jaune's face was matted with blood, soot, bruises and dirt. His lip was swollen and one eye was clenched shut, the other criss-crossed with red veins. His beautiful eyes were bloodshot and raw. There was madness in it… a raw and visceral fury, like a wild animal who had been hurt and had no idea what it was doing, only that it needed to protect itself. Through all of that, however, she could also see recognition. He knew her.

Her heart broke. Heedless of the weapon, and of the blood and gore, she reached up to touch his cheek. "It's me," she whispered. "It's Weiss, your partner."

"W-Weiss…?" His voice was weak and scratchy, as though he'd screamed it hoarse long ago.

"That's right," she laughed, more from relief than any true humour. She reached out to touch his hand with her fingers, and she didn't have to tug the knife out of it. He let it slip free of his own volition. "You're safe now," she said, "You're going to be okay."

"If he lives," Torchwick laughed. "Remember kids, don't do drugs!"

"That's enough out of you," Blake snarled, echoing Weiss' thoughts perfectly as she strode over and stomped down onto his face. The crook was knocked out, his cane falling limply to his side. In her arms, she felt Jaune stir to move towards it.

"Stay," she urged, keeping him still. "He's given up, Jaune. It's over."

"Is he…?" Blake hovered nearby, having abandoned her prisoner to come and check on her teammate, or father-figure, whichever counted. "Jaune, can you hear me? It's-"

"Blake…"

"Ah!" Blake's amber eyes sparkled. The smile that took over her face was watery; perhaps the closest Weiss had ever come to seeing her teammate cry. "Yes," she whispered, "it's me… thank god you're still there. I thought… I thought you were going to die because you saved me."

"I… hngh…" His eyes clenched shut as he leaned forward and gripped his forehead. His skin was pale, but now that she looked more closely, covered in sweat. She could feel him shaking in her hands.

"He's still in bad shape," she said. "We need to bring this train to a stop and administer first aid." What kind, she had no idea… this was a little beyond bandaging a cut up. "Blake. You see to stopping this thing and then-" A siren cut off her words, the entire cabin drenched in red light.

"About that," Blake gasped, eyes looking over their heads. "I think we've run out of track…"

Weiss' heart leapt into her throat as she looked forward, to see one of the computer screens Blake pointed to. It showed a wall of rubble rapidly approaching. They were going to crash. They were going to hit the city. "Get close!" Weiss yelled, pulling Myrtenaster free as she focused on creating an ice shield for them. She pulled Jaune's face into her shoulder, feeling his fevered flesh on her own as the defensive shield crept into life.

It only got halfway when the world exploded.

/-/

"Weiss… Weiss, get up!"

Something was shaking her. She could feel a hand on her shoulder, even as stones dug into her skin and something warm washed over her back. With a groan, Weiss cracked her eyes open and stirred. "Ugh… what happened?"

"The train hit Vale," Blake whispered and helped her to sit up. "Your barrier lessened some of the impact but wasn't enough to keep everything together. Are you okay?"

A good question. Was she? Weiss looked down at herself but all her limbs were attached. Her body ached and stung, but it was more from bruised muscles and little scrapes and scratches than anything else. "I'm fine," she said, "what about… where's Jaune?"

"We were separated. I only just found you"

"Again? But we'd just found him…"

"He can't be far, Weiss, but we've got some more immediate problems to worry about."

A howl cut through the air, and now that she paid attention, she could hear screams and cries too, as civilians fled the scene and called for help. The hole they'd caused, where twisted wreckage pooled from, had yet to disgorge the Grimm, but it was clear they were close. Battered and bruised, Weiss forced herself to stand and face it. Myrtenaster shook slightly in her hand.

"We hold them here," Weiss said. "We can't let the Grimm run rampant in the city."

"What about Yang and Jaune?"

"They have to be nearby, Blake. If they're hurt or injured, then holding the Grimm back will give them the best chance of survival."

The faunus nodded and drew Gambol Shroud. Together, they limped towards the breach, prepared for whatever might come forth. They didn't have to wait long. It was like a tidal wave of black, as shapes poured forth and loped across the ruined train. There were so many, and only two of them, but Weiss squared her shoulders and prepared for the worst. The carpet of black shapes surged towards them.

Weiss moved to meet them, only to be blown back as a dark shape whirred overhead. Lightning erupted, despite the clear sky, and it took the heiress a second to place the deafening sound.

"Weiss," Blake gasped, "look!"

A Bullhead tore through the air above the plaza, its twin cannons whirring as it unleashed a hail of brutal fire on the massed creatures. They died in their droves but kept coming. No single Bullhead could hold them back, but that wasn't what brought a spark of hope to Weiss' heart.

One Bullhead meant someone had noticed, and that meant help might be coming. They were going to be saved.

"Yahh!" a familiar voice reached their ears, echoed by the sound of a blast of fire. Blake shared one look with Weiss, before the dark-haired girl was off, sprinting towards it. Weiss followed, heart pounding in her chest as they crested a large pile of rubble and looked down onto the other side. Yang Xiao-Long looked back, "Hey guys," she laughed, "Nice to see you made it."

"Head in the game, niece," Qrow Branwen cautioned, his back to her. The huntsman was as bedraggled as they, but projected an aura of confidence around him. "Get over here, you two," he called. "Ice-princess, where's your boyfriend?"

"I don't know. He… he was right there with us but…"

"Jaune was in the ice-barrier with you," Blake pointed out. "Were he dead, his body would have been beside yours." The dark-haired girl smiled. "Therefore, he has to be alive."

"Y-You're right," Weiss nodded. "We'll just have to find him… again. He's fast becoming a hassle. When we get him back, we'll need to put a leash on him."

"Oh, I bet you'd like that," Yang laughed.

"Is this really the time for jokes?" Blake asked, the four of them forming a circle as the Grimm surrounded them.

"Blake, this is the _exact_ time for jokes."

"Can't say I disagree," Qrow mumbled. "Just wish yours were any good."

"Did the old man just say something?"

The `old man's` response was cut off as a group of Beowolves lunged towards them. Qrow met them halfway, cutting two down with one strike as he engaged a third, all to buy them more time. Weiss swayed out of the way of the claws of one, and traced a line across its throat with her rapier. Sweat dripped down her hair, the steady beat of her heart in her own ears. They'd been fighting for so long… she wasn't sure how much more she had left.

Explosions and gunfire in the distance gave her hope, however. Grimm didn't use weapons, nor did fleeing civilians. It sounded like the cavalry was on the way. They just needed to hold on. With a frustrated growl, she lunged forward to pierce the throat of a large Ursa. It swung at her with its arms, but she was able to draw out and duck beneath them.

"Weiss, behind you!" Yang yelled.

A Beowolf lunged at her unprotected back, its claws reaching for her face. She tried to pedal back in panic, but tripped over the still dissolving corpse of the Ursa. Myrtenaster flashed before her, but she knew it wouldn't be enough to stop its weight landing upon her, crushing her. She forced her eyes to remain open, to fight to the end.

The monster froze. It stood on its hind legs, hands held forward, but snout tilted down towards its own chest. The tip of a blade was visible through it, though it retracted before their eyes. There was a roar of anger as it swung back and severed the creature's neck. The monster fell to the side, to reveal an altogether different monster behind it.

Weiss choked on her relief. He was okay… he was alive. "Jaune!"

"Weiss!"

That voice? Weiss looked back, in time to see a white-garbed figure dart down a section of rubble. An Ursa dared to stand in her path, but was cut down by a silvery sabre. The tall woman twisted to the side and decapitated another, before summoning a flock of silvery birds to drive five back.

"Winter!" Weiss laughed, shoulders going slack.

And not just her sister… students poured out behind her, the uniform of Beacon the most prominent, but others mixed among them. Peter Port belied his firth, dashing through a horde of Grimm with his strange weapon in tow, while Oobleck cut through a Boarbatusk with a more methodical approach. More poured from the breach itself, but half of those were cut down as one of the train's carriages was levitated and thrown at them.

"Never thought I'd be glad to see Miss Goodwitch looking so pissed," Yang laughed. The blonde caught sight of someone and whooped. "Hey, Ruby!""

"Yang!" the girl in red waved back.

Weiss couldn't help it. Maybe it was the relief, as pure and sweet as crystalline water, or maybe it was her own fear, now thrown back in her face. Whatever the case, it was impossible not to let out a peal of laughter. They'd done it… they were going to win, and all get out safely. How Beacon had reacted so quickly to the disaster, she had no idea, but it meant none of them would die, and that was an idea she could get behind.

The students didn't push the Grimm back. They slaughtered them. There were too many, and their reaction to the disaster too quick. The black wave was cut down before it had a chance to spread out into the city, and as their numbers dwindled, Weiss saw Miss Goodwitch stride forward and seal the breach herself, forcing what must have been several tonnes of rubble into it.

From start to finish, it took a few minutes, but the silence that hung over the plaza afterwards was deafening. Sirens howled in the background, but they would arrive only in time to clean up the mess. Weiss staggered and nearly fell, if not for Blake catching her.

"I've got you," the faunus smiled.

"I'm glad someone has… this… this has been quite the day."

"I think we could all do with a day off for this," Yang agreed. "Before that, though," she added, eyes hard, "Jaune… you are going straight to the infirmary. If you try and pull off any more bullshit over that…" She left the threat hanging, but Weiss and Blake more than echoed it with their own stern glares.

Jaune… didn't move. He remained standing, his chest heaving as his head twitched from side to side. His eyes were wild, and an unsettling feeling pooled in her stomach.

"Jaune?" she asked. "What's wrong?"

"Yang," Ruby's voice reached them as her and various other students approached. "Are you all okay – why are you all just standing there?" The small girl was flanked by her team, but also others, including Miss Goodwitch and her sister. Their weapons were sheathed, the Grimm threat dealt with.

Why did Jaune still have his drawn?

Weiss' eyes widened when she saw, almost in slow motion, his head turn towards Ruby's voice. Her breath caught as she saw his muscles tense, his wild eyes go wide. "Look out!" she had onl;y the time to scream – before Jaune dashed forward and swung down towards them.

"Whoah!" Ruby cried out and darted to the side, as did many of the others as her partner, her teammate and friend, lashed out among his allies. Pyrrha grabbed Ruby and pulled her back, but Jaune turned the other way and tried to cut off the head of a silver-haired young man. The student dodged back, but Jaune seemed to lose interest the moment he did. He lunged at a woman instead, his blade narrowly missing her throat.

"He's gone insane!" someone yelled.

Students scattered, and Weiss' heart fell as she saw Winter draw her blade and move toward him. She was about to chase after her sister to prevent her, if not for Jaune's body going unnaturally still. His arms clamped to his sides, even if he kept hold of his weapon still. Miss Goodwitch strode forward, her crop aimed towards him.

Even restrained, his head tossed back and forth as he struggled to break free.

"Mr Arc, if you do not desist, I will be forced to use violence to make you." the woman threatened.

Weiss gasped and clambered clumsily over some rubble. "Wait!" she cried, "Don't hurt him!"

"Miss Schnee?" The imposing teacher turned to her, crop still pointed towards the crazed student. "Stay back, there is something wrong with Mr Arc."

"Don't hurt him," Weiss repeated, "he's not himself – he doesn't know what's going on."

"What?"

"He was drugged," Blake explained, coming to a stop beside her. "Torchwick captured him in the missing and pumped him full of drugs. Jaune's… he's… he doesn't know what's going on around him. This isn't his fault."

Miss Goodwitch clicked her teeth together but didn't relent. She looked at the struggling blonde with a wary eye, but sighed. "Even so, I can't countenance the three of you going near him. If Mr Arc has lost control of himself, he could harm those around him. He will need to be subdued."

Subdued? But… he was already so weak and hurt, any more and he might be badly hurt. His aura was low and there was blood from a wound in his side, and if he couldn't even _feel_ the pain, then how much would it take to bring him down? A broken leg, two – worse?

"Weiss, get back here!" Winter roared.

She wouldn't. Not when her partner was like this. She ducked under her sister's attempt to grab her, slipped past Miss Goodwitch and knocked Pyrrha down when she tried. Her eyes were locked onto him, his struggling form as he thrashed his head left and right, confined within the deputy's Semblance.

"He's breaking loose," Miss Goodwitch warned. "I cannot keep this up forever."

"Weiss, stop!" Winter ordered. "He's not in his right mind. He's dangerous!"

Weiss grit her teeth against her anger. How dare they? How dare they act like they knew more about him than she did? He _was_ dangerous, she knew that – she'd seen his handiwork first person. He was more dangerous than they even realised. But that didn't matter. "He's my partner!" she shouted back, crossing the final distance and stumbling towards him. Her legs were tired, her lungs tortured for breath, but she still managed to stay standing long enough to collapse against his chest.

The teacher's hold on him snapped too, and Jaune's arms broke free as he hefted his sword once more. Had he reclaimed it from Blake? She couldn't recall.

It didn't matter. His eyes were locked onto the others, onto the students and Team Rubine, but before he could take a step towards them, she reached up to cup his face between her hands. He resisted, but she dragged his face down to look at her.

Anger, rage, pain… fear. She saw all that and maw in his eyes, normally so lidded, lazy and teasing. They'd always looked at her as though he were privy to some joke she couldn't understand. Now, that barrier was gone, and he looked lost and alone.

"I'm here," she whispered. "It's me."

His breath was heavy, eyes still locked to the side, towards those who had attacked him. His hands tightened around the hilt of his weapon, but she simply rubbed his cheeks between her hands.

"Jaune," she crooned, "It's me, Weiss. We're back in Vale now."

Slowly, torturously, his eyes moved to hers. Weiss' heart broke to see the evidence of such violent torture across his face. The face of a man who'd kissed her. He'd looked far more handsome then, now he was wounded and battered, covered in dirt and blood. She rubbed some of it away with her thumb. A lone tear trailed down her cheek.

"Weiss…?" His voice was slurred, drunken, almost. "Is that... you're not an illusion?"

An illusion? Was that what he thought? She couldn't make heads or tails of it, but then again, neither could he. It was the drugs talking. "Who else would put up with you?" she teased, her voice weak. She heard footsteps approach, and didn't need to look to know who they belonged to. "Not just me, though. There's Blake and Yang too."

"Of course," Yang laughed. "Did you think something would happen to us? Heh, have a little faith."

"I'm here," Blake added, but said no more.

His arms lowered. She felt the tension in him drain, his body stumbling just a little. Yang caught it, propping him up with one shoulder. Blake took the other, worried eyes trailing up and down her teammate's body. "I thought..." he gasped for breath, "I thought you died... again."

"Again?" Yang asked, but Blake shook her head for the girl to be silent. Now wasn't the time to confuse him.

"I wouldn't let anything happen to them," Weiss said, drawing his fading attention back to her. "They're my girls, after all. What kind of mother would I be if I let them get hurt?"

"You..." he stared at her, past her or perhaps through her. "You didn't... call them that... before."

"Well, that's what they are, isn't it? They're always calling us their parents."

"Only in this life..." He blinked and struggled for a second. "This is... this is real, isn't it? This isn't... one of her illusions."

 _Her?_ Weiss ignored the question and gripped his cheeks tighter, to _show_ him just how real she was. "This is real, Jaune. We completed the mission. We're back in Vale. We're back home. It's over now."

"Over…?" His head fell and a low, ragged, chuckle escaped him. "It's not over… not yet."

"It is for now, Jaune. Sleep, recover, come back to us."

"I'm afraid," he whispered. "If I close my eyes, I'll die… and none of this will have mattered. It will all go away."

"You…" Weiss had to pause to swallow. "We'll still be here when you wake up, Jaune."

"You…" he swayed, voice even more slurred. "Do you promise?"

"I promise."

He collapsed between them. Weiss pressed her forehead against his, tears in the corner of her eyes as she heard the teachers yell and run in. He would be okay, she told herself. He would have the best of treatment – the best that money could buy, and then more if necessary.

"I promise," she repeated, stroking his bloody hair with one hand."

/-/

Cinder turned away from the dramatic display and moved towards the ruins. Insipient fools, their petty emotions interested her little. Far more important was the continuation of her plans, which that idiot Roman had seen fit to compromise. General Ironwood had not arrived… he would not for a few more days. An emotion she was not used to feeling swam about inside of her. It took her a few moments to realise it was frustration, and over what. It had been a long time since one of her plans had been ruined in such a manner.

 _No matter. They may have their victory here. All it will serve is to make them overconfident, and to drive more hatred against the faunus._ This terrorist act would be on the news soon enough, and all the White Fang bodies that littered the plaza made it clear who was responsible. In turn, the people would turn their grief and anger onto innocent faunus, driving them to Adam's ranks, and thus bolstering her own. Even in victory, they would sow the seeds of their own defeat. The irony was delicious.

Before any of that, however, she needed to see to placing her pawn where he could make the greatest difference. His instructions had been to find and engage her, or her lackeys, but he'd failed to do so. Honestly, it was expected by now. She would just need to do things herself.

A quick nod to Mercury and Emerald had them fan out, to search for their errant thief and arrest him. The good reputation they would get for doing so would be a nice touch, but if she knew General Ironwood like she thought she did, then there was only one place the paranoid man would feel safe incarcerating dear Roman, and that would give her access to all his delightful little toys.

The thought of it was enough to bring the smile back to her face. If any who saw her thought it odd, they likely attributed it to that heart-warming display between the young Schnee and her irritating partner. Idly, she touched a hand against her throat. There was no wound, but his attack had come dangerously close. His eyes had been wild and dangerous, focused on her.

What an interesting individual…

"Ma'am," Emerald whispered, off to the side. "I've found him."

"Good," Cinder said, striding over some masonry. "Pick him up and take him to the professors. I'm sure they will transfer him to Ironwood in time."

"I… don't think they will," Mercury said.

Confusion, another unfamiliar sensation, washed over her. She shoved past the silver-haired teen and knelt down by Emerald. With a cautious hand, she pushed the girl aside.

Roman Torchwick stared back up at her.

His eyes were lifeless.

* * *

 **Le changes, but nooo… I love Roman. # Relight the Torch!**

 **Anyway, more revealed next chapter, of course, but we'll leave with this cliffhanger of sorts. I do wonder if I'll receive some irritation for not having Jaune wreck Roman in a fight, but honestly, I feel it would be a little unrealistic for someone who is driven mad on drugs to fight in a manner even slightly coherent. He would be much more like a wild, unfeeling animal. Remember, he couldn't actually beat Roman when he was at his best and had the element of surprise.**

 **P.s. yes, I made a mistake on calling banesaw Perry last chapter. In my head, I got it mixed up, lol.**

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 **Next Chapter: 8th April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	34. Chapter 34

**Another week, another chapter, I hope you all enjoy. Without seeming rushed, I am working to increase the pacing of this a tiny bit. One consistent criticism is that some feel the story moves through the story arcs a little slowly. I'll be working to reassess that over this weekend, and am spending most of Saturday trying to have a cohesive plan in place for what every chapter from here until the end of this fic will include.**

 **My internet history now looks even worse, since I had to research overdose and its effects and symptoms, which led to about a hundred different "self-help" websites.**

 **P.s. To those who noted it, yes, I made a mistake last chapter. Weiss should not have seen Jaune use his shield, or should have perhaps been surprised by it. I've gone back and changed it now, but there's no need to re-read anything, it's basically just changed to Jaune waving his sword. Thanks to the many who pointed it out for me.**

 **Note: You may have received two emails because a lot of people have had problems accessing chapter and I had to repost it.**

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 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 34 - Flapping Wings**

* * *

When Jaune woke up, he wished he hadn't. The nausea was dizzying, even before he opened his eyes and was forced to flinch away from the bright light that burned into his retinas. Where was he? What had happened? He couldn't recall anything of the last few hours, except that it felt like he had the worst hangover known to man. Everything felt wrong, from his gums to his tongue, his fingers to his heart, which beat painfully in his chest. He tried to move his arm, to cover his eyes and hide from the light, but something sharp and strong bit into his wrist instead. He was restrained.

Panic was quick to set in. Did Torchwick have him? Had he been captured? The sickness went ignored as he tried to pull his arms free, only to realise his legs were bound as well. He thrashed and tugged to no avail. The noise seemed to alert someone, for a chair scraped back and a figure moved closer. It was indistinct, a black blue he couldn't make out through the white light.

"Calm down," it said, as hands settled on his shoulders and pushed him down. "You're in Beacon. You're not in Mountain Glenn anymore."

Beacon? No, that wasn't possible. The last thing he could remember was Torchwick's cruel eyes as something was injected into him. He could remember gritting his teeth together as he swore not to reveal anything. Did they think this would trick him? He wasn't an idiot. "Who are you?" he asked,

"You don't recognise me? Oh dear, this could be bad…"

"I-I can't see you." He shook his head, just to dismiss the idea of amnesia. "The light is too bright."

"Bright? But it's only… ah, I see." The figure shuffled away, and there was the sound of a curtain being drawn. It didn't cut out all the light, but did enough so for it to stop hurting. "Is that better?" the figure asked. "Your eyes might be sensitive after what you've been through, or rather your brain, which processes what you see."

His brain? Jaune groaned as he felt the headache he'd not even noticed until that point. Gods, it felt like he'd drowned himself in alcohol. In fact, he didn't think he'd _ever_ felt this bad, and that was saying something. "It's a little better… everything is blurred but I can see. I'm not blind."

"Give it time. In the meanwhile, you're safe in Beacon, Mr Arc. It's me, Tsune. Can you recognise my voice?"

He could, now that she mentioned it, but he had to fight the instinctive urge to relax. This could all be a trick, some trap to make him open up. Neo could change the way she looked. Emerald could make him believe he'd heard her speak. "Prove it's you," he said. "Tell me something only you would know."

"Paranoid, are we?" The woman chuckled. "I can hardly blame you. I could mention how your little partner accosted me for paying too much attention to you in a physical exam… or would you prefer me to recount exactly what positions we used in said exam?"

Relief crashed down on him, followed by his shoulders as he fell back into the bed. It was her, or at least close enough to not be one of Roman's people. Now that he had a few seconds, his vision began to clear as well. It was still muddled, but he could make out brown hair and fox-like ears. "What happened?" he asked. "Why am I tied down?"

"For your own safety," the doctor said. She leaned forward to pull one of his eyes open a little wider and leaned in to take a look. "Still bloodshot, and more dilated than normal, but it's an improvement on earlier. I can unlock your restraints if you promise to stay in bed."

"I think I'd throw up if I tried to move."

Tsune laughed but moved around the bed to loosen the straps about his wrists. They were stiff and sore, and it took far more effort than he expected just to bring them onto his chest and rub his skin. The faunus moved down to his feet and did the same, and it was only then that he noticed he was in a pale hospital gown. There was a drip in one of his arms too. He did his best not to look at it. "How do you feel?" she asked, and sat down on the side of his bed. One of her hands touched his cheek, cool and soft, and she hummed as she checked his temperature. "Do you feel unusual in any way?"

"Nauseous, dizzy… I- I can't really remember what happened before now. I remember the mission," he added when he saw her concerned expression. "I remember falling and being captured by Ro- by Torchwick. I can remember what he did, but…" He shook his head. "The rest is hazy."

"That's to be expected. You were pumped full of drugs and narcotics, many of which weren't exactly clean or well-made. You're lucky to be alive, and I can only really attribute that to willpower, since it must have been a good few hours before you got any medical attention." She drew forth another injection and looked at it.

He swallowed nervously. "What's that?"

"Your treatment, of which you'll need to make regular visits…" She moved closer to him, and something within him stirred. His breath came out in sharp pants and his eyes widened. The doctor noticed and instantly withdrew it. "Calm down," she whispered, "it's fine. That was foolish of me, my apologies. I should have expected you would have an adverse reaction to that… especially after what you went through."

The irrational fear continued to hold him, but he pushed it down with a monumental force of will. _It's medicine,_ he told himself. _It's not like Roman. She wouldn't do that._ He closed his eyes and took several breaths, and after a few seconds, his panic began to subside. "I-I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's understandable." Tsune smiled and tossed her hair back behind her. "I despise drugs myself… they destroy the mind and take away what a person truly is. Even before I became a doctor, I considered them a blight to humanity."

"Funny," he said, "I'd have thought you'd be all for them. They certainly hurt enough."

"Drugs take away a person's ability to feel. It takes away their senses, their perception of time and place, even their ability to love." Tsune paused to send him a smile filled with a little _too much_ mirth. "It also takes away their perception of pain."

For a moment, he'd almost been impressed. Now, he just sighed. "Can I ask for another doctor? My one is broken."

"I'm all you're getting," Tsune smiled. "But don't worry. You're running on so many painkillers it wouldn't even be worth my time. Plus, it's not much fun to delight in what was caused by another. I've no interest in making you cry out my name right now." The double meaning of that was left in the air. She picked up the needle once more and held it a few feet away from him. "This is filled with medicinal dust," she explained. "It's used for various purposes, but in your case it has the helpful property of binding toxins and chemicals and then breaking them down. You've had several shots of it already, but it should help to remove some of the drugs still running around inside of you."

He nodded and held his arm out, pointedly looking away as she injected the liquid into his arm. He barely felt it, likely because of the painkillers, but maybe also from the cocktail of drugs. Either way, she placed the needle aside once she was done and let go of his wrist. "Did everyone get out okay after the mission?" he asked.

"Your team was unhurt, apart from some superficial bruises and cuts. You took the worst of the damage by far." The doctor stood up and gestured to her desk. "The headmaster has asked to speak with you when you wake up. He should be able to better fill you in if you'll let me call him."

He nodded and fell back onto the bed, a little more relaxed now that he knew everyone else was safe. Mountain Glenn should have been a simple mission, so it didn't make sense how bad it went. _If there is some kind of force keeping everything to the same order, why did it change events here? Or did it change events at all? I'm still alive, the breach occurred and nothing is different. I'm injured, sure, but maybe that just doesn't matter._

He sighed and closed his eyes. In the end, it didn't really matter. This was just another example of a crappy situation he could make a note to never experience again. It wasn't like there was anything he could do about it now. He'd been through worse. He would likely go through worse.

It took Ozpin a good ten minutes to arrive, and when the door opened, Jaune could see Glynda with her arms wide behind him. It looked like she was holding people off. Was that his team? Tsune rushed over to step outside and usher them aside, while Glynda slipped in beside the headmaster.

"Your team are quite worried for you." The headmaster smiled and lowered himself into a seat he pulled up beside Jaune's bed. "Now, I believe they will be quite frustrated with us as well. I specifically asked Miss Tsune to allow me a chance to speak with you first. It seems they are less than impressed with the idea."

"I did wonder why they weren't here," he mumbled. It sounded arrogant, but between Yang, Ruby and Nora – he'd half-expected to be tackled the moment he woke up.

"They've been constant sights at your bedside, I can assure you. I wanted to have a little discussion with you beforehand, however. I'm sure they are being updated on your situation as we speak. Do you mind if I ask a few questions, Mr Arc?"

Well, he had a pounding headache and still felt like he was going to be sick, but there didn't seem a better time for it. "Go ahead," he shrugged. "Can you fill me in on what I missed?"

"I'm sure I can indulge you," Ozpin smiled. "Tell me what you remember first. I will recount what you are missing."

"I remember being captured and taken before Torchwick. I remember him wanting to know more about us, where the team was, what we were doing." Jaune sighed. "I refused to answer. He got angry."

Glynda stepped forward. Her face was icy, but there was a noticeable hint of concern to her posture. "Tsune… she spoke of wounds that indicated physical beatings. Miss Schnee as well. I know it might be painful, but do you rem-"

"If I was interrogated?" he asked. "Yeah, Roman lost his patience with me and got a little physical. I wouldn't call it torture; there were no tacks and thumbscrews." Jaune chuckled. "It was more like he thought I was some answer-dispensing toy you needed to beat with a stick."

"That fiend," Glynda snarled. "If he-"

"Glynda," Ozpin silenced her with a stern look, and then turned back to Jaune. "You refused to answer? Mr Arc, I hope you realise there was no real information you could have given that would have led to your friends being in peril. While I appreciate, and even admire, your courage, I'd ask you not to put yourself through that again."

The irony of hearing that from Ozpin, a man who'd done the same to him before… it was almost enough to make him laugh. "Maybe I was stupid," Jaune allowed, if only because explaining otherwise would have been too hard. "Either way, he decided he had another way to get answers out of me. He…" Jaune bit his lip.

"Drugged you," Ozpin finished. He patted Jaune's arm in a sympathetic manner. "Miss Schnee made us aware. Do you remember anything after that?"

Jaune wracked his mind, but all he got was a distant pulse of pain and a sense of bitter disappointment. "Nothing," he said, frustrated. "I can't remember a thing. It's not even a blur, it's like the memories were ripped from my head."

"Don't push yourself, then. We were warned it might be a likely possibility. There is one question I have… the huntsmen I sent with you reported that you abandoned your post and were captured by the White Fang as a result. Why did you do that?"

Jaune panicked and tried to think up an answer. There was no way he could explain that, and instead he went for the first thing to come to his mind. "I don't remember."

It was a weak response, but given his situation, not an answer they could dismiss. Ozpin stared at him for several moments, before the man let out a quiet sigh. "Very well… I suppose it's understandable your memory might still be muddled. Just to be sure, you don't remember anything of what happened after your capture? Do you recall how you came to be back in Vale?"

"No," he answered honestly. He _knew_ how, but couldn't remember it. Not much would have changed though.

"I shall fill in the rest for you, then. Torchwick intended to create a breach in Vale's defences using an underground train that would have drawn Grimm into the city. Your teammate, Miss Belladonna, was able to find evidence of this when she infiltrated their camp in an effort to rescue you.

"She did _what_!?" Jaune gasped. He tried to sit up but the drip in his arm prevented him. With a muffled growl, he laid back down. "That idiot, does she not… no, of course she knew how dangerous that was. She just doesn't think."

"I'm sure Miss Belladonna would say the same about you," Glynda said with an arched eyebrow.

"Regardless," the headmaster went on, "When the rest of your team arrived, Roman Torchwick had already cut his losses and started the train with you as a hostage. Your teammates were able to board and defeat several opponents, but ultimately proved unable to stop it in time. Vale was struck. The event has been named the `Breach`."

"But we're still alive. It must have been repelled."

"It was. Your team were able to hold them off, but we had a quick response ourselves thanks to a tip-off we received from an intriguing friend of ours." Ozpin adjusted his glasses and took a quick sip of coffee. "The Grimm were defeated, your team secured and the breach sealed by Miss Goodwitch."

"Sounds like everything worked out," Jaune sighed. "That's good."

"Not exactly…" Ozpin shifted on his seat and put his mug down on a nearby table. "When the breach occurred, you and your team were scattered a little apart from one another." The headmaster's expression became deadly serious as he stared into Jaune's eyes. "Tell me, do you honestly not remember anything that happened?"

"No…" He looked between them, his mind racing. "What happened?"

It was Glynda who spoke. "When we initially arrived, you were on your feet and fighting against the Grimm. You don't remember this?" She sounded suspicious, or maybe just concerned. Either way, it meant something had happened, and judging from the look on her face, he wasn't going to like it.

"I don't remember that. Did... did something happen?"

"You attacked several students, Mr Arc." the headmaster finished. "You attacked them with the intent to kill."

Jaune's heart fell. His eyes widened and he felt his breath come out in ragged gasps. He'd… he'd attacked his allies? Images flashed through his mind, of his team, of Ruby's team, of the other people who lived at Beacon. "Did I…?" He broke off. "I didn't…?"

"No one was harmed… Miss Goodwitch was able to restrain you, and Miss Schnee and your team were able to calm you down. Still, there are many among the students who saw what happened." The headmaster let out a tired sigh. "Normally, we would keep details of a person's injuries silent, but in her panic, Miss Schnee shouted out what occurred. I'm afraid much of the student body knows about what happened to you. I am sorry."

That was their concern!? Jaune wanted to laugh as relief rushed through him. Who cared whether people talked or looked at him strange? As long as he hadn't hurt any of his friends, he'd put up with it. "It's fine," he said. "I don't mind. Better they know I was captured and drugged than think me some kind of psychopath."

"Perhaps true… I admire your ability to see the bright side in what must have been quite the traumatic situation."

Hm, trauma? Well, maybe for most people. Jaune shrugged and settled himself into a sitting-up position. "No one died and everything ended up okay," he said. "I take it Torchwick was arrested? I mean, so long as he pays for what he did, I'm fine."

"Roman Torchwick will not be causing any more trouble."

Yeah, he'd like to believe that, except that he knew what was coming. Jaune's eyes narrowed as a thought struck. This could be a good chance to plant a suggestion, one he could get away with without sounding suspicious. "Let's hope he won't," Jaune said. "I'm just worried he might escape from any, regular prison. If anyone can break out of a place, it would be him."

"That won't be possible, Mr Arc." Ozpin said. The man leaned back and sighed. "Roman Torchwick is dead."

"W-What…?"

"He died from the impact of the train striking Vale."

No… that wasn't possible. Jaune fell back onto his cushions, eyes wide as he tried to reconcile the headmaster's words. How was it possible that Torchwick died if he'd been trying to follow what normally happened? "He died in the crash?" he asked, just to be sure. The headmaster nodded. "I don't… how is that possible?"

"His aura must have been low. That or perhaps he took the brunt of the blast. Miss Schnee used her skills to protect you, but Torchwick had no such defence. It is unfortunate, since he will not be able to answer for his crimes, but perhaps an expected end for one such as him."

Roman was dead… from a train crash. That… he'd never died like that before, not once. It was Roman's plan to crash that train, to be captured and taken by Ironwood so he could use Cinder's virus to control the Atlesian Paladins. That was the future fate had always worked towards, that Cinder ensured would happen, no matter how much he tried to intervene.

It just didn't make sense for Roman to survive all of that and then die like this.

"I suppose you would not have known," Ozpin said. "My apologies for springing the news on you, but I'm sure your team would have shared it in time." The man stood up from his seat and nodded his thanks to Miss Goodwitch as she handed him his cane. "I would like to thank you for your co-operation, Mr Arc – and for protecting your team. Rest assured, we shall do our best to aid you through this troubling time."

"You have more sessions with Doctor Oobleck," Miss Goodwitch said.

"What? Why?"

"For withdrawal and recovery, this time…" The stern woman nodded at him. "I do not believe for a second you would willingly succumb to addiction, but after what you went through, some counselling is not just suggested – it is mandatory."

Jaune wanted to argue but couldn't bring up the energy. He was still too shocked about Roman, and nodded dumbly to whatever the teacher said. Withdrawal… oh boy, that was something he hadn't considered, either. Could you get withdrawal from a first time with drugs? Probably so, and that wasn't something he had any experience in. Mentally, he was old and determined enough to not give in, but his body was still that of a seventeen-year-old. The coming weeks were probably going to suck.

/-/

Weiss struggled to contain her frustration when the headmaster and his deputy were allowed in, but they were denied. Her eyes narrowed into angry slits as she stared at the doctor who probably didn't deserve her temper, but certainly was going to receive it.

"This is bullshit!" That is, if Yang hadn't beaten her to it. "We've been waiting all day for him to wake up, then you pretend he hasn't so the headmaster can see him first!?"

"I agree," Pyrrha said, stood beside Ruby and her own team. "Surely it could not hurt to let him see a friendly face after his ordeal?" Ruby nodded her head furiously, and for once actually managed to look intimidating as she glared at the doctor with sharp, silver eyes.

"Now, now," the faunus laughed. "This wasn't exactly my choice. Besides, there are things we ought to speak of before I let you in to see your teammate. You want to help him recover, don't you?"

It was a distraction. Weiss knew that, but it didn't stop her freezing up. "Is he okay?" she asked. "Is something wrong?"

"He lives, and will continue to live. The drugs in his system will still affect him, however, and it would be prudent for you to know how to take care of him." Tsune led them to a nearby medical office and held the door open for them to enter. Once the three members of their team was inside, she looked ready to close it, but sighed and gestured for Team Rubine to enter as well. "You would just eavesdrop if I didn't," she explained. "The more the merrier in this regard as well, since it will be up to you to ensure his continued recovery."

"We'll do what we can," Ruby said and settled into a plastic seat. The rest of them took positions wherever they could, but Weiss felt too anxious to sit down. She stood by the door instead, arms crossed beneath her breasts.

The doctor took one look at them and decided patience wasn't going to be a strong point of theirs. "Your team leader looks as though he will make a full recovery. The initial trauma is healing, and I've given him what I can to ease the pain. The problem will come from the after-effects of his ordeal, particularly the narcotic-related aspects."

"He's going to go through withdrawal?" Weiss asked.

"Perhaps… it's difficult to say. He was subjected to far more than he should have, and with the strength of the overdose, it is possible his system might have been too overwhelmed to actually form an addiction. Even if he hasn't, however, there's still the fact much of it still swims around inside of him. He is almost certainly going to crash in the coming days, and that might not be pretty."

"What should we do if he does? What would it look like?"

"Contact me immediately. That goes for all of you, no matter where he is or what you're doing. Someone is to stay with him and make sure he doesn't go anywhere or do anything, but another must come and get me. As for symptoms, it's possible he might suffer seizures and fits. He shouldn't," the woman quickly added when it looked like they might panic, "but he might. I simply want you to be aware of the possibility. I shall provide instructions of what to do I various scenarios to your scrolls, but your best bet is to find me or another teacher as soon as possible. Every member of staff here is trained in at least basic first aid."

"We can do that," Yang had already pulled out her scroll and was going through the information. "What else? Is there more?"

"Anything further, you'll find on there," the doctor said. "There are a few things I wanted to ask, however. They relate to his health."

Weiss' brow furrowed as worry wormed its way under her skin. This woman was the doctor, not them, so what was it she could be asking? It didn't bode well, if the serious look on her face was any indication.

"I never had a chance to properly notice before, but with the severity of his injuries, I decided to run more tests on his body. Miss Schnee, could you tell me what your partner eats in an average day?"

"Not much. For breakfast he has maybe half a bowel of porridge, and sometimes an apple, if I can force it down him. I don't think I've ever seen him eat a full meal. Have any of you?" Weiss looked around, almost desperately, but not a single one of them disagreed.

"I feared as much. His weight is far below what I'd expect of someone his age and size, and his body didn't respond well to the chemicals, or fighting them off. I'm afraid your teammate suffers from malnutrition. It's gotten to the point where it's become a problem, particularly because it has inhibited his body's ability to metabolise the drugs in his system. To put it bluntly, his low body weight made this episode a whole lot worse."

The diagnosis was like a blow to her stomach, and for a moment she struggled to draw breath. That was followed by a rush of guilt, made all the worse because of the times she could remember thinking he wasn't eating enough. She'd always tried to make him eat more, but she'd given up after a while. If only she'd pushed… if only she'd noticed sooner and done something.

"I was always focused on his injuries before, and never thought to check his weight." Tsune said. "I'll admit that a part of me believes he distracted me on purpose so that I wouldn't."

"That's just like him," Blake said. "He does that whenever he doesn't want to talk about something… when he doesn't want you to worry."

"I must ask, have any of you noticed other symptoms? Anything unusual, or that might seem out of place for a typical person his age."

"Well, he's lazy," Yang said, "He sleeps all the time." The blonde's face scrunched up a moment later. "Or, well… he used to. Now that I think about it, I can't remember the last time he took one of his naps."

"It used to be every second he could get one," Ruby said. "You're right though. I've not seen him fall asleep in class or the hallway for weeks!"

"Exhaustion and lack of energy are common symptoms of malnutrition," the doctor said. "Since he's not getting the nutrients and calories he requires, his body is trying to save energy by resting and reducing the amount of strenuous activity he does. You said this behaviour stopped?"

"Yeah," Yang said. "It was… I guess it was around about the time of the whole thing with the warehouses."

"Before then," Blake said guiltily. "He and I were scouting them in the evenings. We didn't ever get into any combat, but I think it was around then that he stopped taking naps."

"I'm afraid that isn't necessarily a good sign. His body has been putting itself into shutdown because it _needs_ the rest. By skipping out on that, he's just ignoring the symptoms and placing his body in peril."

Weiss let her head fall back against the door. That… that idiot. It was just like him, wasn't it? He never told them when something was wrong. Whether he did it because he didn't think there _was_ anything wrong, or because he didn't want to bother them, Weiss wasn't sure. It would change though. She would ensure that.

"There was never really any time for rest after that either." Yang said. "We went straight from fighting against the White Fang to preparing for the dance, and then we were headed off on this mission. I know he slept, but I'm fairly sure I never saw him getting extra sleep."

"He barely sleeps a full night anyway," Blake interrupted. "He wakes up at least once almost every night. Even when he sleeps, it's not exactly what I'd call restful." The girl reached up to tap two fingers between her eyes. "Even when it's dark, I can still see perfectly."

He had nightmares, why had he never-? Of course… just another thing he didn't want to bother them with. Weiss' eyes drifted shut as she tried to ignore the distress she felt deep inside. This was her partner… the person whose back she was supposed to watch. Could she even really claim that when she missed all of this? Had she been swept up in fantasy, in falling for him and her feelings, that she'd never noticed how much he needed their help? No. She shook her head and scowled. This wasn't the time to be thinking about herself – how pathetic was she? He needed their support, not for her to wallow in self-pity. Now was the time for action. She forced her eyes open and looked at the doctor. "Tell us what we need to do," she said. "We'll do whatever is necessary."

"I have a dietary plan for him," Tsune handed over a pamphlet to her. She flicked through it idly, and noted the various suggestions and portion sizes. It also claimed the staff working at the cafeteria had been made aware and would help with it. Jaune wouldn't like it. She could already tell.

Well, a shame for him.

"He'll follow it," Weiss promised. "I'll make sure he eats. I won't let him out of my sight at a lunch hour. Should he have snacks as well?"

"Can you force them down him?"

"I shall pry his jaws open if I have to," Weiss threatened.

"We'll help, right Blake?" Yang laughed. The faunus nodded her head once, eyes determined.

The doctor chuckled. "In that case, then yes, snacks could be good for him, between every meal if possible. His rest is another thing he needs to watch out for. He should get a decent sleep where possible, and while he recovers, he should be encouraged to take any naps he wants."

"I'll handle that," Yang interrupted. "Leave that one to me and Zwei. We're pretty much free from lessons for the next few weeks anyway, what with most people being on missions and things. If we break these tasks up between us, we'll be able to keep an eye on him all day."

"Good idea," Blake said. "I will accompany him during the day and make sure he doesn't do anything that might make his condition worse. I'll also watch him in case he has an adverse reaction after all those drugs. I can also use my eyes to watch him at night, make sure he's okay."

"I will help during the day as well, of course. We all will." Weiss smiled and nodded to her teammates. "We'll make this work."

"With how certain you all sound, I feel confident of it," Tsune said. "He's going to have regular check-ups with me, and I suppose I don't need to point out how he's probably going to try and skip those."

"He won't," Weiss promised.

"We shall help where we can," Ren said, "even if it's just in helping to occupy his attention or filling in for one of you."

"Definitely!" Ruby agreed. "Jaune's my friend too, so I'm going to help with this. Just give me something to do, whenever you need it."

"We will, sis, don't worry."

Weiss watched them discuss how they'd all help. As she did, the worry she felt began to dwindle, replaced with something altogether different. It was almost amusing to think back on their errant team leader, how they'd dismissed him and how frustrating he'd been. Things were different now, yet in some ways, he'd never lose that ability to irritate her. Back then, it was because he did too little… now, it was because he did too much. _There's never any balance with you, is there? No matter. I'd like to see you elude the seven of us._

"I'm glad to see you all so determined," Tsune said. "The headmaster ought to be finished now, so if you'll be careful with him, you can go in and see the patient." The doctor might as well have told there was a bomb in the room for how fast they moved. Yang and Ruby hit the door first and instantly got stuck in it. Blake hovered behind, but there was no semblance of patience in the way she twitched and frowned.

Weiss made to follow, but paused when a hand fell on her shoulder. "May I have a word in private?" the doctor asked. The heiress nodded, watching the others leave and push their way into the room beside this one. Once they were alone, the doctor sat back down. "I'd like to start by saying your partner can and will make a full recovery from his physical injuries. I don't want you to worry about that."

The relief she felt was palpable, and her shoulders relaxed. "Thank you. I promise we'll follow your instructions to the letter."

"Of that, I have no doubt," the doctor chuckled. "I know you're all dedicated, and I'll do my best to help his recovery as well. After all, how can I play with my favourite patient if he is too ill? He has such a high threshold. I have to work even harder to draw out a reaction and that makes it all worth the effort." The bushy tail behind the woman began to wag happily, and she let out a dreamy sigh. Every gasp, every wince, it's the very culmination of-"

Weiss coughed awkwardly.

"Ah, sorry," the faunus reached behind her to drag her tail down beneath the table with a sheepish smile. "What I wanted to say is that so long as he receives treatment, the issue of his malnutrition will go away in time."

"But…?" Weiss asked.

"But, it won't solve the underlying issue which caused it in the first place," Tsune said. "Let me be clear on one thing. Malnutrition is a condition… it can come about as a result of many other problems, but I very much doubt an inability to access food is one of them."

"Jaune, he…" Weiss paused. It felt like a betrayal to reveal anything they knew about him, but at the same time, it was to save his life. She bit her lip for a few moments. In the end, however, she spoke. "We had a suspicion he might be dealing with some mental issues," she said. "Depression, anxiety, we're not sure, but even his parents said they knew something changed in him or that something was wrong."

"Mental illness is a wide-ranging subject, but there are plenty of them that can lead to a loss of appetite. It's possible that's the problem."

"We're trying to help," Weiss rushed her words out. "We've already decided to stick with him and things have been better since Yang brought her father's dog here. He's a service dog and spends a lot of time with him."

"Which might as well be proof of some underlying issue," the doctor sighed. "It's said some animals can smell distress, even illness. I won't lie and claim I'm a psychologist, Miss Schnee. I'm a doctor by trade and a surgeon by hobby. I will send a message to Doctor Oobleck, however. He will be looking after your partner in some sessions while he recovers, just to make sure there aren't any lingering issues he has from his ordeal. I'll ask him to look out for signs of mental illness as well. If he finds any, I shall let you know."

"Is that legal?" Weiss asked worriedly. "Are you allowed to let me know?"

"It's unethical, perhaps, but in his best interests for now." The faunus shrugged. "Besides, you all signed a rather comprehensive contract when you joined Beacon. Some of it indicates that I have the freedom to do whatever I feel is best, without taking all legal safeties. It's to allow me to administer immediate treatment, since your injuries are typically more troublesome than what the general populace suffers." The woman's bushy tail pushed its way out from under the desk and began to sway left and right again. "I'll admit, it does allow me some other benefits too~"

 _And now I'm not sure I can even blame Jaune for trying to avoid this woman so often._

/-/

The two teachers were forced to hide their smiles when the students surged around them and towards their wounded teammate. At any other time, she might have rebuked them for their haste, but she would let it go for now. You couldn't blame them for caring… not when it was a virtue they did their best to encourage. What troubled her most was how easily he returned it. His team were worried for him, and that made sense, but Mr Arc showed concern for them in return. Concern he really should not have been capable of feeling, considering the ordeal he'd been through.

That alone was enough to make her blood boil. One of her pupils, one of _her_ students, had been tortured by some monster. It was bad enough that they faced Grimm, but at least she could protect them from the threat until they were prepared for it. To imagine someone so young beaten for information, and then to be drugged when they would not surrender it?

She wondered if she would have held, had it been her in his situation. She was no stranger to combat, but not once had she been captured by the enemy. It hardly helped that he reacted with vague indifference at best. He was more concerned about what he might have done to his friends in a drug-induced rage. She had prepared herself for tears, pain, accusations or fury – and she thought each of those would have hurt. His casual acceptance was far worse.

If the man responsible for it all were still alive, then she might have had something to say about rectifying _that_ state of affairs. Speaking of…

"You told him Torchwick died in the train crash."

"I did," Ozpin said.

"We both know that isn't true."

"But he does not. I'm sure you saw the shock on his face as clear as I. It's obvious he does not remember what occurred on the train, or after." Ozpin sighed, and for once looked every one of his years. "Mr Arc was troubled enough by the thought he might have harmed his friends… the thought of losing control. I saw no need to trouble him over it."

"You believe him when he said he wasn't aware, then?"

"I could see no lie in his eyes," Ozpin said. "How about you?"

Glynda shook her head. His surprise, no, his shock, seemed honest. "I don't think he's aware of it," she said, "but I doubt he would lose any sleep over it if he knew. He has killed before, after all, and there's no denying Torchwick deserved it after what he did."

"Perhaps not, but thanks to Miss Belladonna's discovery, we now have proof Torchwick was here on the instructions of a third party. I would not wish their attention drawn onto Mr Arc. Not at the best of times and certainly not with him at his weakest." Ozpin smiled. "Let them focus their efforts against us instead."

Glynda nodded her head, content to agree. Whoever this Queen was, she clearly intended for Torchwick to cause that accident. Perhaps not as early as he did, but the intent was still there. They might feel quite frustrated to see their plan thwarted, and her student was weak. For now, she would let this deceit go.

"We will go with the story you sent to the media?" she asked.

"Indeed. Roman Torchwick died in an accident of his own making. It was an unfortunate, if not unpredictable, end."

Well, that was one way to put it. She just wished the image of him would leave her mind. His lifeless green eyes, opened wide in fear, mouth set to scream. His throat slit from ear to ear. "I understand." she said. "I just hope you know what you're doing.

"As do I, Glynda. As do I…"

/-/

Jaune wasn't sure what to do once the teachers left and the majority of both his and Ruby's team burst through the door. He had the time to wave and open his mouth, but little else as several shadows fell upon and everything became a blur of words, noise and touching hands. Yang and Ruby were both waving their arms and talking, while Blake had hold of his shoulder and was whispering something as she tried to push him down. It hardly helped that Nora was shouting something, Ren doing his best to calm her down and Pyrrha was taking over Ruby's head.

"So…?" Yang asked at the end, looking at him with an expectant expression. They all paused too, as though the answer was integral to their very survival.

Jaune winced and took the plunge. "Yes…?"

"You didn't even hear the question, did you?"

"It's a little hard when you're all talking at once. I'm injured here, cut me some slack."

"We were asking how you felt," Ruby whined. Her cheeks were puffed out, her silver eyes bright, but the way she looked at him made him laugh.

"I'm fine, Ruby."

"How can you be `fine` after what happened? Don't lie to us just to make us feel better. That's not fair!" The others gave him solemn looks too, and he noticed that Weiss was absent. Still, it looked like they wouldn't take no for an answer.

"I feel tired and sick," he said. "My body is stiff and there's… there's a hole in my memory, right around the time it happened. It… it doesn't _hurt_ to try and remember it, but it feels like I'm trying to walk on a lake that's been iced-over. Every time I think I'm about to remember, I slip and lose it."

"Will you be okay, though? Will you get better?"

"The doctor says so. I'll be fine, Ruby."

Blake pushed through next, to take one of his hands between hers. "Jaune, I'm sorry," she said, with an expression that could be best described as agonised. "This is all my fault. If I hadn't-"

"None of that," he interrupted. "If I could muster the energy to knock some sense into you, I would. This was an accident, Blake. No one is at fault." Except for maybe Torchwick, and yet now he wouldn't be able to answer for it. The fact he was dead still shook him.

"But I was… if it were me, they might not have been so brutal."

Jaune raised an eyebrow, aware of what she meant. As an ex-White Fang member, and more importantly, someone precious to Adam, she might not have been tortured so. There was one problem with that hypothesis, however. "That wasn't the real White Fang, Blake. They were rookies and new recruits, civilians given weapons and told to die for the cause. The whole operation was run by Torchwick, and after you ruined his plans at the docks, and then at the warehouse? I think you'd have been lucky to take a bullet to the head. Things worked out." It would have only gotten worse when Roman realised she had no valuable information. All in all, even with what happened, it was best this way. He could recover from this. She couldn't from being executed.

"That's so flawed," Blake whispered. "Things didn't _work out_. You were captured and subjected to something horrible."

"And now I'm alive and being subjected to something adorable," he said, reaching out to place a hand atop her head. "It's the results that count. No, I wouldn't want to go through it again, and hey, I probably won't have to. I don't want to dwell on it."

"Perhaps that's for the best," Pyrrha sighed. "I'm not sure it's healthy, but it can't be worse than reliving it every moment of every day." The redhead smiled down at him and pushed some hair back behind her ear. "I'd ask for your team's sake that you don't do it again, though. They've been difficult to deal with since you were hospitalised."

"Now you know what I go through on a daily basis. It's hard looking after these two."

"We're hard to look after?" Yang laughed. "Daddy is saying some naughty things, Blake. I think we should punish him."

"Not until he's recovered, Yang. Did they say when you could leave here?"

"Not yet," he said. The door opened at that moment, and he saw Tsune and Weiss enter and close it behind them. His partner looked nervous, but that was soon replaced with concern when she saw him. She pushed through the crowd to arrive at his side. Her eyes roamed up and down his body.

"Are you okay? Do you feel okay?"

He groaned. "Oh gods, it's a repeat. Weiss, I'm fine – I feel sick, but I'm alive and well."

"Well excuse me for being concerned for my partner's welfare after he was brutally tortured!"

Brutally tortured? He wouldn't go that far. There'd been no broken bones and no blood. The drugging had been almost surgical in its application, and a lot cleaner than things he'd experienced before. That was what made it so horrifying, though. It was something he couldn't resist with brute force of will. To people like them, though, it probably looked brutal. He didn't bother to point that out. It would only have made them feel bad, and that was the last thing he wanted.

"Sorry," he said instead. "They just asked me the same questions a minute ago. I didn't mean anything, I guess I'm just a little out of it still."

"That might be my moment to intervene," the doctor said. "I'm sure this is going to be an unpopular decision, but Mr Arc needs his rest."

She was right on it being unpopular, though one hardly needed a crystal ball to guess that. Yang and Ruby complained loudly, while Blake's hands tightened around his as though she didn't want to let go. To be honest, he didn't either, but he could see the sense in her words. He felt exhausted, as though gravity itself was too strong. Maybe when he woke up next, his body wouldn't feel so alien. Everything felt off, like his limbs had suddenly grown overnight or something.

"That's not fair," Weiss said. "I haven't even had a chance to talk to my partner!"

"He's only just woken up and that's miracle enough so soon after what happened. Right now, he doesn't need to be fatigued – even mentally – by questions and heavy thinking. You can all come back tomorrow, and he might even be free for release."

"Can I stay?" Weiss asked. "Just for a moment, five minutes. I want – I need – to speak with him."

Tsune opened her mouth to deny the request, but paused when Jaune spoke. "I'm fine with it," he said. "We won't be long, I promise."

The doctor stared at them for a long moment but sighed. "You have five minutes and no longer. I want everyone else out of the room, however."

The others complained but were no match for the older woman. Jaune squeezed Blake's hand with his, then smiled at Yang to assuage her barely-concealed fear. He knew their problems more than he did his own in some cases. Yang feared abandonment, whether it be a person choosing to leave her, or someone being torn away as Summer had. He wasn't going anywhere, though, and she seemed to recognise that, for her eyes lit up and she smiled back.

Tsune ushered them to the door and out, turning to mouth `five minutes` to the two of them.

Jaune winced as he pushed himself up into a sitting position. It wasn't that his body hurt, he was too medicated for that, both from the good and bad drugs, he guessed. Even so, his body felt stiff and it felt weirdly detached how his bones ground together but he couldn't feel it. Soft hands settled on his shoulders and helped him into position, fluffing two cushions under his head. He let her, if only because he could imagine how much it meant to Weiss for her to be able to help. "So," he said once he was comfortable, "What was it you wanted to ask?

"I wanted to see for myself if you were okay," Weiss said. "I know you would put in a show for them, and probably for me as well, but I thought I'd ask you to honestly tell me."

"I'm not lying to you right now, Weiss." He was more than aware of how that made it clear he had in the past, but based on the way she silently laughed, he felt she knew. "I feel… I feel rough, is the best way to put it. There's no pain thanks to all the medication, but I'm still distantly aware that my body feels in bad shape. I also feel a little dizzy and sick, but that's just from it all wearing off. I promise you I'm being honest with that."

Weiss reached out to touch his arm and smiled. "Thank you. I know I've not always been the best partner, but you can come to me if there's any trouble. I'm going to try and help, but _please_ don't hide anything from us, Jaune. You hurt more than just yourself like this." Weiss sighed.

A wave of guilt washed over him. She was right, of course. Even when he did his best to keep things to himself, it just caused problems for his team. In his defence, Mountain Glenn was meant to be a safe and easy mission. "I'll co-operate," he said. "I have a feeling Blake and Yang will freak out if I don't."

"What do you expect? No daughter wants to watch their father self-destruct." Weiss' smile fell a moment later, and she looked away from him, as though searching for the right words. "Jaune… on the train, I saw… the things you did."

"I don't remember anything of it." The way she looked didn't inspire confidence though. "What did I do?"

"You…" Weiss sighed and looked back to him. "You killed a lot of people, Jaune."

He felt sick. It originated in his stomach but quickly flushed up to his throat. "Ozpin said I didn't hurt any of my allies," he whispered. "He said you stopped me."

Weiss' hands were quick to settle on his shoulders and push him back. "I did," she said. "You didn't hurt any of _our_ people, Jaune. I just… the White Fang who were on that train; you killed a lot of them."

The White Fang-? Jaune fell back with an audible sigh of relief. It was short lived, however. He noticed Weiss watching him, and then froze up as he imagined what that looked like. He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.

"It's like the docks again. Blake said you showed no mercy but I was never… I guess I never really understood what that meant until now." One of Weiss' hands came up to play with her hair. It was clear she was nervous, but she kept her blue eyes on his. "I feel like I should be able to claim I understand. It's the White Fang, and I never thought anyone would have reason to hate them more than I do, but I've never wanted to do the things you did to them. Most of them looked terrified… like they never had a chance. I can't even imagine how much you must despise them."

Jaune's eyes clenched shut. Despise…? Yes, he supposed he did. They were always present at the end, a force who worked with Cinder for nothing more than their own twisted goals. What obstacle to peace were the students of Beacon? They weren't responsible for the racism that influenced the older generation. They'd done nothing wrong… certainly nothing to deserve the fate Adam and those bastards meted out upon them. Then there was Blake, executed before his eyes – but the list went on. Enough lifetimes of trying different things heralded results that could change every time. Sometimes Yang lost an arm… sometimes she lost much more. "I hate them," he whispered.

"I can tell…"

He waited for her to continue but she didn't. A pit opened up in his stomach. "Where does this leave us?" he asked. "Are you disappointed in me?"

"What? No, you fool." Weiss stepped a little closer, and for a moment she almost looked offended. "Don't think that, you idiot. You were out of your mind even before this happened, and I know," she added when he made to speak. "I _know_ it was more than just that. I know you wouldn't have felt mercy for them anyway, but that doesn't change who you are to me. You killed at the docks, even if I never quite realised what it meant. I just… I wanted you to know I didn't care, because you were bound to find out about it from Yang or Blake. I'm sure you would have instantly leapt to the wrong conclusion and decided I hated you."

"You're mad," he whispered. "How can you just ignore all of that?"

"I have no idea."

Jaune blinked and looked towards her. That wasn't the answer he'd expected. "Huh?"

"I have no idea," she repeated with a smile. "Every part of me tells me I _should_ be disappointed, even appalled by what I saw, but I'm not. I can't explain why I feel this way, but I do. Maybe I'm the one who's insane."

"You must be," he groaned. "I'm… I'm not going to regret what I did, Weiss."

"I know. I won't ask you to."

"Did I… when I was under the influence, did I hurt anyone else?" he asked. "Did I hurt any of you?"

"No."

He caught the twitch in her face immediately. "Liar," he whispered.

"Argh, damn you, Jaune." Weiss flicked her head back and sighed. "You hit me by accident," she said. "I tried to stop you by force and you didn't realise it was me. You turned and caught me with your elbow. It barely did any damage and I only fell over because I was startled." Weiss pulled her hair back and leaned forward, to show the skin beneath her left eye. It was as clear as ever, with no sign of bruise or injury. "You didn't even pierce my aura, see?"

He stared for another few seconds but was finally able to breathe easily when even he couldn't see any harm. "Sorry about that, then," he said.

"It's fine. You froze when you saw it was me." She paused to smile. "Even out of your mind, you still didn't want to harm me."

"Or maybe the fear of what you'd do in return was enough to transcend an overdose," he teased.

Weiss slapped his arm lightly with one hand. "Idiot," she glowered. "You have a special ability to ruin any moment."

"Maybe it's my Semblance."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Weiss huffed. She could only hold it for a moment as he smiled at her, however, and eventually she succumbed and glanced away. "Idiot," she mumbled, unwilling to even show him that he'd amused her. How cold! "I'm… I'm glad you're back, Jaune. I'm glad we all are."

"Me too…" It wouldn't last for long, of course. The festival approached, and with it, the end, but for what it was worth – he was content with life as it was. They were alive, he was here to spend time with them, and he would call his family as soon as he didn't look like a corpse. Life was… it was good. As good as it could be, anyway.

"You said some strange things, you know?"

"Huh?"

"When the breach occurred," she said. "You couldn't tell friend from foe and were lashing out, but I managed to calm you down. You said some things, though. They were… I'm not sure what to make of them."

Uh-oh, that didn't sound good. If drugs worked anything like alcohol, then there was a chance he might have blurted out something he wasn't supposed to. "What did I say?" he asked.

"You said I was dead, or that you thought I'd died. You thought Blake and Yang were dead as well."

Ah…

"I must have known I'd been captured and that you were all still in Mountain Glenn, even while drugged." he said. "I guess my mind jumped to the worst conclusion."

"That makes sense," Weiss looked away for a moment, as though unsure if she wanted to continue.

"Weiss, what is it?"

"You said something else, Jaune. You said you thought I was an illusion, that it was one of _her_ illusions." Weiss eyes hardened, but it was clear she wasn't upset at him. "Jaune… did someone _do_ something to you, perhaps before Beacon?"

He wasn't sure what to say. Damn his loose tongue, but at least he hadn't mentioned Emerald's name. If he had, Weiss might have confronted her, and Jaune knew from experience how that would go. Cinder didn't _need_ her team at Beacon. It was convenient for her, and better here than not, but she could start her invasion from the crowd or even the city itself. If she felt her position was threatened, she would have killed Weiss, hunted him down, and then fled. Still, how was he to answer Weiss' question.

"I'm sorry, that was insensitive of me," Weiss sighed. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I was just worried."

Or she could take care of it for him. "It's not something I really want to talk about," he acknowledged. "It's not anything you need to worry about, since it's not happening to me anymore." Yet. "I guess I must have thought it was when I was drugged, though. I can't remember anything but maybe I was hallucinating or thought I saw something I didn't."

"I guess… you know, I'll always help if-"

"I know you will, Weiss. Seriously, I know you'd do anything. I'd trust you with anything. My faith in you is _not_ in question, not in a million years. It's just not something I want to talk about. Was that all I said?"

"There was one other thing. You said you were afraid to close your eyes, because you weren't sure I'd still be there when you opened them."

He groaned and covered his eyes with one arm. What an embarrassing line. _For crying out loud, you'd think me being high on drugs would be enough to make speech all but impossible, but apparently I wouldn't shut the hell up._ "Drugged me sounds like an idiot," he said. "I already hate him."

"You were scared," Weiss giggled. "You didn't sound stupid at all."

"I was drugged, probably hallucinating, and I'm over it," he sighed. "Look, I can close my eyes, open them – and you're still here." He repeated the gesture several times for her benefit.

Weiss chuckled. "Try it again," she said. "Except this time, keep them closed."

He did so, and his breath hitched a second later when he felt something soft but unmistakable against his lips. A cool hand cupped his cheek and turned his face to the side, even as he felt her hair brush against his face. Idly he noted a whiff of vanilla, even as sighed and accepted the gentle pressure. It was all washed away a moment later when he tilted his head and leaned into her.

If Weiss intended to put him at ease, she failed. He was breathless.

When she drew back, her cheeks were dusted with pink, and her lips shone from where they'd touched his. She backed away, and his eyes traced her neck when she swallowed. "I want you to remember that," she whispered. "The next time you think I'm an illusion or that I'm not real… I want you to remember this moment."

He could only stare after her as she backed away. She was gone a moment later, her back turned to his and her ponytail swaying as she rushed out of the door.

Two fingers came up to brush his lips, and they came away wet. Remember it? He wasn't sure he could forget. Her taste lingered on his lips still. A strange blend of vanilla, freshly fallen snow and… and something unmistakably Weiss. Jaune leaned back against his pillow, trying to make sense of it, but all he could feel when he closed his eyes was the memory of her lips against his. He sighed. One thing was for sure, that definitely hadn't been an illusion. If Emerald could make them so good, he doubted anyone would ever awake from them.

His eyes drifted shut as he allowed slumber to claim him, but curiously, there were no nightmares to plague his rest.

Only one, beautiful, dream.

/-/

Ozpin sat at his desk, a screen projected into the air before him. On it, the faces of several figures were super-imposed, their expressions grim. The headmaster finished his report, and then paused to take a calming drink.

"The recent terrorist attack has left the populace troubled," one said. "That they would become so bold… no one could have predicted this."

"The response from Beacon was rapid, however," another remarked. "It has done much for the confidence of the people. There were no reported fatalities, and it has heartened them to see their taxes well spent. You deserve credit for that, Ozpin."

"Thank you, council member," Ozpin nodded back.

In the top corner, a familiar figure leaned forward. His old friend, James Ironwood, looked incensed. "This is a bold new attack by the White Fang. It confirms our fears for why they have stolen so much dust. With the Vytal Festival approaching, I must ask, has the council considered my suggestion?"

"Atlas has long been a military ally of Vale," one of the council members said. "Your offer of aid for the festival is much appreciated."

Ozpin's fingers tightened around his mug.

"However, in light of recent circumstances, we believe the security and protection for the tournament is best left in the hands of Beacon." There were murmurs of surprise from many of the delegates in the call, but none matched his own. He hid it behind a small smile.

"This is a mistake," Ironwood said. "A strong military presence is necessary and Beacon does not have that. While I have full faith in Ozpin, my forces could-"

"Your forces were unable to prevent the theft of several of your prototype weapons, General Ironwood. With all due respect, I believe it was the headmaster of Beacon who returned those to you. Is that not correct?"

"It is…"

"The huntsman responsible was labelled as one Qrow Branwen. He is one of yours, is he not, Ozpin?"

"Qrow is a valued ally and has assisted me in several matters," he agreed. "In lieu of the recent increase in White Fang activity, I saw fit to keep him in Vale for the last few weeks."

"And a good decision that proved. Several White Fang warehouses raided, numerous terrorists captured, and he was present at the breach itself. The media was quick to pick up on Beacon's involvement, and panic has been fairly minimal. Many are pleased, if not slightly bemused, by how fast it was all over."

"We do our best."

"And your best appears more than enough to handle this White Fang insurrection," one of the figures said. "With that in mind, we have decided to leave the security of the Vytal Festival to Ozpin, headmaster of Beacon Academy. We appreciate your support and co-operation, General, but military forces would only serve to further upset the populace at this time. I hope you understand."

"Perfectly," James scowled. "Thank you for your time."

His screen blinked away.

"Ozpin, we are entrusting this matter to you. Your funding has been increased as a result. We look forward to seeing a prosperous festival. In these troubled times, the people need all the joy they can get."

Not just for their quality of life… but to keep the Grimm away. It was a never-ending balance between efficiency and satisfaction, lest the horde be drawn down upon them. Ozpin nodded at the screen.

"I appreciate your trust, council members. I shall not let you down."

"See that you do not."

* * *

 **Oh, look, changes. I do get some people every now and then pointing out that there are no significant changes, but here you get to see the culmination of one. Jaune's efforts to distract Blake away from the White Fang by tricking Qrow into raiding them essentially made Vale seem more competent than they are in the show. As a result, the Paladins were rescued – which delayed Ironwood's arrival as he had to deal with that.**

 **With no Ironwood in Vale, there were no robot drops to solve the breach. As such, no trust built between the council and Ironwood, and Ozpin's own reputation salvaged and bolstered. I wanted it to be fairly subtle, in that out of all the "typical" changes you might see in a time-travel fic, this would not be one of them. It is a big one, however, as I'm sure many can imagine.**

 **Good job, Jaune. A shame you didn't mean any of it – but for those who keep asking, here is just one of the changes that he's inadvertently made. There are more, of course.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15th April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	35. Chapter 35

**Here is the next chapter of Not this time, Fate – I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 35 – The Truth in Words**

* * *

"No," Jaune said, as he watched the weapon in Weiss' hand with a wary eye. "No more, I beg of you."

"It's for your own good, Jaune." Weiss said. As she approached, she gestured to the girls on either side of him. "Keep hold of him. Don't let him escape." Their hands clamped down on his shoulders, hard and unyielding.

"We've got him," Yang said. Jaune struggled limply but was unable to get out of her hold, let alone Blake's.

"I can't," he begged. "Weiss, please, be reasonable."

"You are asking that of me?" The heiress snorted as she knelt on the mattress beside him. "You have to be the most unreasonable person around, Jaune. I mean, just look at what you're making us do."

"How am I responsible for this?"

"For the love of…" Weiss sighed and planted both hands on her hips. "Jaune, it's a chocolate bar. Most people don't act like they're being executed when presented with one."

"Most people aren't stuffed with enough food to make them burst," he pointed out, eyes still locked onto the offending mass of sugar and chocolate. "Come on guys, you've already forced so much down me. I can't fit anything else in."

"Two scrambled eggs on two slices of toast for breakfast isn't a lot," Blake mumbled from his left.

"Nor is chicken and vegetable soup and half an apple much of a lunch," Yang agreed. Their hands tightened on his shoulders. "We've got him, Weiss. He isn't going anywhere."

"Good work, girls." Weiss said as she pushed the bar between his teeth and glared at him meaningfully.

Jaune sighed and bit down on it, rolling his eyes when she nodded happily and allowed him to chew in peace. The same scene had been replayed for a few days now, ever since he'd been allowed out of the infirmary. His team took their duties well, and it was impossible to really feel upset at them for it, even if his stomach genuinely wasn't used to dealing with so much food. He felt stodgy and sluggish, but gone were the days Weiss would huff and let him off with only finishing half a meal.

"See, was that so hard?"

He knew better than to argue. Weiss wasn't afraid to argue back, and she had backup in the form of his treacherous teammates. Even Zwei chipped in, though that was just to bite down on his pant leg when he tried to escape.

And oh, how he'd tried to escape… so many times. They were on top form, almost bizarrely so. The moment he so much as moved a muscle, he could feel eyes on him, and it didn't even stop when the lights went out. Blake could see perfectly well in the dark and seemed to wake up the moment he did. With Zwei slumbering on his chest for most night as well, he would raise the alarm if his `bed` dared move.

Every effort to sneak off would result in Blake tailing him, while Yang and Weiss hovered suspiciously close during meals, walks and even sitting outside in the sunlight. His trips to the infirmary were done with an escort and the one time he _had_ managed to give them the slip, he'd run straight into Ruby. Bad enough she'd given him the watery eyes, but when she'd switched to disappointment? Yeah, he'd sulked back to his caretakers without as much as a word.

"Have you called your family yet?" Weiss asked, breaking the silence. Jaune nodded.

"I've been messaging them, but I haven't called yet." He'd written it off as him being on the mission still and his parents understood. With the amount of babysitting his team put him through, writing to his sisters was the only thing he could do. "I don't want them to see me like this," he added, pointing to his baggy eyes and pale complexion. "I'll do a proper call when my face isn't going to send them into panic mode."

"So long as they know you're okay," Weiss said. "I take it you haven't mentioned what happened to you?"

"Not with mom pregnant. It's… I don't want to stress them over it." He noticed their stern expressions and quickly explained, "I'll tell them once I'm better, I swear. It's just… I'd rather they find out when I can prove I'm better. They'll just worry otherwise."

"I suppose that makes sense. How is she?"

The change in topic was a welcome one, not least of all because he could feel his body tingling in an unpleasantly familiar manner. Jaune bit down on his lip and took a deep breath before speaking. "They're good. Juniper always asks about my `lovely teammates` and wants to know if you're all doing well."

"Does she know what the baby will be yet?"

"Human, probably," Jaune quipped. Weiss scowled at him. "She doesn't want to know. I think she's fairly certain it will be a girl, since seven out of eight have been, but she says it's the surprise she looks forward to most."

"Do you have any preference?" Yang teased. "You looking forward to having another little sister, or are you aiming for a brother this time?"

"I wouldn't mind either," he said, more than aware of how unlikely it was he'd see it. There were still a few months left until the expected birth, and there was no way he could survive that long. It hurt… especially because he wasn't sure it would ever happen again, but there was little he could do about it. "I suppose if I had to pick… I'd want a sister."

"Another one? Sheesh, and here I thought you'd be after something a little different. Don't tell me you're afraid of not being the only guy in the house?"

"More like I'm afraid he would end up like me," he snorted. "From what I can tell, the females of the Arc household get all the brains."

"Can't argue with that," Weiss sighed. "Here, have another bite."

"Weiss, come-" His words were cut off as she pushed the chocolate bar back into his mouth. He'd have refused to eat it, but he knew from experience that she would patiently keep it there until it melted or he gave up. He'd been stubborn the first few times, but she'd just proven her patience and forced him to eat his words _and_ the chocolate. Now, he gave up. "I think when she said snacks, she meant healthy snacks," Jaune complained once he'd gotten the sickly sweet thing down. "Not unless her plan is to rot my teeth and pull them out with her fingers." Jaune paused. "Wait a minute that _does_ sound like something she'd do."

"If you went to her for dentistry, you'd deserve everything you got," Weiss snorted. "Frankly, I'm surprised she's been treating you in mostly painless ways. She almost seems like a real doctor."

"She doesn't like drugs," he shrugged.

"Ah, some professionalism."

"She doesn't like them because they dull pain."

"Jaune," Weiss groaned and massaged her forehead. "Could you let me have my fantasies for even a few minutes, please? I'd almost managed to convince myself we lived in a sane world."

"No such luck I'm afraid," he laughed, and shifted his hands to his side. Blake caught one and pulled it out in front of her, eyes narrowed. He cursed and tried to pull it back but the damage was already done.

"You're shaking again," Blake said. She looked down on him, worried and nervous, and she squeezed his hand between hers.

"It's nothing," he gritted, fighting to resist it all.

"The pangs again?" Yang asked. The blonde shifted herself so that she was front-on to his shoulder and pulled his hand onto her lap. "Is it bad?"

"Not as bad as before." They'd gotten progressively worse for the first day or so, but started to recede. It felt like nothing he could adequately explain, like the temperature between his blood and his skin was different, or that strange rods had been inserted into his arms. It didn't make much sense, but then again the withdrawal didn't either. "It would be worse if I was actually addicted to them, I'd guess."

"Does it hurt? Do you need something to bite down on?" Weiss asked. He shook his head and took several short breaths. She asked it every time and every time his answer was the same. "What can we do?"

"Distract me," he hissed through clenched teeth. "Anything, jus-"

"I set the kitchen on fire when I was younger," Yang said. She clutched his hand a little tighter but smiled down at him. "Back in Signal, I unlocked my Semblance in the middle of class one day. They sent me home after I set one of my friend's hair on fire – she wasn't my friend after that, but what can you do? Anyway, I _totally_ didn't take it well since my hair kept glowing and smoking and flames kept appearing. No matter what my dad tried to tell me, I thought the fire was burning me." She shuddered. "I thought it was burning my hair too, which was about ten times worse."

"Nice priorities," Blake said.

"Shush, you. I couldn't control it very well at first. They give you this little pamphlet, you know? Not exactly useful since the moment I touched it, it went up in flames. Even when dad read it out to me, it said stupid stuff like `stay calm`. I mean, come on… calm? I was on fire! I was _anything_ but calm."

Jaune started to laugh. He could imagine her, small and over-dramatic, screaming as she looked at the fire that surrounded her. The image would have been unsettling but for the knowledge of her Semblance. Even as his muscles spasmed and contracted, he fought to listen.

"My dad tried to calm me down by hugging me, which was a little awkward when he had to stop hugging me to put himself out. Zwei didn't help, either. He just kept running around me barking, which doesn't do much for an eleven-year-old on fire."

"What-" He grit his teeth and clenched his eyes shut. "W-What happened to the kitchen?"

"Fire safety training," Yang cringed. "I couldn't hear dad over my own shouting, and Qrow – the bastard – just sat at the dining room table laughing his ass off. Anyway, I remembered what my teachers always said about safety and decided that if I was on fire, I need to stop, drop and roll."

"Your kitchen was made of wood, wasn't it?" Weiss sighed.

"Try the whole house, Weiss-cream. We live in a log cabin. I've never seen Uncle Qrow go from laughing to panicking so fast. They were both screaming, I was screaming, Ruby came down and started screaming. It was pretty intense."

"It sounds it," Jaune chuckled. His chest rose and fell as he took great gulps of air, but all that remained of his withdrawal was aching muscles. "Thanks," he gasped. "I needed that. It's gone now. You can let go."

Yang and Blake did so reluctantly, and both refused to let him actually climb from the bed, not that he had the energy for it anyway. Weiss was no better, watching him with a hawkish expression and her scroll in one hand. He had no doubt it was set to speed dial the infirmary. "I hate watching that," she said. "It makes me feel useless."

"You're not useless. None of you are." Jaune shook his head and winced when his bones creaked. "How do people go through this normally?"

"I doubt it's ever this bad," Blake said. "You took far more than anyone would have, and those who are addicted likely take more to avoid these very symptoms. At least we can rest assured you won't go and take more."

And put himself through this a second time? No thanks. _I suppose that's the different between mental and physical addiction. My body is addicted, or at least thinks it is, but I have no actual desire to take them._ In that, at least, he was lucky. It was so insidious, so powerful… part of him felt he could look at those trying to break their habits with newfound respect. He doubted many of them had three wonderful friends willing to do everything in their power to help them. "Thanks. For helping," he added when he saw their confused expressions.

"You can thank us by getting better," Weiss smiled. "And that means full meals, proper sleep and not doing anything silly."

"Yes, dear…" Jaune tried to make his voice teasing, but it came out mingled with a yawn. He blinked past it, only to see the ceiling. It took him a second to realise Yang had already started to pull him down. "Whoah, whoah, it was only a yawn."

"Nap time," Yang said happily, pushing his head back so he rested in her lap.

"Oh, come on…"

"A yawn means you're tired, and that means you need rest, daddy." she teased. "Didn't you just finish telling us how thankful you were for all our hard work?"

"I feel like you've added a few more details onto that," he said, glowering up at her. Anyone else might have been thrilled to use the beautiful girl's lap as a pillow, but it felt like he'd only been awake for four hours since the last nap. He was tired, sure, but this was ridiculous. "I'm not a baby," he growled, and then cursed when he felt how heavy his eyes were. _Not now, body. I'm trying to prove a point and win a pointless argument. Don't betray me, damn it!_

It was no use. His body was exhausted, his muscles sore, and the food that filled his stomach made him feel too heavy to move. He yawned once more, caught it, but then surrendered as a second, more powerful, yawn broke through. Yang's soft hands brushed across his cheeks, then ghosted over his eyes, making him shut them.

"Cheater," he grumbled.

"Yep," she giggled. "Nighty night, dad."

Annoying, stubborn daughters…

/-/

Weiss watched with a fond smile as Jaune slowly fell asleep on his teammate's lap. The lines in his face, made all the more prominent from his ordeal, seemed to fade and drift away. It was the most relaxed she'd seen him in days, and she nodded approvingly at Yang. The girl winked back.

"I got a lot of practice when Ruby was younger. If you think he's bad, you should have seen how much Ruby hated being told it was bedtime."

"I can well imagine," Weiss said. The girl was hyper-active as a fifteen-year-old, so there was no telling what she'd been like as a child. "He ate the protein bar, at least. I'm surprised he mistook it for a normal chocolate bar. These things aren't exactly the nicest things."

"Too chewy," Yang agreed. "Then again, I don't think I've ever seen him eat snacks before. I guess he's forgotten what normal chocolate tastes like. That withdrawal attack seemed shorter than the last one, or is that just wishful thinking on my part?"

"No," Weiss agreed. The relief that washed over her was welcome, and enough to bring a wide smile to her lips. "They don't last as long as they used to, even if he gets them a little more often. From what research I found, that's supposed to be a good thing."

"Still sucks to watch him go through it."

Yes, yes it did. The first few times had been the worst, both for him and for them. He hadn't been prepared for it and couldn't understand what was happening, while they panicked in turn and were just about useless in helping him. The blind leading the blind, they'd argued and meandered, until he bit his tongue so hard it bled and the shakes slowly drifted away. They'd gotten better over the past few days, but it didn't get rid of that same frustration. She wished this were some enemy they could fight, something they could deal with through skill and determination, but it wasn't and all their vaunted training was useless. All they could do was stay close by and offer comfort as he rode it out himself.

"Distracting him seemed to help," Blake piped up. "Maybe I should find some books for him to read, or ones to read to him. Not mine," she added defensively when they looked her way.

"Might as well be," Yang grinned. "It's not like he doesn't know what sex is."

"I'm not reading those kinds of scenes to my… to someone like…"

"Your father?"

"I didn't say that, Yang."

"But you meant it." The blonde laughed at Blake's scowl. "Chill, I don't mean it in a bad way. I know what you mean, he isn't but he's something else, something close to it but without a word to explain it. I'd say it's like an older brother, but that doesn't quite fit. It's more like an older brother whose opinion is more important than usual."

"Like an older brother who raised you when your parents died," Blake filled in.

"Yeah… I guess that's as good a fit as any. Doesn't fit as well, though, so I'm gonna keep calling him dad."

"Idiot," Blake sighed. "Just try to avoid setting the room on fire."

"Oi! I was a kid."

"Wait, you mean that story was true?"

"We can't all have easy Semblances," Yang grumbled. She looked like she might have tackled Blake but didn't want to move Jaune now that he was peacefully slumbering. "Some people get convenient things like clones, I get my body going up in flames. You should have seen Ruby, though." Yang sighed and shook her head. "The body isn't really ready to suddenly go from normal to super speed with no warning, nor to do it in reverse. It was lucky she had her aura or she'd have hurt herself with all the times she ran into walls, misjudged how long it would take to slow down, tripped or misunderstood the physics of momentum when running up to hug people."

Weiss winced at the thought of a small girl crashing into her at goodness knows how many miles per hour. Compared to that, her glyphs seemed wonderfully simple. Of course, she'd had the benefit of the best teachers money could buy.

"Well at least you bot-" Blake cut off and looked down towards their leader. "He's having another nightmare," she hissed. Jaune's face flinched just the slightest bit, the lines about his eyes tightening. They were never obvious things and sometimes it felt like Blake was the only one to notice them. Or not, it appeared, as Zwei pushed his nose up under the man's chin.

"Hey, hey," Yang whispered and touched his hair. It didn't seem to help. "Should we wake him up? I know he needs his sleep but-"

"No. He needs sleep." Weiss leaned across to place a hand against his forehead. Jaune's temperature was high, but not unbearably so. She moved her hand down to his cheek as she tried to think of some way to help, but his movements began to still entirely.

"Well done," Blake said.

"I… I didn't _do_ anything."

"Well, whatever you didn't do helped." Blake smiled to show she didn't mean any insult. "It feels like he has these nightmares every time…"

"He has good reason to," Yang said. "All I'll say is that Torchwick should count himself lucky he died. If I could get my hands on him after what he did…" Weiss nodded.

"I know, Yang. We all feel the same, believe me."

The three of them sat there for the next ten minutes or so, content to talk quietly between themselves as Jaune slept. His naps were often too deep to awake from easily, but he didn't have any more nightmares and seemed at peace for once. Eventually, however, a knock at the door interrupted the tableau. Weiss left to open it, and blinked in surprise at who was outside.

"Oh, Winter." Weiss blinked at her older sister. "Do you want to come in?"

"I wouldn't want to intrude," the older woman said pleasantly. "I can see your partner is taking some rest and I don't want to interrupt. I was wondering if I could borrow you for a little while, Weiss." Borrow her? Weiss bit her lip and looked back to her team, but Yang caught her eyes and shrugged.

"We'll be fine," the blonde said. "He's not going anywhere and Ruby and Nora made him promise to play games with them later, so they'll keep an eye on him. You can go and talk with your sister."

"You're sure?"

"We won't let anything happen," Blake promised.

/-/

Weiss dusted some crumbs from her chin and laid the napkin down on the table. Though they hadn't left Beacon, Winter had brought her to a more private area set aside for visiting dignitaries and important guests. The food was the same fare, but served at their table, and it afford some privacy, not to mention a beautiful view of Beacon's gardens. The weather was warm and soft. It might be nice to bring Jaune out for some fresh air, in fact. They always did say sunlight was good for the human body.

"I've lost you again, haven't I?"

Weiss blinked, and then immediately felt the blood rush to her cheeks when she saw her sister's indulgent smile. "I-I apologise, Winter. I was just thinking about-"

"Your partner?"

"Yes," she nodded. It took her a second to realise what that sounded like, and she quickly added, "About his recovery, I mean. I was just thinking some fresh air might serve him well."

"How is he?"

"Better! He hasn't yet recovered, not from what happened." Or from the malnutrition. "There is progress, however. I'm confident he'll be back to normal within a week or so, although we'll still need to keep an eye on him."

"That is good to hear. You've been caring for him quite thoroughly. I have hardly seen you these last four days." Winter dipped a spoon into her tea and stirred it.

"Ah, I apologise. I didn't mean to ignore you, it's just that he is my partner and teammate. His recovery-"

"I understand, dear sister. Worry not, I'm hardly offended. In fact, it speaks well of you to take such responsibility seriously."

Once upon a time, that praise might have meant something to her, but now all she could think of was whether he was okay and how Yang and Blake were holding up. _Don't be silly,_ she told herself. _You've been gone an hour at most. He's probably still sound asleep._

"I did want to talk to you on one matter, however," Winter continued. "It is about your recent mission and its conclusion." Weiss paid only minimal attention, but hummed nonetheless. "At the end of it, I can't help but criticise how you placed yourself in harm's way."

That surprised her. Enough so as to bring her back to reality and make her stare at her sister. "Excuse me?"

"Your partner," Winter explained. "I understand that he was not in control of himself, and he can hardly be blamed for that. Still, it was a risky prospect for you to rush in like you did and try to calm him."

"Jaune wouldn't hurt me, or any of us," she added. "He wouldn't hurt his team."

"Not when he is in his right mind, perhaps, but you and I both know he wasn't at that time. There was a good chance he wouldn't be even capable of _recognising_ you as being on his team. He might have even hallucinated and seen you as a Grimm." Winter leaned forward. "Your casual disregard for your safety might have cost you your life, Weiss."

"It didn't, though."

"No, and for that we can call this episode closed. However, if something like that were to occur again in the future, it would be best to err on the side of caution. Your partner could have been subdued without any risk to you or anyone else."

Weiss took a deep breath and look at her sister. "There would have been a risk to him."

"Admittedly," Winter said, a little surprised, "but no more than what he already faced. In a situation like that, it's the responsibility of a commanding officer to make the best decision for everyone."

"I'll keep that in mind and pass it on to our commanding officer once he's recovered. Unfortunately, he was a little indisposed at the time."

"There's no need for cheek, Weiss."

"I'm sure I have no idea what you mean, Winter." Weiss said. She kept her gaze steady as she looked at the older woman. Inside, however, her mind was running wild. _What am I doing? I've never argued with Winter like this before._

"When he was incapacitated, which can be mentally as well as physically, it would fall on you to make the right choice in his stead."

"I believe I made the right decision."

"Putting yourself in harm's way was _not_ the right decision, Weiss. It feels like you're allowing your emotions to influence your decisions."

"Yes," Weiss snapped. "Yes, I am."

"That is not something to be proud of."

Weiss felt a flare of irritation at the look on her sister's face. She scowled and pushed her seat back a little, though she didn't stand and leave entirely. "I am quite content with the choice I made, thank you. My team came out unhurt and Blake and Yang approve of how I helped our leader. More importantly, he came out unharmed from the encounter, whereas subduing him might have led to injury. I made that decision based on my emotions, I agree, but I don't regret it."

"Weiss, a leader needs to make clear and calculated decisions."

"Perhaps you misunderstood my letters, sister. I am not the leader of my team."

"No, but you are a Schnee. In time, you will become a leader, be that of a team, business or something else."

"I don't intend to usurp that position from my partner."

"After Beacon," Winter sighed and rolled her eyes. "While you might not be a leader now, you surely will be in time."

After Beacon? After her team? She'd forgotten there would ever _be_ an after, and that thought unsettled her. She would be quite content remaining on their team and doing missions together. That wasn't so unlikely, was it? Surely, other teams did the same. She decided not to mention that to Winter. It would only lead to another argument.

"Your relationship with your partner is clouding your mind. It's already led to this and I'm just concerned what it might lead to in the future."

"My relationship?" Weiss laughed. "Jaune rejected me, Winter, and quite publically at that. There is no relationship between us."

"He did reject you," Winter said, "but that does not seem to have stopped you from pining after him. Do not think I haven't noticed, Weiss. Your attraction towards him, and I have no idea what it is you find as such… it's going to lead to disaster."

Weiss' temper flared but she bit down on it. She had to resist the instinctive desire to list off his best qualities too, but that would just prove Winter's point. Yes, she had been rejected and yes, it hadn't meant an end to her feelings. Had someone expected it would? Did they not say that a Schnee did not give up? Was it not a lesson she'd been taught so many times before, that a Schnee persevered where others faltered – and that a Schnee could attain anything they wanted? "I'm not sure where this conversation is going, Winter."

"Weiss…" The older woman sighed and crossed her arms on the table before her. Winter's expression was neutral, a little too neutral, as though she was uncertain how her following words would be taken. "After some time to think about it," she began, "I have decided that I cannot approve of the relationship between you and your partner. I apologise, Weiss."

"Okay."

"Okay?" Winter blinked in surprise. "Well… I admit, I expected you to take the news worse than that. It might be best to consider requesting a change of team or an assignment to-"

"That won't be necessary, Winter."

"Excuse me…?"

Weiss looked up from the table, eyes as cold as ice. Her smile felt brittle too, but not quite as tempestuous as her thoughts, which swirled like a blizzard. "I said, that won't be necessary. I already have a team here at Beacon, and I have no intention of seeing that change."

"Did you not hear what I said?"

"I heard. You said that you did not approve." Weiss turned her head to the side.

"I do not."

"I fail to see how your disapproval inhibits me. I choose who I spend my time with, not you."

"Is that so?" Winter asked. She seemed surprised and not without good reason. Her approval always mattered before, no matter the subject. Weiss never did anything that would make her look bad in her sister's eyes.

 _Things have changed now, though. I am sorry Winter, but I have a family to look out for and I simply don't trust the three of them to make it through without me._ "It is so," she said. "I appreciate your concern, but I believe it is time to make my own decisions. I hope you can understand, but I will accept if you cannot."

"I understand," Winter said, eyes narrowed. "I understand that you are making a grave mistake. Look at the events that have transpired around you thanks to that team. As a Schnee, you are already a target for the White Fang, but things have only gotten worse for you. You could have died facing Torchwick and the White Fang in that warehouse, and now you could have died against them both in Mountain Glenn. Your partner… no, your entire team, are a liability that might get you killed."

"If so, then I'll be there to stop it," Weiss snapped. Her own words surprised her, or perhaps the tone she took with her sister, who looked equally shocked. Weiss took that moment's hesitation and ran with it. "My place is here and I have made my decision, Winter. Not you, not father, not even the world itself can change that."

Winter opened her mouth to speak but soon decided against it and shook her head instead. Weiss was prepared for a counter-argument, for whatever point her sister might raise, but Winter no doubt realised and decided now was not the time. "He has been trying to reach you."

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Father?" she asked, and waited for her sister's nod. "What does he want?"

"The same thing as ever, I would assume. You cannot ignore him, Weiss. He is your father."

" _Our_ father," Weiss said, "and yet I don't see you rushing back to Atlas."

"My responsibilities preclude me from such."

"As do mine."

"Responsibilities can be changed."

"These can't."

"Are you so sure?"

Weiss' hands curled into fists atop the table. She eyed her sister, but the older woman showed nothing on her face. "What are you trying to say? My partner is injured and I don't have the patience for word games, Winter."

"I simply mean what I said, Weiss. You pointed out that not I, not father, nor the world itself could change your circumstances." Winter lifted one hand to push some hair away, and also display the Schnee snowflake on the collar of her uniform. "You ought to remember that it's not exactly true. Father is as influential as he is powerful."

"Is that a threat?"

"No. I disapprove, but I would never threaten my own sister." Winter smiled to make it clear there was no animosity between them, and it allowed Weiss to relax just a little bit. "It's simply a little advice, crossed with a warning. If father sees no results in trying to speak with you cordially, he might take a more assertive route."

The warning was clear, clear enough to make Weiss' mouth feel dry. Through economic, political or plain old connections, her father could reach her, even in Vale. "I will keep your words in mind, Winter."

"That's all I ask." Winter sighed and stood up from her seat, to step past her. As she did, she let a hand fall onto Weiss' shoulder. "When your partner is awake, wish him well for me. Though I may not approve of you and he together, I find him to be an… interesting person. I would be disappointed if he fell to the machinations of Torchwick."

"Thank you… I shall pass on your well wishes."

Winter nodded and moved away, heels echoing until she was gone entirely. Still at the table, hands balled into fists before her, Weiss let out a long breath and leaned back. She almost expected her scroll to ring at that very moment, but life was not so ironic and her father made no such attempt. It did little to lessen the weight on her shoulders, however.

He always had that effect on her.

/-/

Yang dragged Blake down one of the halls and away from their room. Nora and Ruby had shown up to keep an eye on Jaune, and she trusted her little sister enough to know he was in good hands. Also, Nora was bizarrely reliable in her own way. You wouldn't trust her with just about anything in any normal situation, but if it was serious enough, you could trust her with a live dust explosive and a truck full of babies. Jaune was neither, but he certainly whined like one every time they needed to force food into him.

"Yang, what is it?" Blake asked, not exactly thrilled to be tugged down the corridor.

"We need a daughter – daughter conference."

"Can't it wait?"

"Yes."

"Will it wait?" Blake sighed when she was still being dragged along.

"No."

Blake sighed and gave in, and it only took another five minutes or so to drag her partner into Port's classroom, disused as it was since lessons were off for a week or two because of so many people being on missions. She latched the door shut behind her and stalked over to the main desk. Blake sat down atop it, but watched warily as Yang stalked back and forth.

"Yang, what's the matter?" she finally asked.

"Jaune."

"Well, yes, I guessed that. I don't see the problem, though. He's getting better." Blake shrugged. "Slowly, I'll admit – but he's going to make a full recovery."

Yang turned to face her partner with an agitated expression. "What about next time?" she asked. "Will he be okay the next time he rushes off into danger and nearly gets himself killed? The time after, or the time after that?"

"I… I'm not sure what you mean."

"It's…" Yang sighed and threw her arms in the air. "It's not you, Blake. It's… I'm just worried about what's causing all of this from him. When we first met him, he was lazy and unmotivated, and now that we're becoming some weird kind of anti-terrorist squad, I'm worried he won't be able to keep up, especially if he keeps rushing into danger like this. It's like a Spruce Willis movie, except that he doesn't get the benefit of months to recover before the sequel."

"Interesting analogy…"

"Do you get my point, though?"

"Vaguely," Blake sighed and placed her hands behind her, pushing herself up so she could kneel atop the desk. "You're worried we're treating his injuries, only for him to rush off and get hurt again." Yang slammed a hand down on the desk.

"Exactly! I love him, I really do, but that means it hurts to see him like this, and it's becoming a more and more regular thing. I'm just worried his luck can't hold forever. Hell, with everything that happens, he doesn't even _have_ luck. It's more brute-forced stubbornness. You can't tell me you haven't noticed?"

"Of course I have, Yang." Blake looked up towards the ceiling and let out a long breath. "I feel like I noticed it before anyone else, not that I could place what it was at the time. In fact, this all started because of my running away."

"The docks?"

"Hmm." Blake nodded. "That was when he first started to act out, at least in terms of actually fighting in dangerous situations. After that it was the two of us hunting down warehouses, and that moved into Mountain Glenn." Blake looked away with a frown. "All three of those cases included the White Fang, and all three were initiated because of a mistake I made. Maybe it's me that's the real problem here…"

"You're not the problem," Yang said firmly.

"How can you say that, though? This recent episode happened because I nearly got caught and he pulled me back. If it wasn't for that-"

"Then you would have been through it in his place," she interrupted. It still wasn't the big problem though, and she didn't want Blake to miss that. "Keep in mind, _you_ were only there because you followed him after he left camp. _Jaune_ was the one to make the first move, and that's what bothers me. What if this continues, Blake? What if he keeps throwing himself in trouble like this. Something is going to give some day, and I think we both know what that will be. His body already failed this time and he could have died." Yang's eyes were deadly serious. "He might not be so lucky next time."

"I know, Yang. This is why I asked you and Weiss to help me with the warehouses. I could see he was working himself to exhaustion. He got furious at us, though. What are we supposed to do about it here?"

"He was angry," Yang agreed, "but he was alive."

Blake looked at her for a few seconds before she groaned into the palm of her hand. "I can already tell I'm not going to like this."

"You probably won't and neither will Jaune, but I feel like it has to be done."

"What about Weiss?"

"Ah, I kind of want to keep it separate from her." Yang tried to look innocent but the way Blake's eyes narrowed ruined it somewhat. "It's not because it's bad," she said. "I just… I feel like Weiss is already putting enough into our team. Maybe even too much. Jaune may be our leader technically, but she's the one who does the most work and she's already worried sick about him and that's _before_ her feelings are brought into it." Yang shrugged helplessly. "I just feel like we should give her a break and do this on our own. We can call it the Daughterly Duo or something."

"I'll agree to whatever this is so long as you don't call it that." Blake sighed and wrapped her arms around her knees. "So, I take it this is about trying to find out why he suddenly decided to wander off into an abandoned wasteland on his own?"

"That among many things." Yang pushed past Blake to the teacher's board, and for a moment even considered using the chalk to draw on it. It would be kinda pointless, though, and what she was about to say _really_ didn't need to be spread across school. "Do you remember when you first revealed you were a faunus? Do you remember what he said about the White Fang?"

"Hard not to. He hates them. Not just the Schnee kind of hate, but a deeper, emotional kind."

"Like he's lost someone to them," Yang agreed. "He also went out of his way to kill them at the docks. We always assumed it was because he had no choice, but there should still have been some hesitation." Yang looked to her partner, and it didn't take Blake long to put the pieces together.

"Unless he wanted to kill them," Blake said. "I always assumed he just didn't have a problem killing, but now that I think about it, it's _only_ the White Fang he's killed in that way."

"He fought to kill Torchwick on the train, or from what you saw," Yang added, "but that could have been because he was working with them, or maybe just the drugs. The point is, he has some obvious history with them and I can't help but think it's going to lead to disaster."

"I thought it was strange when he agreed to help me with the warehouses so easily… I assumed it was just because he didn't trust me not to get hurt, but he didn't put much effort into trying to convince me to stop." Blake looked up. "Do you think he wanted to raid them?" Yang shrugged.

"Maybe, or maybe it was a bit of both. I don't know. What I _do_ know, is that it looks to have cropped up again in Mountain Glenn, and that led to him getting in trouble for it."

"And you want it to stop," Blake surmised. "That's what this plan is."

Yang nodded, a determined expression across her face. Whether he did it for the right or wrong reasons, it was still a dangerous game he was playing. Saving Blake was one thing, and she'd never criticise that, but Mountain Glenn? That had just been foolish. "We need to know the reasons first, though," Yang said. "That's what I need your help for. I've been trying to figure him out for ages but I'm coming up with nothing. All I've got is that he hates the Fang, enough to suggest he lost someone to them, and that he'll go out of his way to look after us."

"He fears it happening again… the White Fang taking someone, I mean."

"That's a fair bet."

Blake's expression scrunched up as she recalled something. A few moments later she slapped a hand into her face and groaned.

"What is it?" Yang asked.

"Back when Jaune and I first met. I only just really remembered it. It might shine a little light on the whole thing, at least I think so."

Ooh, story time? Yang motioned for Blake to give her a little room and then clambered up onto the desk and crossed her legs beneath her. Port might have had something to say, especially since there were seats all across the room, but that made it all feel too much like work.

"It was on a train," Blake began. "I was running a mission with the White Fang, and my mentor specifically, Adam Taurus. The vehicle was supposed to just be a dust shipment from the SDC, travelling to Vale through Forever Fall. For some reason, it was running mixed cargo, though, with dust at the back and passengers up front. Jaune and his family were among them." The faunus looked lost for a moment but quickly recovered. "I won't go into the reasons why we were there… I'm sure you can guess them, but after we'd cleared up some of the SDC droids, Adam decided to set explosives to destroy the train and the dust."

"What about the passengers?"

Blake laughed dryly. "That's what I said. Those were the very words that caused me to give up on the White Fang."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what her old partner's words must have been, and Yang winced sympathetically. At least she knew how the story ended, since she'd met Jaune's family and she had the feeling he would have killed Blake on sight if she'd been responsible for their deaths. "How did that end up with you meeting Jaune?" Yang asked.

"We…" Blake sighed and covered her face with one hand. "It was while I was arguing with him over the bomb. Jaune was in the room, along with one other person. It was a dust storage compartment and not exactly somewhere where you'd have expected to find passengers… but I guess that was the whole point of him being there."

"He was having sex with someone, wasn't he?"

"Mid-coitus," Blake groaned. Yang's grin grew to shit-eating proportions, but the faunus only glared at her. "Laugh it up, Yang, but it was almost enough to scar me for life. Needless to say, the appearance of two naked people was a _little_ bit of a surprise… enough so that Adam didn't even think to kill the woman as she ran away. That didn't leave Jaune in a good spot, though, since he was naked, unarmed and in front of two dangerous terrorists with a vested interest in making sure he couldn't raise the alarm."

"Knowing Jaune, I'm guessing running away wasn't his solution."

"More like antagonising the dangerous man with a sword," Blake agreed. "He just started to crack jokes about how Adam was compensating for his penis length with his sword, and how he'd have to step in if we set that bomb. At the time, it was ridiculous, but the thing now is…"

Yang tried to smile but it fell a little flat. Blake's silence said it all, and the implications weren't lost on her, either. "You know full well he would have done it."

"Yes… it's… he would have died for sure, no matter how tricky he is, Adam is well-trained and dangerous and Jaune… well, he was stark naked. You're right though, he would have rushed in, he would have given his life to try and help his family, even if the odds were as good as nothing."

"This is why I want to form the Daughterly Duo," Yang said. "This is the exact problem I want to try and fix. We need to find out _why_ and _what_ causes or caused this, and then understand it. We can then figure out when it's going to happen again, and take steps to help him so he doesn't get captured and messed up like he did here."

"You have me, then," Blake said. "The train fiasco went a little weird from there, but it's not worth going over. SDC droids interrupted, I took the chance to get the…" Blake flushed. "To get what I _assumed_ was a helpless civilian out of danger, and yes, Yang, I realise how stupid that is now. Either way, I thought he was innocent and weak and decided to help him out and we got away. I disconnected the cars so that my old partner and the bomb would drift off and Jaune turned off- no…"

"Blake?"

"I'm such an idiot," Blake sighed. "Before it ended, an SDC droid tried to kill me and Jaune saved me from it. When I asked him how, he said he turned it off. He gave me some stupid story about how he found the switch on the back."

"You believed that? Seriously?"

"It was a stressful situation, Yang. I'd nearly died multiple times, run around with a naked guy who had his… his thing waving around in my face-"

"It's called a dick, Blake. You can say it. We're both adults."

"-and also thrown my old life away." Blake glared and pointedly did not say it. "The point is, I wasn't thinking straight and just saw eight of my nine lives flash before my eyes, so forgive me for not noticing the small discrepancy. How else would a naked civilian have turned off a military robot?"

"So, he was saving you even back then," Yang said. "Heck, I'm a little surprised… if he hated the White Fang so much, why would he help you? I mean, it makes sense by the time of the docks, since you probably grew on him – but there on the train?"

"I have no idea. He knew when I entered Beacon, though, and that's why I was so leery around him."

" _That_ was the reason for the whole name thing?" Yang laughed. "Oh my god, that's rich. He was passive-aggressive bitching at you for being ex-White Fang."

"It felt serious to me back then," Blake growled. "He could have exposed my secret at any time. I still don't know why he didn't… maybe he wanted to see if I'd stick to my conviction and leave the White Fang behind. Maybe that was why he helped me in the first place, because he figured creating a White Fang traitor would be better than a White Fang corpse." She shrugged. "All he had to do for the latter was let the droid finish me, or even tell the authorities who I was when we arrived in Vale."

"But he did neither," Yang said. "I get it, that _is_ odd."

"I feel like it has to do with the White Fang. Every single time he's acted out, it's been for that. The train, the docks, the warehouses and the mission. He hasn't so much as raised a finger unless they're involved somehow." Blake stared at the desk for a few moments, before her eyes widened. "Do you think he became a huntsman for that reason? What if he came to Beacon because he wanted to get vengeance on them and figured this would be the best way."

Yang winced. "I… don't think that was the reason."

"No, it fits." Blake was on a roll and wouldn't see her theory dismissed. "The authorities are no use, we know that. Look at how late they arrived to the docks. It was an inferno, for crying out loud. There is _no_ way they weren't bribed off if they didn't see that. Huntsmen, however, are free to respond to any threat and are better suited to fighting against terrorists. It would give him legal immunity to find and kill every White Fang he found. It has to b-"

"It's not," Yang interrupted. Her stomach twisted itself into knows, but she clenched her eyes shut and pushed on. "That's not the reason he became a huntsman."

"Then what is?" Blake asked. "What else fits?"

Shame pooled inside her, and it was hard to force herself to face it. She was used to making mistakes, but this one festered still. If this was all to work, though, then Blake needed to know the truth – they needed to share what they knew, to help him. "He didn't become a huntsman by choice," Yang said. "He became a huntsman because of me. Because of my fuck up."

Blake listened attentively as Yang explained the way she and Jaune first met. She covered everything, from her reasons for being there, to how she approached him and grew suspicious when he showed a reaction to a picture of her missing mother. The fight, looking back on it, shed all sorts of illumination on him. He hadn't been on her skill level, but he'd been impossible to piut down… a veritable berserker who just kept on coming. He had been smashed too, which definitely should have impacted on his ability to even throw a punch. The dark-haired girl didn't interrupt, however. She simply waited until Yang was finished, until – with a weary expression – Yang explained how Jaune took a bullet for her and joined Beacon.

"If it wasn't for him, I'd have been in a jail cell," she finished. "He did something he didn't want to do, signed up for something he had no interest in, just to bail me – a girl who attacked him – out of trouble."

"That's why you were so defensive of him at first," Blake whispered. "I always wondered… you were always so quick to leap to his defence."

Yang laughed bitterly, head between her hands. "Can you blame me? I owed him so much. I still do… and do you know the worst part?" She looked up with a frustrated smile. "I don't even regret it."

"What!?"

"How can I regret it, Blake? It was the biggest mistake of my life and got him in trouble, but if I hadn't done it, if we hadn't been arrested, then he wouldn't _be_ here." Blake's eyes widened, but Yang carried on. "Every time I think back on it, I feel like I should be guilty, but deep inside – I'm not. It's selfish as all hell, but I really do love this team. I wouldn't want to change anything; I don't want to change anything. If I could go back, I'd walk straight up to him and deck him in the face." Yang shrugged one shoulder. "I'd say sorry straight after, but I'd do it."

"That's…" Blake shook her head. "Honestly, I can't say you're wrong on either account. It is selfish, and it goes against his desires, but… but I guess I'm selfish too. I wouldn't want to imagine a team without you guys. It wasn't what I expected, nor what I thought I wanted." She laughed. "A Schnee, a crazy and the one guy on Remnant who knew my darkest secret. I wasn't exactly thrilled."

"I can imagine. Still, I guess you can see why I don't exactly like to let you take the blame for Jaune getting hurt. If it wasn't for me, he'd be back home, safe in his village, surrounded by family. I basically forced him to make a shitty choice, between himself and some random girl. That he chose me…"

"It's as unlikely as him choosing to help me on the train," Blake realised. "It makes no sense, none whatsoever. I mean, at least with the docks, it could be argued he and I were closer, or maybe that I reminded him of the person he lost, but…" Blake looked Yang up and down. "You and I hardly look similar, Yang. There's no way he could have felt that same guilt for _both_ of us."

"And even if he did, there's a difference between our cases," Yang agreed. "You, at least, made it clear to him that you wanted to stop the bombing. Me? I was a huge idiot and pretty much deserved whatever I got." Yang took a deep breath and let it go in one explosive sigh. "Do you see what I mean, Blake? There's… there's _something_ here. I don't know what, and he sure as hell isn't going to tell me, but whatever it is, it's what is making him go into these dangerous situations. If we can find out what it is, we can help him – we can make sure we don't cause them again."

"And we can make sure he isn't hurt because of us," Blake finished. Her amber eyes were determined. "Alright, I'm convinced. I can also see why it might be best to keep this away from Weiss. She's liable to go straight to him and demand answers."

"And we both know how that would end."

"He distracts people whenever they ask something he doesn't want to answer." Blake smirked. "With Weiss, I can only think of one thing. She might like it, but it wouldn't help us get any closer to the truth. We need a different route." Blake's brow creased in thought, but she noticed Yang's confident expression. "You already have an idea, don't you?"

"I might," Yang shrugged. "With the tournament coming up, it's almost guaranteed that his family will come down to watch him compete, even if they're not keen on him being here. If we need to find out more about his past, that seems the obvious choice."

"That's weeks away, though."

"Which is why it's option number two," Yang said. She held up her scroll with a small grin. "Funny thing about older sisters, Blake. We tend to stick together and help out in looking after our younger siblings. I've not had much reason to use it, but I have Sapphire's number."

"Was she…?"

"The oldest," Yang filled in, "and also the one most likely to remember Jaune when he was younger."

"That's a good start, but you could have done that on your own," Blake pointed out. "Why did you ask me to join you with this if it was just that?" Yang grinned at her, and kept grinning until the girl's expression fell. "You have something worse planned for me, don't you?"

"You get to put that sneakiness to the test, Blakey. The headmaster wanted him in for a reason and I think we ought to know what that reason is."

"You want me to sneak into the headmaster's office? Yang, are you insane!?"

"That's one option," Yang said with a little shrug. "But there's a perfectly good source of information in our room too. He just needs… convincing to share."

"Convince Jaune to talk," Blake groaned. "Somehow that feels even worse…"

"Headmaster's office or Jaune," Yang grinned. "Dealer's choice, I suppose."

"I hate you, Yang."

"Daughterly Duo! Whoo!"

"I _really_ hate you."

/-/

"Ma'am, what should we do?"

Cinder glanced up towards Emerald, who stood a few metres away with a worried expression. Mercury hovered in the background, for all intents not paying attention, but she knew better. They were both nervous from recent events, or more specifically the loss of their original plan. Cinder hummed. "Whatever do you mean, Emerald?"

"Our plan…" The green-haired girl looked about nervously, but they were locked within their room and no one could hear them. It had been their first task, to carefully check the room for anything that might record or listen in. Beacon had no such things, of course, but it never hurt to be careful. "With Torchwick dead, doesn't that prevent us from using the airships to turn the Paladins against people?"

"It does." Cinder smiled and closed her eyes, but she could still hear the girl's bated breath.

"Isn't that a problem?" Emerald asked. "Don't we _need_ that?"

"It might have been a problem, had that plan still been viable. With the recent turn of events, it would seem that the General's robots will not be coming here after all." And because of that, they now no longer had any need for Roman's service, or his survival. "This is nothing but a temporary reprieve for them. The entire reason we desired to take control of those creations was to prevent them being used against us. Now, the issue has resolved itself."

"So this is a good thing?"

"Neither good nor bad," Cinder smiled. "It is simply a variable."

"You're taking this rather well, ma'am."

She was, was she? In all truth, it was a little bit of yes and a little bit of no. Her frustration simmered beneath the surface still, but she knew better than to let it show. Mercury and Emerald needed their fears assuaged, and that required her complete confidence. Even were it not for them, however, she would still have remained calm. "No plan survives contact with the enemy. I expected there might be some issues as time went on. There's no point becoming upset when something doesn't go your way."

"The plan still goes ahead, then?"

"It does. All this calls for are a few small… adjustments. You may leave that with me."

Emerald nodded, and in the back of the room, Mercury's shoulders loosened a little as well. Despite their constant bickering, the two worked in almost perfect synchronicity… it was one of the reasons she was so willing to put up with their noise. Keeping them happy was not necessary, but keeping them confident was. She did not believe they would ever dare betray her, but even the most loyal of people would jump from a sinking ship.

Not that theirs was just yet. She meant every word she said, after all. The plan would need to change, but she'd expected it might from the start. You could not know the actions of the enemy. You could only predict them, and make sure to have a contingency plan in place should they move in an unexpected direction.

"For now, there is not much to worry about," Cinder said. "We have a few weeks until the festival and it would be in our best interests to lay low for that. We want as many people to be present in those stands as possible, after all. It would not do to scare them off so soon."

"What about the team that got him killed?"

Cinder's hands stilled. Her eyes narrowed as a sharp breath left her. That team, Jazzberry… such an innocuous name for so troublesome a group of individuals. She might have dismissed one time as pure chance, but those four had haunted Roman's steps for months. She'd accused him of being incompetent, but their latest performance proved the truth. Not that he could enjoy proving her wrong. _Four little teens… they should not be such a problem, but I cannot afford to underestimate then when they killed Roman._

"We will need to learn more about them," she said. "Mercury, Emerald, the two of you should use this time to mingle with our peers and find out what they know."

"Should we try to make contact with them?"

"No." Cinder shook her head. "They have already proven dangerous. It would do no good for you to risk your lives like that." Not when she still had a use for the two of them. "Find out what you can without drawing attention to yourselves. Focus… focus on the leader and Miss Schnee especially. Those two have been the most irksome."

"Got it." Mercury pushed off the wall and smirked. It fell off his face a moment later, however. "Geez, I still can't believe they'd up and do that to Torchwick, though. That guy slit his throat from ear to ear."

"Rumour has it he was drugged," Emerald said.

"Then remind me not to slip him anything. I need my throat for talking."

"I don't know… maybe we could ask him just to nick your vocal chords. I wouldn't complain."

"Children," Cinder chided. She smiled indulgently at them. "The two of you go and see what you can find. I can use my little virus to search through the headmaster's terminal and try to find some more information on those four."

"Yes ma'am." The two spoke in unison and left the room. Cinder let out a soft sigh, but it was interrupted when she felt a weak tug on her sleeve.

"Hmm?" Cinder glanced down at her lap, into the tear-stained eyes that rested there. The small girl was slumped over the mattress, face against her stomach as her tiny hands clung to her dress. "I'm still here, Neo," Cinder crooned, and started to run her fingers through the girl's soft hair once more. "Shh… you need not fear."

The girl tugged once more, and unlike before, didn't settle back down to cry against her. Those mismatched eyes were bloodshot red, but still managed to pierce her own. They seemed to ask a burning question. It didn't take long to figure out what it was.

"The young man who murdered Roman?" Cinder asked. The girl nodded, and settled back down as Cinder stroked her hair. "Worry not, my dear. He won't be allowed to get away with taking dear Roman away. We shall both have our revenge."

Neo nodded weakly against her stomach. The girl had been broken for a few days now, destitute and inconsolable as she wept at the loss of someone that even Cinder couldn't define. Father-figure, lover, obsession? What Roman and Neo once had was a mystery, but also moot now that the man was dead. What Neo had now was quite simple… she had nothing.

 _But nothing is just what would best serve me_ , Cinder thought with a smirk. After all, even the coldest of hears could find itself crushed beneath the weight of grief. Comfort in those times could be hard to come by… enough so that one might crave it from even the most unlikely sources. Cinder's eyes flashed with glee as she continued to coo and stroke the girl's hair and back. Neo had nothing left, and so she could now step in and become her everything. So weak, so vulnerable… so _malleable_.

 _You may have robbed me of one pawn, but you've perhaps given me something far more interesting, Ozpin. I'll be sure to thank you in person._ But for now, she had to put the pieces back together again. Neo was broken and would need to be remade – perhaps in a new image that best served her needs.

"You'll have your revenge, Neo," Cinder whispered. "In fact, I believe the one responsible for poor Roman's fate is someone who might need to be removed soon enough. Doesn't that sound wonderful?"

The girl nodded frantically and took several heaving breaths.

"Shh… it's okay. He'll be avenged, my dear, don't worry. For now, just stay here with me. I'm still here for you, Neo. I'll _always_ be here for you..."

Cinder's eyes flashed with dark amusement.

"I shall look after you, indeed."

* * *

 **Things and things. Not much to say here, and I kind of need to rush off to do some more cleaning and repair at my parent's house. In terms of what was stolen, it was mostly electronics and stuff - nothing too sentimental. Their bedroom is pretty messed up, however, because the thieves found a safe they had in there and decided to try and break into it. Naturally, that didn't work and they decided to take it out on the bed, walls and dressers, etc, like the most petulant bastards in history.**

 **"Oh, they locked their money away and we can't get to it. Boo-hoo, I am so angst right now. Wah wah!"**

 **Bastards...**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	36. Chapter 36

**Here's another chapter of Not this time, fate – I hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 36 – What Time Remains**

* * *

Jaune wasn't sure what to think when it turned out Glynda would be handling his first session and not Doctor Oobleck. The explanation he'd received on his scroll was simple enough, that Oobleck had taken some time off before the festival to visit relatives. Simple and innocuous enough and with lessons down and no free time for the faculty ahead, it made sense too. Maybe it happened every time. It wasn't like he kept track of the man's movements. Still, as he settled down into the wooden seat opposite Glynda behind the desk of her office, he couldn't help but feel a little uncertain.

Counselling didn't exactly seem like a skill the normally terrifying woman would have boasted.

"A pleasure to see you, Mr Arc," she said, in the kind of voice that suggested the pleasure was probably his. "As you no doubt know, because of my colleague's absence, your sessions will take place with me."

"Yeah, I got the message." The seat was hardly comfortable, but with his muscles aching as much as they did, few seats were. Recovery was slow… frustratingly so. He wasn't sure if that was part and parcel of his aura problems or something more commonplace, but he wasn't used to being out of action for so long. Weiss wouldn't so much as let him lift a pen, let alone Crocea Mors. She promised him Ruby was looking after it, so he didn't need to worry about maintenance.

He just needed to worry about what state it would come back in. Hopefully it wouldn't have a rocket launcher attached this time.

"Before we start, would you like something to eat?" The woman gestured to a plate of cookies on her desk. Since the woodwork was immaculate, not to mention the cookies look out of place with how blatantly untouched they were, he knew it was a trap. They'd been placed there specifically for him. Had Weiss banded together with this woman to force more food down him? His stomach rolled at the thought.

"I've already eaten," he said, and then narrowed his eyes when the teacher opened her mouth. "Not even twenty minutes ago. My partner seemed to think I'd waste away during this if I didn't have a meal beforehand." The blonde woman smiled.

"I'm pleased to hear Miss Schnee is taking a firm hand with you."

"See, I'm not sure if you meant that sexually or not, but-"

"Mr Arc. Because of your injuries, it would be remiss of me to break your chair over your head."

"Uh…"

"Remiss, but _very_ satisfying. Do not tempt me." Not for the first time, he found himself amused at the sharp sense of humour the woman before him hid behind her disciplined and cold exterior. Few others teachers would have dared make such a comment.

Few others would have absolutely gone through with the threat.

"I'll be good," he said.

"Somehow, I doubt that." Glynda removed her glasses and cleaned them before settling them back on the bridge of her nose. She looked him up and down with a stern, uncompromising gaze. "You seem a little healthier than the last time I saw you. That's good. Since we both know you can't look after yourself, I take it this is your team's influence?"

"Theirs and team Rubine's. I can't yawn without something trying to push a pillow under my head and I'm fairly sure dogs have more freedom when they go for a walk."

"Do their actions upset you so much?"

His shoulders slumped as he looked away. "No," he admitted, a little embarrassed. "I'm just complaining for the sake of it. I can't exactly be angry at them for looking after me." In truth, it only fed his almost-eternal regard for them. So many repeats, so many relived lives, and once or twice, although he never liked to admit it, he had questioned just why he did what he did. Sometimes he wondered why he sacrificed so much for them.

This was a reminder… a beautiful reminder, and one that left him robbed of breath at times. Still, his awe at their friendship wasn't enough to completely eclipse his grumbling. It was almost expected that an injured huntsman grumble and bitch about it. It was practically tradition.

"Complaining for the sake of it," Glynda mused sarcastically. "I never would have expected that of you."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "I thought I was here to be counselled, not abused."

"My counsel is for you to be less dramatic and embrace what you have." While she didn't smile, her eyes softened a little, to show she meant no insult. "In the meantime, it _is_ good to see your health return. Has Miss Kitsune provided you any idea whether you will be well enough to attend the Vytal Tournament?"

"Why?" he asked. "Are you hoping for me to win it for Beacon?"

"The thought had crossed my mind."

What? Jaune stared at the woman in surprise, his mouth open. She actually…? Was she joking? Out of all the people she could think of, she believed _he_ might have a chance, when he hadn't even done a fraction of the training he normally did?

"Don't act so surprised, Mr Arc. I never said you specifically, so much as your team. I've officiated enough of your training matches to be aware of what you're capable of. You may not be the strongest or the fastest, but you're certainly cunning enough to realise when that's the case." She glowered at him. "And then cheat your way out of it."

"Is that an insult or a compliment?"

"Neither, it's merely a statement of fact. I would prefer Beacon come out victorious in this, as would we all, but there's no pressure. I'm simply intrigued to imagine what you might get up to." The woman sighed. "Then again, I dread to imagine the crowd's reaction as well."

Heh, that sounded like fun. Jaune's eyes drifted shut as he imagined it, and the look on his team's face if he slipped laxatives into their opponents drinks or something. Yang would find it hilarious, but Weiss definitely wouldn't and Blake would no doubt shake her head and feel embarrassed. The thought made him laugh.

It was a shame it wouldn't happen. None of it would, and there wouldn't be a winner to the festival because it would be called off. Cinder would be the only real winner, with the rest of them as losers. He sighed and faked a smile for Miss Goodwitch's benefit.

"I'll do my best to make it a victory for Beacon."

"I'm sure Miss Schnee would allow no less," Glynda chuckled. "I must admit, she has surprised me as well. Although perhaps unfair in hindsight, I did not have the greatest opinion of her when she first started here. Her heavy-handed expectation to be a team leader did little to endear her to me. She has come on far since then, however. I think we have you to thank for that."

"No," he said. "That's all Weiss." She always became someone who could be relied on, come the end. Whether it was him here or Ruby in most cases, all she needed was someone to be a friend. "I'm not going to take the credit for her, I'm afraid. She improved on her own."

"I notice you didn't say my initial analysis was wrong."

"Oh, hell no," he laughed. "She was a nightmare at first, I totally agree."

"Somehow I doubt you were any better."

"Guilty~"

Jaune relaxed into the seat a little more as the conversation moved from Weiss to the rest of his team, allowing him to answer honestly and without any difficulty to the questions on what he thought of them. The session wasn't like Oobleck's, and he appreciated that. Doctor Oobleck often focused on the White Fang, his reasons for hating them and how his actions might conflict with a huntsman's responsibilities to protect life, human or faunus. It was always a complicated and emotive thing, because he needed to watch his words for things which might reveal too much knowledge, all the while fighting off his annoyance at the man's implication that he was somehow racist.

He wasn't sure if Oobleck did that on purpose, either, in some attempt to make him emotional enough to slip and say something that might reveal his true thoughts.

Glynda didn't bother. She spoke about his team, about Beacon and how he was finding it. She asked about his health, from physical to how he was coping with the drug withdrawal and what frequency he felt cravings.

It was… nice. A little intrusive at times, but not in a bad way. At least he didn't have to vet each answer before he gave it.

"How are you coping with other students?" she asked. "I doubt things have been easy since the breach."

"Things have been pretty much normal." he said. Glynda stared at him.

"Mr Arc, apart from your team and friends, every other student in Beacon has done their best to ignore your existence. I have seen teams leave the library when you and yours enter. Seats are left empty near you during the lunch hour."

"They are?"

"You didn't even notice…" Glynda rubbed her face with one hand. "Please tell me you're not that blind, Mr Arc."

He tried, he really did. No matter how much he wracked his mind, however, he couldn't actually recall noticing anyone else. He'd just been focused on his team, avoiding the food Weiss rammed down him, and otherwise talking with them. There'd been Sun once or twice as well, who came by to see how he was doing, but other than that, he hadn't noticed anything.

"Are you sure they're avoiding me?"

"Yes." Glynda reached up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "I'm not sure why I'm surprised. You do tend to ignore the existence of just about every other student in Beacon. Unless you're sleeping with or fighting them, that is."

Jaune squirmed uncomfortably. It wasn't that he _ignored_ them… that suggested some level of notice in the first place, and that he didn't like them enough to want to ignore them. It was just that he'd gotten used to everyone else just sort of being… everyone else. They were part and parcel of Beacon, and faces he saw every single time he repeated, but that was all they really were. To say that, though, felt like he was an asshole. "It's not like I hate them or something," he protested. "If their rooms were on fire, I'd help them out."

"Wonderful. I'm sure we'll all sleep easier knowing you'll acknowledge the existence of people in the event of them being on the verge of death."

"Okay, I think that's pushing it a little," he said, feeling his cheeks heat up a little. "What I meant was that I don't know them well enough to notice that they were ignoring me. Besides, isn't that a good thing? Wouldn't you rather me not care as opposed to caring enough to go crazy and start killing them?"

"I would have preferred the distinction to lay somewhere in the middle." Glynda Goodwitch shook her head and looked towards the ceiling. "It's always one extreme or the other with you, Mr Arc. Why can't I have a week where you don't humiliate a student or nearly get killed yourself?"

"Maybe you did something evil in a past life."

She fixed him with a fierce glare, and he held his hands up in surrender. Realistically speaking, he couldn't remember her ever having disappointed him, which was perhaps why he felt relaxed around her. She was loyal to Ozpin, yes, but Ozpin was determined to protect Vale, even if he went about it in a way that wasn't exactly orthodox. Goodwitch genuinely did care for her students and was always on the front lines when Beacon fell. She wasn't perfect, but in a life where he had to relive the same disaster over and over, she was a rock of stability he knew could be trusted.

It was more than what could be said for some.

"I suppose my concern for your social wellbeing is wasted," Glynda sighed. "I should have known from the start. Either way, that makes things easier for now since I don't need to worry about you going off the deep end. I take it you're unlikely to give in to your cravings, either?"

"And feel like this again?" He raised an eyebrow.

"I thought not. Well, I'm glad to hear you are able to put this incident behind you. I wouldn't call it healthy…" She fixed him with a meaningful stare. "In fact, part of me believes it very unhealthy just how easily you are able to in the first place, but I'm at least convinced it is because you're bizarre and not because you are about to snap."

Jaune laughed nervously. What was he supposed to say to that? She was probably right, to be honest. Most other people would have had a much more dramatic reaction to the episode, but he was too used to it all. Maybe he _was_ bizarre… it was the only way he could explain it other than to just tell her about the time travel – and then he'd be classified as insane.

"Does that mean I don't need counselling?" he asked. Glynda snorted.

"You're in need of more counselling then I can give, but I suppose on the issue of your recovery, we're done – for now." She glared at him. "I'm sure Doctor Oobleck will want to continue these when he returns." Damn it, and here he'd been hoping she would give him the perfect excuse. "I do have one question, however."

"Hm?"

"You were reluctant before to become a huntsman, and even more reluctant to stat in Beacon."

Ah, the age old question. Jaune sighed. "Are you asking why I decided to stay?"

"No. You've decided to stay because of your friends. What I wished to ask was what you intend to do in the future. Do you plan to graduate and remain a huntsman, to finish your tuition and retire, or perhaps something else?"

A bitter chuckle threatened to escape him at the question, and he smiled and looked down at his hands. The future, huh? It would be nice to imagine there would be such a thing, at least in this life time. She no doubt meant the distant future, months and years ahead, but the future was set and he didn't have that kind of time.

He had weeks, and the reminder was a dull blow to his heart.

Roman was dead, and that was interesting, but it was hardly new. There'd been a few cases where he'd worked to kill Roman at the docks, or even before, hoping his absence would change things. It didn't. Cinder needed dust, and Roman was convenient for that, but it wasn't like armed White Fang members couldn't rob defenceless shopkeepers. As for his participation in the invasion, his role was just to get onto the airship and install the virus, to give Cinder access to not only the paladins, but the broadcast as well. She needed somebody on that ship, but it didn't need to be Roman. It could be Mercury, Emerald, or any person in possession of two hands and the virus she provided them.

Not enough had changed, and even if it had, he wasn't sure what would lead to a victory for them. He hadn't trained, and no amount of training he could do now would matter. It wouldn't have mattered even if he started to work himself to death on the first day of Beacon. In past repeats, he'd trained brutally for two years _before_ Beacon, and that wasn't enough.

Cinder would have her victory this time, like she did every time.

It wouldn't last, though. He would find a way through it all eventually. But to answer Glynda's question, what he would do for the last few weeks before this was all lost?

"I intend to spend it with my team," he said. "I plan to have fun and make memories with my friends."

"That's it?" Glynda seemed surprised. "Mr Arc, that's hardly enough to keep you busy for all the years ahead. Is that really all you want?"

"Yes."

The woman stared at him for a few moments, as though she wasn't quite sure he was telling the truth. Eventually, she shook her head and sat back in her seat. "I really should stop being so surprised by you. For a complicated individual, you certainly have a simple dream."

He smiled. It wasn't quite as simple as she imagined.

"I'll keep doing what I do," he said. "But for now, my plan is to spend time with my friends and just enjoy myself."

There was nothing else he could do, after all. With that in mind, it would be better to make them happy, and be happy himself, so that he could think back on this time in the future, whenever things got rough. It would keep him going, remind him of why he did this and what he was fighting for.

"I see…" Glynda Goodwitch looked at him for a long moment, but didn't argue. "I suppose that's not so bad a dream. At least you shall have plenty of chances, Mr Arc. The Festival is coming up and that promises to be a fun time for you students."

Heh… how wrong she was.

/-/

Blake stifled a yawn as she sat at the library terminal and flicked through another outdated news report. A cup of coffee sat on the desk beside her, as cold as her enthusiasm for the content before her. Her eyes hovered over another news report, only to clench shut as she heard a telling sigh behind her.

"I thought you were over this," Sun – her… she wasn't sure, friend, stalker, potential-boyfriend and occasionally appreciated companion? Whatever he was, she could feel his disapproval. "Blake, you and your team stopped the White Fang. They're going to be reeling after that. What would Yang say if she saw you doing this?"

"Good work, I'd imagine," Blake sighed and looked at him with shadowed eyes. "After all, she's the one who put me up to it." She stifled a smirk when Sun blinked and leaned back.

"Eh?"

"I'm not researching them for myself." Blake pushed off the computer, happy for the momentary distraction. Her nose twitched and picked up a scent she _needed_. Amber eyes zeroed in on the mug in Sun's hand, which had delicious steam wafting from it. "Were you going to drink that?"

"The coffee?"

"Yes."

"The coffee that is in my hand."

"That's the one."

"Blake, why would I carry around coffee I _didn't_ intend to drink?" He looked at her, but her eyes were fixed a little lower. He sighed. "Here, take it."

It was soft and rich on her tongue, but more importantly the caffeine caused her mind to stir from its torpor. She let out a long, contented sigh that definitely did _not_ sound like a purr. "Thank you, Sun. I needed that." She heard him laugh as he settled down next to her.

"Yeah, I can tell. So, you're not doing this for yourself, and Yang asked you to. You care to explain?"

She supposed she could, since he'd brought her the caffeine required to keep working. She cradled the mug before her, half to savour its warmth, but mostly to prevent him stealing any. Well, stealing it back. Okay, now she knew she was tired. She shifted to the left and gestured for him to take a look at the screen, which he did.

"White Fang news reports," he said. "Not in the city, though. Huh, some of these reports are five years old."

"I'm looking for things they did in the past. Specifically, I'm looking for any activities that might have been reported outside of the city, in some of the outlying frontier settlements."

"I can see that, but… why?"

Blake stared at Sun with a wary expression. Did she tell him the truth? He was a trustworthy person, even if he could be a little embarrassing when it came to his attempts to impress her. She knew from the docks that he knew when it was time to be serious, though. He didn't play around when it came to tough situations. He met her eyes, unafraid and calm. Blake made her decision.

"Yang and I are worried about Jaune."

"Is he okay? He looked fine when I saw him yesterday." Sun's eyes were wide, his concern genuine, and for that she gave him a warm smile.

"He's fine right now. He went for a counselling session with Miss Goodwitch. Weiss went with him." Blake sighed and pointed back to the screen, where she brought up a recent story about the breach. "We're worried there might be some underlying problem, though. Something that made him risk his life so carelessly against the White Fang. You remember the docks, I take it."

"I was out for the end, but I caught the story," Sun said. "I know he saved our bacon." Blake nodded.

"He did, and that's not the problem… or at least not entirely." She sighed and rubbed her forehead. It was hard to explain, especially since Yang and she had more understanding on the matter. "The problem is that he keeps doing this," she explained. "There's something behind Jaune's willingness to step in at the docks and kill the White Fang, behind how quickly he accepted and helped me raid their warehouses. It's behind his actions in Mountain Glenn as well."

"You think he's run into them before," Sun filled in. "That's why you're looking for attacks outside of Vale."

"Yang is going to contact his family, but I thought it might help to see if there were any reports from the place he lived. There has to be _something_."

"Couldn't you just ask him?"

"He wouldn't answer," Blake said distractedly. She'd already brought up a new report and begun to skim through it. "Whatever this is, it's dangerous enough to make him risk his life against them. You know as well as I do, he wouldn't share something like that with us."

"Yeah, I guess so." Sun blew out a long breath. "He dotes on you guys. Not like he'd put you in danger if he could help it."

Blake hummed her agreement. It was both annoying and endearing in equal measure. It was also hypocritical, since they cared for him too, and it hurt to see him try to take everything onto his shoulders. They were a team for a reason. Why couldn't he understand that?

"If something _is_ happening..." Blake paused to sigh. "If there is someone or something he feels he needs to fight against, then we want to know what it is."

"So you can help him?"

"Yes." She took a deep breath. "We're not going to sit back and watch him destroy himself, even if it's in _our_ best interests."

"Sounds like a good cause," Sun said. "How can I help?"

Blake stopped working to stare at him. He wanted to help, genuinely? She traced his face for any sign of deceit, or that he just wanted to impress her, but Sun's eyes were deadly serious. "You'd help?" she asked.

"He saved my life, Blake. He saved me, and you, and he's been a total bro ever since. He helped me do my best at the dance, he tried to help Neptune, and he's an all-round cool guy. I'm not going to sit back and do nothing if he's self-destructing." Sun leaned on the table and stared into her eyes. "I may not be the best of guys, but I'll do my best. Just tell me what to look for."

"Sun…"

She was touched, she could admit that. It was strange in a way, that this was the most he'd ever impressed her, and that it wasn't because of his attempts to be romantic, or the effort he put in for _her_ , but rather his concern for her team leader. She smiled nonetheless, an honest one that reached her eyes. It fell a moment later, replaced with a determined grimace. She nodded at him.

"I'm looking up White Fang incidents where he lived, a frontier village called Ansel. Yang is contacting his family, but there was one other thing we needed to research." Blake gave him a watered-down version of Yang's story on how Jaune was recruited. She didn't mention Yang's role in it, nor how she nearly suffered but for Jaune. Instead, she focused on how strange it was for the headmaster to enforce the recruitment of a student. By the end of it, Sun looked equal parts shocked and impressed. "If you can, I need you to see if there have been any past cases of Beacon doing that. There has to be a reason why Ozpin would feel he needed Jaune enough to go that far, and `talent` doesn't really cut it."

"Yeah, not when there's a waiting list for this place." Sun rubbed his chin in thought. "You're right, it's fishy as hell. There's got to be more going on."

"Can I leave that to you?"

"I'll do my best." Sun nodded and dragged a seat around to the other side of the desk. A holographic terminal flickered up before him. He was lost to it a moment later.

Blake smiled, impressed more than she cared to admit. Maybe Jaune was right about Sun. Maybe he was worth paying a little more attention to. For now, though, she had her own job. Her eyes fell once more to the screen, as yet another story opened.

There had to be something… they just needed to find it.

 _I won't let you do everything on your own, Jaune._

/-/

Yang pulled her best smile when the call connected through and revealed a woman with blonde hair a shade darker than her own. It hung to her shoulders, and she was a little older than herself, but no less beautiful. "Heya Sapphire!"

"Hello…?" The woman paused for a few seconds, likely to think who it was. "Ah, you're one of Jaune's teammates, aren't you?"

"It's Yang. I'm his friend, yeah."

"Is something wrong? Has anything happened to him?" The woman's face moved closer to the screen without warning, and Yang winced at the sudden switch. She waved one hand in front of the screen.

"No, no, no – he's fine. I didn't call to tell you anything bad."

"That's a relief." Sapphire Arc sighed. "I'm sorry for that. It's just that every time he calls, it sounds like he's gotten in some fresh trouble. For a moment I feared the worst."

Yang groaned and sat down on her bed. She knew _exactly_ what Sapphire meant. "Tell me about it. I mean, sometimes I wonder if we can even leave him to go to the bathroom without something happening. Whatever happened to the lazy guy who just slept all the time?" Yang palmed her face. She peeked through her fingers when she heard the woman on the other end of the call start to laugh.

"It sounds like you're learning. Jaune is… let's just say I'm pleased he had seven sisters to look out for him. I'm not sure I could have done it all on my own." The woman smiled, and tossed some hair back. "How is he, honestly?"

"He's fine."

"I said honestly, Yang. I get enough `fine` from him. He won't so much as tell us what happened, or why he suddenly refuses to do a video call." The woman's green narrowed. "And now I'm assuming he lied about being unable to due to a mission, since you seem to have no problem making one."

Erk. Yang winced at being caught out, and for accidentally throwing Jaune under the Bullhead. She didn't even realise he'd been lying to them. "Er…"

"Yang, please… I'm his sister. I seem to recall you have a younger sibling as well. Imagine what it would feel like to not know whether she was okay." The words were enough to spark the image, even before she had a chance to reply. Yang felt a knot in her stomach. She sighed.

"He was injured on a recent mission. It was bad, I'll admit – but he's in the middle of making a full recovery." The latter was quickly added when Sapphire gasped. "He's going to be fine and the doctor is happy with his progress, but I think he didn't want to worry you all until he was better. Well, he didn't want to worry one of you…"

"What do you- ah, do you mean our mother, the pregnancy?" Sapphire sighed and looked away. Through the screen, the background behind the woman changed, suggesting movement. She must have stepped outside as well, for the lighting became a little better. "I suppose I can't even get angry at him for that. Mom _would_ panic, and no matter how experienced she is, having eight children hasn't left her body in the best of health."

"Is she okay?"

"She is fine, it's just… I suppose you could say it's just a little harder for her. There shouldn't be any problems, so long as nothing strenuous happens. How bad were his injuries?"

"Bad," Yang said.

"Bad enough to strain Juniper?"

"How does torture, beating and a drugging sound?"

"For fuck's sake…" Sapphire glared away from the camera. "How does he even _find_ these situations? Who did this? Who the _hell_ would do that to him? Wh-" Sapphire took a deep breath and let it go, and then took two more in quick succession. "Okay," she whispered, "I'm beginning to understand why he didn't want Mom to know about this."

"Yeah," Yang winced. "It was… it was bad, honestly. We managed to get him back, but he doesn't look fantastic at the moment. I guess he figured you'd all notice if you saw him."

"Thank you for letting me know, Yang. I realise you're his teammate and I'm just his sister, but I appreciate being kept in the loop."

Yang nodded. While a part of her felt like she was betraying him, but a larger part of her knew what it was like to be in Sapphire's situation. Ruby hid so many things that were wrong at Signal, and it hurt to not find out until it was too late. "I'm sure he'll fill you and your family in on the rest once he's better," she said. "I think he just wants to do it in a way that won't panic everyone."

"Hmm, I understand. I just… dad told us what Beacon could be like, but he never mentioned anything like this. Is all of this normal? How can my brother end up in all these situations?"

"It's not normal." Yang recognised her cue easily enough, a perfect chance to slip onto the reason she'd called in the first place. "That's why I wanted to get in touch with you, actually. The things he does here, and some of the stuff we've found out, they just don't mesh with the Jaune we know. If we're going to look after him, I figured we could ask you to fill in some of the blanks."

Sapphire's eyes narrowed. The woman didn't speak for a moment, and Yang worried the request would be dismissed entirely. After a few seconds, she spoke. "I'm not sure what you mean. What kind of blanks are you talking about?"

 _She's suspicious,_ Yang thought with a wince. _I'd best start slow._

"Well for one thing, the doctor here said he suffered from malnutrition. We noticed he didn't ever ear much here, but was he the same when he lived with you?"

"Malnutrition…" Sapphire whispered. "I never… no, we never noticed, but now that I think about it, he always left some food behind on his plate. It wasn't enough to be obvious," she added, "Mom would have freaked out otherwise. How bad is it?"

"Worse because of what happened. Apparently, it made it so his body couldn't fight off the drugs as easily. You might not have noticed, to be honest. I think it only got bad because of all the extra exercise he got here, not to mention the mission. I'm going to go out on a wild guess that he wasn't exactly active in Ansel."

"Not unless you mean in the bedroom," Sapphire snorted. "He would jog in the mornings, but only to keep in shape. He'd fall asleep through most things."

The same way he had when he first started Beacon. Yang's eyes narrowed as she hummed and tried to place that image with the person he was now. He really had changed around the time of the docks, the moment when the White Fang first encountered their team. It all came back to them, no matter how much she tried to think of a different idea. He either hated the White Fang or he hated Torchwick, but it was definitely one of them.

"Is he eating better now?" Sapphire asked. "Now that you're aware of it, I mean."

"He's getting full meals _and_ snacks," Yang answered. Sapphire laughed.

"I'll bet he isn't thrilled with that."

"Whines like a little baby," she agreed. "Honestly, you'd think we were killing him."

"He's always been dramatic, even when he was a little child. It changed as he grew up… rather swiftly, in fact." Sapphire paused. She looked troubled for a moment, but the expression was quickly washed away. "Thank you for looking after him, then. I owe you."

"It's mostly Weiss, to be honest. Blake and I chip in, but she's the only one with the patience to sit through all his excuses and force it down his throat at the end."

"She's the one who has feelings for him, isn't she?" Sapphire saw the shocked look on Yang's face and smiled. "Mom told me she'd asked him out, apparently he told her. I think it was obvious when we first met her, however. Even if she didn't realise it herself, the two were almost inseparable." Sapphire laughed. "I certainly know Amber noticed. Coral did too, no doubt."

Erk, there was a name Yang hadn't exactly been prepared for. _Crap, I forgot all about that._ More crucially, she had the feeling Weiss had too – or maybe she hadn't and simply thought the risk worth it. "Are you all coming for the festival?" Yang asked.

"I think so. Even if Mom and dad don't really agree with Jaune being a huntsman, we'd still come to cheer him on."

Well, double crap. That might be a problem, but it was one for later. Right now, she needed to focus on what was important. Yang faked a quick smile.

"There was something else we wanted to ask," she said. "Weiss told us before how your mother said Jaune had a bad encounter with a Beowolf when he was younger, the one that scarred his stomach."

"Yeah…?"

"She said that he seemed to change a little after that. I was just wondering if he had any other encounters like that, or maybe with anything else that was dangerous."

"As dangerous as a Beowolf? No, I can't think of anything like that."

Yang cursed and looked around the room for inspiration. Her eyes fell on one of Blake's bows. "It might have been something he didn't tell you," she said. "Your mother said Jaune acted differently from how he used to. Do you know if anything happened to him around that time? Something that might have made him act differently?"

"I don't… why are you asking?" Sapphire's face drew into a harsh frown. "If you wanted to know, why not ask him?" Yang winced.

"Because he wouldn't tell us."

"And you think I will? I'm not going to go around behind my brother's back like that. I think this discussion is over, thank you for call-"

"No, please wait!" Yang paused to take a deep breath, but rushed on when it was clear she didn't have much time. "I'm not asking because I'm nosey. I'm not asking because I want to use the information in some way. We're genuinely worried about him. This is to _help_ him!"

"So you want me to dig around and tell you all his little secrets?"

"No!"

"I think we're done here. Goodb-"

"It's going to happen again!"

Silence reigned in the dorm, not a single sound – not even of the call ending. Yang's chest rose and fell, but it was the still face of the woman on the scroll which occupied her vision. She didn't wait for a response; she didn't have the time for it.

"Whatever happened in the past to make Jaune change into the person who would throw his life away against a Beowolf is happening again here," Yang said. "He's done it multiple times now, for me, for Blake, for Weiss – and it shows no sign of stopping." She clenched her teeth together and growled angrily. All her fear for him, her worry – and the frustration it caused, rose to the surface. "You don't understand, Sapphire. Each time he does it, whether it's stepping in front of a fireball or being tortured, he just writes our concern off like it doesn't matter, like it's unimportant." Like he thought they had better things to do, like he didn't expect their concern. "Every time, we ask him not to do it again – to come to us first or not risk his life for us, and every time he says he won't, but we can _see_ that he's lying. We're not stupid and we can see that little flash of amusement on his face, like he knows something _will_ happen and he knows he'll throw himself in front of us again."

Her fingers gripped the device so tight, it started to crack. Her eyes were scrunched shut, and she didn't even care if the older woman saw her in such a state. When she looked back into the scroll, Yang knew her irises were bright red.

"He's going to risk his life again," she snarled, "and he damn well knows it. Well, I _refuse_ to sit back and let them happen one more time. I damn well refuse to sit here, _knowing_ something is wrong, and not do a damn thing about it. He might not be so lucky next time and I'm not losing him, Sapphire!" Yang glared at the woman several years older than she. "So you can either tell me what I need to know to look after him, or I'll come down there myself and force it out of you!"

Yang heard nothing but her breathing and the sound of her heartbeat. It echoed in her head, with no words passing through the scroll. Her hand shook. _Say something,_ she begged within her mind. _Help me._

Sapphire said nothing, and Yang sighed.

"Fine… that's fine. If you won't help me, I'll do this myse-"

"You really care about him, don't you?" The question caught her off-guard, cutting into her fury. Yang's eyes flickered back to lilac for a moment.

"He's my teammate." she said. "He's my friend. He's… family."

"I will…" Sapphire cut off and frowned. "I will make enquiries."

"You- You will?"

"Not for you – I'm doing this for him." The older woman scowled. "I'm doing this because I'm not blind, either. I was there… I was supposed to look after him when we fled the Beowolf. I was the one he tricked, who he fooled into leaving him behind while he stayed to risk his life." Sapphire's eyes closed. "I'm doing this because I promised not to let something like _this_ happening again. It's why I started to train; why I asked my father to teach me how to fight."

Yang's relief was palpable. She wasn't sure she dared hope, but she leaned forward regardless. "Anything you have would be great. I'm not trying to hurt him, Sapphire – I promise you. We, Blake and I, we're trying to prevent what has happened multiple times before from happening again. We just want him to be safe, to be happy."

And he was happy now, she could tell. It was impossible not to notice the way he looked at them, when he mistakenly thought they weren't paying attention. He could be such an idiot sometimes. Hadn't he heard them say how they would keep an eye on him while he recovered? There wasn't a single moment at least _one_ of them wasn't watching.

"Jaune _did_ change," Sapphire said. "I don't know what caused it, I don't think anyone does, but something must have happened because he went from an excitable, bumbling and awkward little boy into… into what he is now. We love him, make no mistake, and growing up is normal. People change."

"But it was a lot?"

"It was. It was… it felt like his very being changed, like he grew up suddenly in a short amount of time." Sapphire sighed. "Before, there was always the sense I was in charge, that I was looking after him and he looked up to me. In some ways that didn't change, but he stopped feeling like a little brother, and more like someone my own age."

"Did you notice any events?" Yang asked, almost desperately. "Were there any violent encounters, maybe something that happened in Ansel?"

"What? No… not that I know of." The older woman's face said she knew full well that didn't mean they hadn't happened. "I'll need to ask around, Yang, but… I think you need to speak with someone in particular. When Jaune changed, most of us weren't sure what to do, but she bonded with him almost immediately. Some of the things he says and does, as well. She seems to understand them, even when we don't."

"Who?" Yang asked. "I'll take anything I can get at this point."

"Good. We'll be in Vale in a little over a week. I'll talk to Coral and see if she's willing to meet with you. I'll be in touch."

"A-Alright," Yang agreed, putting the scroll down as the screen flashed black. More questions had been raised, but unlike every other time, there _had_ been an answer given. She was right… something happened to Jaune to make him change.

 _It would have been impossible otherwise. The way he is, from his eating habits to his lack of respect for his own life. We all suspected he suffered from some kind of depression, but this as good as confirms it was caused by something._ Before, it could have been clinical, or formed from any number of things, maybe even a hormonal imbalance, but the way he acted with the White Fang, the way he was almost desperate to protect them from harm. She knew that feeling, because it was what she felt after Summer died – the desperate determination to protect Ruby, to not lose anyone like she'd lost Summer. Jaune felt the same, she was sure of it.

"Ugh, he's not going to appreciate me going behind his back like this." Yang fell back onto her mattress and sighed. She'd be lucky if he gave her a repeat performance of his humiliating spanking, but his actual response would likely be far colder.

Still… she'd rather he hate her and be alive, then love her and be dead.

/-/

"That concludes much of the meeting," Ozpin said, looking over the assembled individuals. "Glynda, if I can trust you to send out the missives, we'll begin recalling huntsmen and huntresses back to Vale. Miss Schnee, has James informed you of when he shall arrive?"

"In a matter of days," Winter Schnee replied. "The General intends to arrive once he has his entourage assembled."

"And how large would this entourage be?"

"Fifteen men at most, along with a personal vessel."

"A small one, I presume?"

"Yes, sir."

"That is good to hear. I don't wish to alarm the citizens of Vale if my old friend was to bring a battleship of his own, least of all an army." The headmaster smiled pleasantly at the Specialist, even if he knew it would have been more than possible had James been assigned as head of security.

He never was one for subtlety. Glynda coughed to draw attention.

"Ozpin, are you concerned about another terrorist attack from the White Fang?" His trusted companion posed her question carefully, enough so that he could read the true meaning behind it. She meant those who attacked Amber.

"It is a possibility," he acknowledged. "Fortunately, the Vytal Festival provides us the perfect cover to improve our security, and to draw trusted people back to the city. The crowds will make a tempting target for sure, but I believe we can prevent any attacks."

"Any news from Silver?" Qrow asked. "If there was something going on, I'd think he'd be one to know."

"There has been no contact from him as of yet." Ozpin smiled into his mug. "Then again, I believe we have him to thank for our rapid response to the breach. Is that not right, Miss Schnee?" Qrow looked surprised, a rare emotion for him to show.

"That was _his_ work?"

"He warned me of it," Winter admitted, a small scowl on her face. "I've no idea how he was able to contact me, but he hinted I would be needed near Vale. Naturally, I brought the information to the headmaster's attention."

"And your intuition saved many lives," Ozpin complimented, earning a grateful nod from the woman. "I decided to trust in his warning one more time, and that allowed us to respond quickly to your… impromptu arrival."

"Hey, we _tried_ to stop the train."

"If you had, you'd have died," Port pointed out. "A lot of beasties chasing you, lad." Ozpin nodded.

"Peter is correct. Though we would never call it fortunate such an attack occurred, the survival of you and your team, along with no civilian causalities from the event, leads me to believe having the breach happen was a better result than _not_ having it happen."

"It also prompted the council to increase security," Glynda said. "In that regard, it's an all-around advantage for ourselves and for the people of Vale. A terrifying terrorist attack for sure, but one that has prepared the people and warned the authorities, without leading to any innocents being hurt."

"I agree," he said. "I suppose that marks the end of this meeting for now." Ozpin rose and nodded to them. "Ladies, gentlemen, we have much to do and a busy time ahead of us. I wish you all well and trust we shall make this a festival worth remembering. Miss Schnee, I will have a room made available for the General personally." Ozpin nodded to the woman, who returned it with a polite smile. "Qrow, can I speak with you for a moment after this? I believe you ought to be filled in on some details you may have missed on your mission."

"Sure," Qrow sighed, waving one hand dismissively while he tipped his flask back with the other. The others rose and filed out of the room, the distant murmur of the conversation fading as they nodded to him and left. Once they were gone, Qrow began to laugh. "I notice you didn't say how the terrorist attack also secured _your_ place as head of security."

"In front of Miss Schnee?" Ozpin chuckled. "That would be rude of me. Besides, I do not deserve the full credit for that."

"Nah, that goes elsewhere," Qrow agreed. "If I hadn't a' been raiding those warehouses, we wouldn't have found the evidence about Mountain Glenn."

"And you would not have known about the warehouses were it not for our new friend." Ozpin finished. Qrow grinned and swigged from his flask.

"Yeah. You found out anything more about him?"

"Not yet."

Not definitively, anyway.

"I wonder why he didn't call me about the breach," Qrow mumbled. "It's always been me he got in contact with before. Doesn't make much sense to suddenly go for the Ice Queen, especially with how she and her family treat his kind."

"Perhaps he knew you would not be available to do anything," Ozpin said. "Because you would not be in Vale."

"But that would mean he _knew_ about the mission." Qrow's eyes grew wide. "That would mean he knew not only I'd be gone, but where and when. What kind of guy is he if he can figure that out? I don't exactly leave tracks, Ozpin."

"Hmm, a very special individual, indeed," Ozpin said.

"You know something… don't you?" Qrow's eyes narrowed. "I know that look, Oz. You're hiding something."

"I don't know, of that I promise you."

"But you have your suspicions."

Ozpin shrugged one shoulder, surrendering the point. "If I find out for sure, I will tell you," he said. "For now, there are other matters on hand. If Silver gets back in touch with you, agree to listen and trust in what he says. I think he's earned that much respect from us."

"Already planned to," Qrow said. It was clear he trusted the man, which was not too bad a factor in the current circumstances. "What do you want me to do in the meanwhile, then? I doubt you want me working on the festival." Qrow barked a laugh. "I doubt Glynda would trust me."

"And not without good reason," Ozpin sighed, recalling the last time they'd asked the man for help on a trivial matter. When it wasn't a life or death situation, Qrow Branwen was _not_ a reliable person. "No, I wanted you to help me with a different matter, a little favour if you will."

"I'm almost afraid to ask, but go on."

"Your niece's team, the one you just led… I would like you to put a little time into training with them."

"Jazzberry?" Qrow asked. "I could, sure, but why?"

"I'm concerned about how often they run into our enemies. It's become something of a theme of late, and I'd rather they be prepared in the event that happens again." Ozpin put down his mug and looked the huntsman in the eye. "Or, in the event _they_ seek the team out."

"You think they might go for a revenge play?"

"It's a possibility, Qrow. You _are_ aware of what happened to Torchwick, are you not?"

"I got the report from Glynda." Qrow frowned. "The kid killed him. In his defence, he _was_ out of it. There's no way he was able to control his actions."

"And do you think for a moment he would not have done it had he been in control?" Qrow sighed but didn't answer. "I'd rather they be at least partially prepared for what might come," Ozpin went on. "At best, this might save their lives. At worst, it's free training and some lost time for you." Qrow sighed and slouched in his seat.

"I suppose I can do it. Not like I'd be able to look myself in the mirror if I said no and Yang got hurt." Qrow screwed off the cap of his flask and took another, longer drink. "I'll see what I can do, Oz, but don't expect miracles. There's only so much someone can improve in so little a time."

"I think they might surprise you, Qrow."

"I'm sure they will," Qrow said. "As sure as I am that you're hiding something from me. Bah. Have you decided on the maiden candidate yet? You realise we can't delay on that thing much longer. Those people who took her out are sure to return, and the festival is going to be a big chance for them. Beacon will be as good as deserted.

"I wish to wait for James before making that decision, Qrow. He may be… overly enthusiastic on how he handles his problems, but I do value his opinion. He is a part of this, and I won't make the decision without giving him a chance to offer his thoughts."

"But you _do_ have someone in mind, right?"

"I do," Ozpin confirmed. "She is certainly skilled enough for the position, and while it's unusual to give the power to someone who isn't from Vale, I believe she would be a reliable choice. She's certainly well-known enough."

"She's famous? Isn't that a bit of a risk?"

"Anonymity didn't offer the protection we thought it would to Amber," Ozpin sighed. "I believe this candidate has what it takes. We'll discuss more with James once he arrives. For now, I'll leave it to you to decide just what you can do for your new students."

"Ugh, fine."

"Oh, and Qrow?" Ozpin called, right as the man was about to leave. "Do be careful with Mr Arc, hmm? He _is_ still recovering, after all."

"Then what am I meant to help him with if he can't fight?"

"Planning, organisation, battle strategy," Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "There is more to fighting than pure strength and skill. He's shown an aptitude for such already. I think it might be an… enlightening experience for you to tap into that."

Qrow nodded and left, leaving the headmaster alone with his thoughts. An enlightening experience indeed. Still, he wondered who would be the most surprised. Mr Arc, or Qrow?

/-/

Blake scowled and gripped her forehead with one hand. Nothing, absolutely nothing. No matter how hard she looked, there wasn't a single sign of any White Fang activity out of the major cities. She couldn't tell if that meant they didn't do anything, or if they just didn't get reported, though. The major news outlets were all _in_ the city of Vale, and those just didn't care to report on stuff out of it. Outlier villages were destroyed all the time – it was negative news, and often left out.

Hell, it might not have been reported because no one knew. She'd searched for Jaune by name, then his family name, and then for the village of Ansel. There was some stuff on his father, missions completed and the occasional time he would save some people and draw attention to himself, but his family went unmentioned.

"Nothing?" Sun asked, looking up from his own screen.

"Not a single thing. How about you?"

"There have been some cases in the past where students were recruited without applying." Sun motioned her over and then pointed to some lists he had open. "This was all ages ago, though. I mean look, the last case was at least eighty years ago, and even then, it was about some guy who killed a mob boss in self-defence and everyone was pretty much sure he was innocent. The only reason he was going to jail was because the jury was bribed, and it was practically a rescue attempt to draft him into Shade Academy." Sun sighed. "If you want the last time _Beacon_ did it, you have to go even further back."

"Damn it." Blake slammed a palm down on the table and scowled. "This is getting us nowhere. How could there be nothing at all?"

"Maybe we just don't know where to look."

"Or maybe there isn't anything to find," Blake sighed. She looked away, an unpleasant feeling rising in her stomach. Yang would be disappointed, but no more than she felt herself. This was to try and help their team. There couldn't be nothing. It just didn't make sense. "We've wasted our time," she groaned. "We have no answers whatsoever."

"Actually, we do."

Blake looked up to stare at Sun.

"Think about it," he said. "We found nothing, but that doesn't mean there isn't something. It's not that we've failed, Blake. We've narrowed it down – gotten rid of things we know it isn't. For one thing, there's no sign of anyone being recruited by Beacon in the past, but we _know_ that he was. Therefore, we know it's something secretive, that the headmaster can do _without_ having to let other people know. That's why it's not recorded anywhere."

Blake's eyes widened. Sun was right…

"On the White Fang side of things, sure, you didn't manage to find any evidence of it happening in his past, but that doesn't mean nothing did. You've already got the evidence _something_ happened, and the fact that no one knows anything about it, shows that it must have gone unnoticed."

"That the White Fang got away with it," Blake whispered. "But if they did something to hurt him…" She felt sick to her core, and more so when Sun nodded.

"Then they probably got away with it… yeah." He reached across to nudge his hand against hers. "It wasn't your fault, Blake. You can't take the personal blame for every little thing they do. Unless you were there, it was out of your hands."

"I've never been to Ansel," Blake confirmed. "It's possible other people did, though. Recruitment parties, blackmail, a hidden base outside of the city… there are a million reasons they might be present there. It's possible Jaune might have run into them." She narrowed her eyes. "Maybe… do you think that might be why the headmaster recruited him?"

"No idea. Whatever it is, I don't believe it's because he killed a Grimm as a kid." Sun shrugged his shoulders. "I know it's a pretty crazy story, but I doubt that's enough to make someone try and force him into becoming a huntsman."

He wasn't wrong, she knew that. The thought had crossed her mind when Yang told her the story too. Why did Ozpin want Jaune? There was no shortage of applicants for Beacon, and any number of those could kill Grimm just as easily. Jaune's performance in tests was rubbish, while his spars were effective but not exactly special. Sure, he could outsmart and beat people, but when you had candidates like Yang and Pyrrha? When you were willing to _risk_ a candidate like Yang, just to try and get Jaune?

That spoke of something more… something specific, and not related to brute strength.

Whatever it was, it was clear only the headmaster knew the answer. Sun's wisdom, as unconventional as it was, had narrowed the leads down to one. He'd saved her hours – if not days – of hard work. She was honestly surprised… and dare she say it, a little impressed too.

"I think we're done here for now," she stood up and cracked her neck. It was time to go and see Yang. "Thanks for the help, Sun. You really did make this easier."

"Ha, no problem." Sun grinned and slung his arms behind his head. "Honestly, I didn't do it for a reward or anything. I'd have helped out even if he hadn't saved my life before. I still do want to help if you need it."

"A shame," Blake smirked and stepped past him. "And here I thought about giving you a kiss for all your hard work. Oh well, I suppose it's much more mature of you not to expect something like that." It was impossible not to smile a little at the panicked look on his face. For a second she thought he might argue, but he sighed and leaned back instead.

"Guess that'll teach me. Still, I'm willing to help more if you want it, Blake. I wasn't kidding when I said I didn't do this for a reward. I genuinely like him, even if he does terrify me at times. If he's in trouble, I want to help."

"Sun…" She smiled. "I'll call you when Yang and I have something. Thank you, Sun."

"Heh, no problem. I'll help however I can."

She would take him up on it, if only because he'd given so much already. Blake shook her head and sighed. She looked left and right, and then, when she saw no one watching, leaned down to press her lips against his cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered into his ear.

Honestly, she had to leave before he could reply. His grin was nothing short of goofy, and the way his eyes lit up was enough to embarrass even her. It was just a kiss on the cheek, yet he acted like he'd been given the world on a plate. Blake cursed to herself as she stormed away, heat gathering in her own cheeks. It only got worse when she caught his joyful whoop. What an idiot. He was so embarrassing.

Her tiny smile fell once she was outside.

Jaune had been recruited and something had definitely happened in his past, but neither of those things were going to be publically available. Sun was right in what he said, that the absence of information didn't mean there was none. It just meant she would need to look in a different place. If she found the reason Ozpin recruited him, it might lead to the reason for Jaune's decisions. They could understand why he would risk his life like that, and how they could help him… make sure he didn't do it again, or worse, get himself killed.

Blake sighed and rubbed her forehead. Yang meant it as a joke no doubt, that moment where she'd invited Blake to infiltrate the headmaster's office. Neither of them had been serious.

Now, however?

It was starting to look like their only option.

/-/

Jaune sighed as he felt the sunlight wash over his face. It was warm and soft, in a way he hadn't appreciated before. The grass beneath him was soft too. Not that Weiss would have let him lay anywhere else. She sat next to him, watching some birds in a nearby tree. He hadn't been surprised to find her waiting outside Glynda's office, nor to be followed by her when he went outside. Zwei was there too, the dog skipping and chasing butterflies with little success.

It was peaceful. He let out another sigh.

"That's the second time now," Weiss said. "Something on your mind?"

"Nothing."

"That wouldn't surprise me." She smiled to show she didn't mean it. "Don't tell me you're upset about being forced to rest. You would have killed for an opportunity like this before." Back when he'd first joined Beacon, she meant – or at least the first time this repeat. Yeah… things had been different back then. He'd been determined to goof off and play around, and taken fun at the expense of everyone else as he did. It wasn't the same now, even if the results would be. "Jaune, are you okay?" Weiss shifted a little closer, suddenly worried. She must have seen the expression on his face.

"I'm fine, Weiss. I was just lost in thought."

"It must be hard," she said," getting lost in nothing." Jaune snorted.

"Smartass." His arms stretched above him as he yawned. "I was thinking about Beacon, the team, how it all started and… and the Vytal Festival, I guess." He closed his eyes and listened as Weiss shuffled over to kneel beside him.

"What about them?" she asked.

"Just being sentimental, I guess."

"Oh? You're not thinking how much of a slave driver I was?"

He smiled at the memories, both of the times when Weiss struggled to try and motivate him, but also how much he railed against it. At the time, it had been a frustration, because she worked against what he wanted – to be expelled and live this life away from Beacon. Even then, however, he hadn't been able to feel angry towards her. She'd been doing what she thought was best. She'd cared enough about a teammate to try and help them, even if it took up her valuable free time. She was a good teammate. A good partner.

Ruby's partner.

"Do you ever think what things could be like if we lived our lives differently?"

"Huh?" Weiss paused, confused. "What do you mean?"

"If we could go back in time," Jaune whispered. "If we could do all of this again and make different decisions… have you ever thought about that?"

"I… I suppose, once or twice." Weiss sighed. "It's a pointless thought, of course, but I've wondered about it once or twice. Why do you ask?"

"I'm just curious, I guess." Jaune sighed. "Have you ever wondered what life would be like if we hadn't met one another in Forever Fall? If we weren't the first to meet one another's eyes?" Weiss snorted in amusement.

"Do you mean if I told the truth and accepted Ruby as my partner?"

"That too." He smirked. "To think, little miss follows-the-rules, breaking them on her first day. I never realised my partner was such a rebel." He felt her nudge his arm with her elbow.

"Idiot," she laughed. "I think… I guess I would have been partnered with Ruby. She's a nice enough girl, more competent and mature than she looks, even if my first impression of her didn't suggest as such. I think being partners with her would have been… it would have been okay, I guess."

"Just okay?" he asked.

"Just that. Ruby is nice, but…" Weiss trailed off.

"But?"

"I already have a partner." Weiss shifted so that she laid against him. Jaune inhaled her scent, the faintest hint of lavender, mixed with something like freshly fallen snow. "I have a partner… I have a team too. I have two teammates, who act more like children than they do adults. I feel less like a teammate and more like a mother at times, but I can't imagine that being any different. I don't _want_ to imagine it being different." She sighed. "This is my team. This is _our_ team."

"Our team…" Jaune murmured, eyes closed. In his mind, things were different. He saw a team of four young women, with a cloaked figure in red in the place he stood. He saw Team RWBY… not Team JBWY."

It should have made feel guilty, to steal this chance away from Ruby. To steal the chance away from Weiss, from Pyrrha, from everyone.

It didn't, though.

"What about you?" Weiss asked. "Would you change things? Can you imagine our team being different?"

He could. Of course he could. The question brought up all sorts of terrifying thoughts and feelings within him, because he knew it _would_ happen again. He would go back, once he died this time, and he would be faced with the prospect of initiation once more.

When that happened, would he choose Pyrrha, as his original life had?

Or would he choose Weiss?

Either way, he would be abandoning one of them. Pyrrha was happy with Weiss, and Weiss was happy with Ruby, but they would be happy in different ways. As part of Team RWBY, Blake would have a wonderful time, but would she feel as included as she did with him on the team? Yang would have Ruby, but would either of them grow as people without that separation between them? Would Ren and Nora be happier on JNPR or RRNN?

For Weiss, the question was hypothetical… for him, it was painful.

"Jaune…?" Weiss sounded concerned, worried – perhaps even hurt. It was that which broke him out from the spell. It was that which reminded him of what he'd already decided. This would be a life lived for them, a time of happiness for Team JBWY. He'd already said it to Glynda, but he would spend what time remained with his team, no matter how dark the future ahead. That counted for the futures after this life, as well. He would address the problem of teams after he died. Not before.

"I wouldn't change anything," he said, opening his eyes to look at Weiss. At his friend. At his partner. "Like you say… I already have a team. There's no reason for that to change."

"Good," Weiss said. She laid back down, shoulder pressed against his. "That's good."

"It is," Jaune murmured, as his eyes drifted shut and he began to fall asleep.

Life… _this_ life… was good.

He would make the most of it.

* * *

 **Another chapter, another week. We're approaching the final arc of the story, and I don't really have any plans to sequel this one. We're not quite there yet, however, and there's plenty left – so I shan't start talking about replacement fics or the like.**

 **I still do get people asking this question, and even though I've answered it (and had Jaune answer it) a million times before, I'll do it again. No, it's not "stupid" for Jaune to decide not to "hard-train" for the remaining week or two before the festival. Ever since chapter one, I've had Jaune say that he has trained in hellish conditions for two years prior to Beacon, and that regardless, it has never been enough to eke out a victory, or really change anything. With that in mind, and with Jaune** _ **knowing**_ **it is not enough, I still find it cringeworthy that people keep saying, "Oh, it's stupid that Jaune doesn't start training his ass off. He could be strong enough to kill Cinder if he did."**

 **He can't, theory over. And there's no "ifs" or "buts" about it, because Jaune has tried and seen the results first hand. This isn't a theoretical thing for someone who has actually done it before. His time travel gives him the ability to literally look at a hypothesis and test it to get a result, and he's done that thousands of times. He knows, without a shadow of a doubt, that he cannot make himself strong enough to kill Cinder, Adam and fix everything about the fall of Beacon. And yes, he has "knowledge" of their fighting styles, etc... but do you think he didn't the last 450 times he tried it?**

 **Sorry for the mini-rant, but I genuinely can't believe I still get the question. I suppose it's people just being used to the fanfiction trope wherein a person fails once, goes back in time and then is instantly strong enough to win on the second time. I mean, you already failed once… unless you only lost because of a technicality, or a clear mistake you can avoid making, it stands to reason a second shot won't make a significant difference - not unless you know how to completely outsmart them (but as I tried to show in this fic, those stories always seem to ignore the enemy. As in, they can adapt to changes as well. They're not going to sit there ignoring their plans being ruined, yet keep doing the same thing).**

 **Anyway, that's it for this chapter. Jaune has… not given up, but perhaps accepted the inevitability of what will come, and decided to spend that time with his friends and make them happy. Selfish? Maybe, who can say – this isn't a situation any of us have been in, especially not with the "certainty" Jaune has. After all, we can always say that things `might` not go as we expect. My mother had cancer, for instance, but was one of the rare ones to survive it for 12 years and keeps going. If the situation were reversed for Jaune, he would `know` with 100% accuracy, the fate of his mother – and there would be nothing he could do if that was death. In that situation, would it be better to fight a fight he knows is unwinnable, or to spend time to make his mother happy, knowing she will appreciate that before she dies?**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **April**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	37. Chapter 37

**Here's the next chapter of NTF. College Fool didn't get a full chance to look at this, but that's because my parents come back off holiday tomorrow (well, today by reader's standards), and I had to spend the night before cleaning and preparing their house. Not easy after the robbery, and I'll admit, I didn't push the insurance companies as hard as I should have due to my own work and things getting in the way.**

 **As such, much of Friday night was spent making frantic calls, cleaning up and filling their fridge for them.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 37 - Word Games**

* * *

Jaune wasn't sure what to think when Qrow told them he was to help train them for the tournament. It was a new development, and those things had a habit of being a little intimidating, if only because he was used to having an idea of why and when something would happen. Yang seemed enthused for obvious reasons, but he couldn't help but express his doubt and ask Qrow why he wanted to train them at all.

"Not my idea, kid," Qrow said. "Ozpin asked me to do it for you all as a favour. I've just got nothing better to do."

Ozpin did? Jaune's brow scrunched up as he tried to think of some kind of motivation. The headmaster never bothered with anything like this before, not for him, Team RWBY or even Pyrrha. "Why?" he asked. "What does the headmaster want to train us specifically? Wouldn't that be a conflict of interest with the other teams?"

"No idea on the last bit, but as for the former, Ozpin's worried you guys will have become a target after our last mission." Qrow brought out his hip flask and took a long swig. "Normally, we go up against Grimm and clear a town, and there isn't anyone who's going to complain about that. With the White Fang, though, and with the girl's actions at the warehouse, Ozpin's worried you guys might be targeted." He shrugged. "I guess I'm to give you some basic training, just in case things go wrong."

The explanation calmed him a little and Jaune nodded without thinking, both giving permission and agreeing with it. It was new and unusual, but Qrow's explanation and Ozpin's reason made sense. _They're correct too, not that they know it. Well, except that our team will be targeted because Adam is an obsessive bastard and won't leave Blake alone._ Still, the training couldn't hurt and the thought of his team having a better chance of survival sat well. More importantly, nothing about it was suspicious. Ozpin's actions made sense. They were logical.

"Jaune isn't fit to train yet," Weiss' interruption made him roll his eyes. "Miss Tsune hasn't given him the all clear and I'm not about to watch him get knocked about by an older huntsman."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I was there, you know?" Qrow chuckled and crossed his arms over his chest. "I spent most of it on the roof against that chick." Yang's head perked up as she looked at her uncle, suddenly a little more interested.

"How did that go?" she asked.

"She was a tough one, kiddo. If you see her again, don't let her size fool you. She was fast as hell, flexible as anything, and she has a blade hidden in that umbrella of hers."

"It's really more of a parasol."

"Same thing, mini-ice queen."

"It really isn't," Weiss went on. "An umbrella is used to protect someone from the rain and so is normally a little heavier and made from waterproof material, while a parasol is to protect from sunlight and provide shade. It's lighter and normally more ornamental to provide-" Weiss went on, tone lecturing, as Qrow slowly looked towards the sky and waited for her to finish.

Jaune hid a small smile.

"-and that's why it's an important issue, because she would be able to swing a parasol with more speed, and the material should be easier to cut or damage." Weiss finished. She looked more than a little pleased with herself.

"Yeah," Qrow said. "Thanks… so, yeah, she has a sword, actually, so it's all kind of moot."

"And you got beaten by her," Yang said.

"Noooo, I fought her off."

"But you didn't defeat her."

"That wasn't the objective, fire cracker."

"No, the objective was to stop the train," Yang trailed off with a grin. Qrow narrowed his eyes. "-which didn't happen because she held you off. That means she beat you. Wow, you must be getting old. Are you sure you don't need a walking stick, old man?"

"You'll need one once we're done training," he growled. "Now get up, not you, kid – I don't need everyone on my ass." Jaune sat down when Qrow pointed to him. "The rest of you, I want you doing laps and warming up. If you're so keen to point out how a little girl was able to fight on an even level-"

"Beat you, you mean?" Yang asked. Qrow growled.

"-then you can have a go fighting against me yourselves. Now, get to it. I don't want you able to say you weren't ready when I show you just what a real huntsman can do."

"Sure thing, old man," Yang said, then laughed and ducked his fist as she jogged off. Weiss and Blake rolled their eyes but followed, the three beginning a fast-paced jog around the training field. Qrow shook his head and grumbled something under his breath, before he sat down on the rock next to Jaune.

"Bloody brat. You'd think she'd have more respect for the poor sap who had to burp her." Qrow uncorked his flask and took a long drink, but noticed him staring at it. "Want some?"

"After you just sealed your lips around it? I think I'll pass."

"You're saying I might have a disease?" Qrow laughed. "That's cute coming from you, kid. It really is. I'm surprised you're not a walking ball of STD's. I feel ill just sitting next to you."

"I use protection." He used the best protection, in fact, foreknowledge. Then again, most people couldn't quite rely on trial and error as a method to find out whose privates burned a little too hot. "Shouldn't you be warming up as well?"

"What? You actually think they're going to be able to beat me?"

"No," he admitted, "but I'm just wondering why you're talking to me."

"A combination of boredom and responsibility, I guess. It was kind of my job to get you through Mountain Glenn in one piece." Qrow huffed. "I didn't do a very good job there."

"You just said that girl was strong. It's not like any of those three could have beaten her."

"Maybe, maybe not, but you got captured before that. You going to tell me why you wandered off and got caught anyway?"

"I saw something," Jaune said.

"Heh, liar." Qrow took another drink. "Zwei would have raised hell if anyone or anything came near. You don't have to tell me if you don't want, kid. It's not like you did anything you could get in trouble for… not when it ended up discovering the breach and saving Vale."

So, this wasn't an interrogation? His shoulders relaxed a little. It was probably his paranoia acting up again, but he already knew Qrow's reason for training. Maybe he really _was_ just talking out of boredom. "What are you going to teach my team?" he asked.

"Teach is a strong word. Ozpin asked me to train them, not teach." He grinned and stroked his stubble. "I'm going to make 'em fight me, three on one. I'm then going to kick their asses, but make sure Yang suffers a particularly humiliating defeat. Then I guess I'll give 'em some pointers and make 'em square off against one another."

Childish, embarrassing, yet also useful; the training fit Qrow to a tee, and Jaune laughed. It was easy to see the relation between Qrow and Yang. He wondered what life might have been like if they were both the same age. The thought was pretty terrifying.

"I can't train you, not yet anyway," Qrow continued, "but I suppose you can watch and get a feel for their fighting styles. You're the leader of the team, so it'll be up to you to put your mind to use come the tournament." Qrow show him an amused look. "I've heard about some of your spars. How much do I need to pay you to pull something like that off in one of the matches?"

"A get out of being killed by Glynda card would be nice. I doubt she'd appreciate it."

"Damn shame. Between you and mid, kid, the whole tournament is a bit of a joke. It's a bunch of kids fighting against one another like it matters, like the glory means a damn thing out in the real world. It's painful to watch for proper huntsman, too. You're not good enough; you don't have the right mind-set." He paused to shoot Jaune a knowing smile. "Well, _they_ don't, at least."

"The right mind-set is holding a tazer against someone's crotch?"

"The right mind-set is doing whatever needs to be done in order to win," Qrow said. "Besides, didn't your girlie tell you how she did the same to Torchwick?"

 _That_ caught his attention. Jaune looked towards the older huntsman with wide eyes. "No," he said. "Wait, one of them zapped Torchwick in the balls?"

"Little Miss Brooding," Qrow said. It took him a second or two to figure out he meant Blake, and it was only because he already had a nickname for Weiss. "From the sounds of it, she'd have been dead if you didn't bring that thing along. I guess she took a page from your book. I take it you're not going to explain why you brought that, either."

Jaune ignored the question. Honestly, he was just too relieved Blake had come out of it all in one piece. _I never realised she was in such danger. Come to think of it, they haven't told me much about what happened to them when I was out of it. It's all just been about me._ Gods, he hadn't realised how close the mission came to being a complete failure. If Blake fell there, then the others would have stayed to try and treat her – and the Grimm would have been drawn to the noise of the train and tunnels. They would surely have died.

"Jaune?" Qrow prompted.

"Oh, what? The backpack?" He shook his head. "Ruby and I raided the requisition room. It was just one of a bunch of things I picked up."

"Yeah, I know. Miss Goodwitch decided to confront me on that once it turned out you'd used my signature to get in." He shot Jaune a dirty look. "Do you have any idea how much trouble I'll be in if Ruby's dad learns I basically signed an order to let her have explosive ammunition? I'd like to live to see fifty, thank you very much."

"Yeah," Jaune chuckled. "Me too…" The melancholy threated to take him for a moment, but he quickly imagined Blake sticking a tazer into Torchwick's balls and it vanished. She deserved something special for that. He'd have to see if he couldn't get her some premium tuna. Well, that was if his team let him go out into Vale without an armed escort. They seemed to think just about anyone would abduct him.

"I'm just curious what made you feel like you had to bring all that stuff." Qrow said. "I get that I said to prepare, and I'm not mad, but that was a lot for one mission. What was it, paranoia, fear?"

"Something like that My father always says there's no such thing as being over-prepared."

"Ain't that the truth. Thing is, most people don't learn that lesson until they've been under-prepped and paid for it." Qrow sighed, as though recalling some distant memory. "You ever fucked up like that, kid?"

Jaune's face twisted. He had… not recently, and not in the past repeats – but he could still vaguely recall some pieces of memory from the first few. Back then, he'd been desperate and eager, convinced he could fix everything just because he had another chance. So many mistakes… so many people dead. He couldn't say that, though… not to Qrow. "No. I guess I just learned the lesson from having it hammered into my head."

"See, I'd rather you say nothing than tell some transparent lie like that."

"I'm not sure what you're talking about. I'm only seventeen. I haven't lived long enough to experience things like that."

"Yeah sure." Qrow poked him in the forehead. "Those eyes are a little older than seventeen. I've seen that look in the eyes of plenty a huntsman and huntress. Funny thing is, it's never the happy ones. It's always the people who've lost something."

"I think you're reading into things a bit much. Besides, should you really be telling a seventeen-year-old guy you've been staring into their eyes?" Jaune shifted to the side. "Should I be worried?" Qrow rolled his eyes and shrugged.

"Maybe, who can say. Still, I said it before, this isn't an interrogation. If you don't want to talk, don't talk." He sighed and stood up. "No point lyin' about it, though. Anyway, I think it's time to show my darling niece why she's a decade too early to be challenging her uncle." He coughed and raised his voice. "Oi, Yang. You ready?"

"We're ready," Yang called back. "Are you sure you are, though? Isn't it time for your nap?"

"Oh, I'm ready," Qrow growled. He took a step forward, but paused. "Kid… I'm not one for niceties, or for talking depressing stuff through, but if you ever want someone to share a drink with…"

"I'll keep that in mind, Qrow." Jaune grinned. "Thanks."

"Hey, quit stalling, old man. Don't tell me you're getting cold feet?"

"Oh, she's in for it." Qrow drew his weapon and stomped off. Yang's laughter echoed across the training field.

 _They're so dramatic,_ Jaune thought. He couldn't help but laugh, however, especially at how they needled and taunted one another. He didn't expect the three of them to have too much hope against Qrow, not when they didn't know his capabilities. Still, they stuck together as the match was started, and didn't let Qrow separate them as he clearly wanted to. Jaune sighed and leaned back on the warm rock, watching them bounce about the field with reckless abandon.

Qrow certainly stuck to his promise to focus on Yang. He smiled as she hit the grass and skittered across the field like a pinball. She didn't give up, of course. Not when it would mean admitting she was wrong. It just wasn't in her nature. _So typical of her,_ he thought with a laugh. She dashed in once more, eyes a blazing red. _Then again, I suppose it's one of the reasons she's so much fun to be around._

In fact, he couldn't help but feel a little surprised at how much he wanted to join in. It looked like fun, even if they were getting annihilated. Had he been healthy enough to take part, maybe he could have come up with a plan to help them beat Qrow.

 _Never thought I'd willingly want to join in on a spar… especially one so pointless._ It didn't do anything to help him against what would come, there just wasn't the time for any training to stick. It was just simple fun. Maybe that was why he missed it so?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps in the grass behind him. His ears identified the heels of a woman. Pyrrha, perhaps?

"Is this spot free?"

His heart turned to ice. It was a sudden terror, overwhelming and sickening. He smiled through it, however, and didn't even look back to the dark-haired woman he knew stood behind him. "Sure," he said. "It's not like I own Beacon. If I did, the dress code would be different."

"I dread to imagine." Cinder Fall settled down beside him. She flashed him a friendly smile, as fake as she was. It would have fooled anyone else. She was good like that. "I've heard of your reputation, after all."

"All of it true, I assure you. It's… I don't quite remember your name."

"Cinder," she said. "Cinder Fall. You, of course, I know the name of. You've become somewhat infamous around Beacon of late."

"Because of the breach?" he asked, and awaited her nod. "I'd rather be infamous for something I remember doing. I wasn't in control of myself back then."

"As I understand. For what it's worth, my team and I understand the implications of being drugged. I'm not sure how the other students can feel so awkward around you for it. It could have happened to anyone."

"Thanks." She was being friendly, suspiciously so. With Cinder, everything was suspicious, and especially to him, but murder and violence were at least understandable. _She's trying to get close to me for some reason, that much is obvious. What's her angle, though?_ It wasn't as simple as making assumptions, not with her. She could be trying to get him alone to kill him, gather information or find a route through to influencing Pyrrha.

Heck, she could just be acting normal for the benefit of her disguise. As a student of Haven, she was expected to interact with other students, after all. The teachers might become concerned for someone who stayed cooped up in their room and never showed their face. That concern would draw attention, which she wouldn't want. Not that he would believe that explanation. This was Cinder… you did _not_ take the easiest or safest choice when it came to her.

Fortunately, he could find out more the easier way.

"Is there a reason you wanted to talk to me, Cinder?" His left hand, on the other side of his body from her, clenched into a tight fist. Even so, he forced himself to smile at her. The rest of his body remained slack. "Not that I don't appreciate the chance to talk to a pretty girl, but it's normally me who has to do the approaching."

"Charmer." She flicked some hair behind her and smiled seductively at him. "No real reason on my part, though. I simply saw you sat here and thought you looked lonely."

"And you intend to keep me company?"

"The thought crossed my mind."

"That's very kind of you." Jaune looked back to the spar and tried his hardest not to scowl. She followed his gaze.

"You're not taking part?" she asked.

"It looks like it."

"Is it because of your injuries?" She feigned concern well, and he had no legitimate reason to deny her an answer. He had reasons, yes, but none she wouldn't find suspicious. He stared ahead and nodded. "I see. I'll admit, I've never been under the influence of such substances myself, but it seems terrifying. Did you know that I was one of the ones you attacked?"

She was? That changed things. When everyone spoke of him attacking friends, he thought they meant _actual_ friends like Ruby or Pyrrha – or allies like Cardin. _Maybe my mind wasn't completely gone after all. I must have seen Cinder as a threat, even when I could barely function._ He hid his smirk and offered her a sympathetic smile instead. "Sorry about that. I didn't have exactly have any control over myself."

"It is forgiven. Were it not for your partner, I fear we would have assumed the worst and fought back. You might have been hurt."

 _And I'm sure that would have given you many sleepless nights._ He shook his head and mumbled an automatic response, not really interested in what she said, so much as what she meant. Words were tools for her, often lock picks but occasionally needles. She had an intent in approaching him, that much he knew. Was she trying to find out more about him? Had his behaviour at the breach sparked her interest?

It was possible… he'd always been worried about his team drawing her attention, ever since Weiss and the others caused Roman trouble in the warehouses. His eyes flicked back to his team, in time to see Qrow wrapping up the fight. Was Cinder here for them? That was an even more terrifying proposition.

He needed to keep her attention away from them, and if necessary, _on_ him.

Unfortunately, it appeared that luck wasn't on his side. He saw Weiss break off and jog towards him. "Jaune, the fight is- what are _you_ doing here?"

He winced.

"I wanted to talk with your partner," Cinder said. "I can assure you, I mean no harm."

Weiss narrowed her eyes but didn't reply. She scanned the both of them, likely to see if he was doing anything appropriate, but it would be a cold day in hell before he did _that_ with Cinder again. She moved forward, and he cursed as he realised she intended to sit down between them likely to protect him from harm.

Jaune snagged Weiss' wrist first. Her eyes widened in surprise, but he cut off her protest and dragged her in on his left side. She squirmed, but went still as he wrapped an arm around her waist and held on tight. He felt her body go still, and then slowly relax into him. More importantly, he kept his body between Cinder and her. The evil witch watched them both with a curious gaze.

 _Don't read into it,_ he pleaded. _It's just a guy and his girlfriend sat together and cuddling, there's nothing to see here. There's nothing of interest here._ Jaune turned away from her and smiled at Weiss. "Is the fight already over? How did it go?"

"The fight?" Weiss seemed lost. Her eyes traced down to his arm, and then her hands, as she wondered where to place them. In the end, she settled one on her lap, and the other atop his hand which rested against her stomach. Her eyes didn't quite meet his. "We lost the fight. Mr Branwen is a skilled huntsman and I doubt Yang's taunts worked in our favour. I think she thought he'd make mistakes if he was angry, but it only made him fight harder."

"Maybe if she actually made him _angry_ instead of just a little pissed off." If Qrow had _truly_ been furious, he might have messed up. Then again, it would take more than words to generate that response from someone so collected. He felt Cinder's eyes on the back of his head, but did his best to look calm and casual as he talked to Weiss. "What's happening now, then? I take it training isn't over."

"He wants to see Yang and Blake spar against one another, and then me against the victor."

"You learn anything from the fight?"

"I need to work on cutting off people's escape with my glyphs." Weiss pouted. It made her look incredibly cute. His hand gripped her a little tighter. "He was like Ruby, except not quite as fast and twice as slippery. Maybe some kind of maze, or at least some way of moving them in the direction I want."

"He could just smash through any ice structures you made."

"Yes, but that would be a moment of distraction, at least. If someone hits a wall and causes ice to shatter, their eyes will close instinctively to avoid any damage. That's my chance to attack."

"That's surprisingly vicious of you." He smiled. "I approve." He heard Cinder cough behind him. "Have you ever tried making a dome, or some kind of fully enclosed space?"

"I can, but it's difficult. Such things take a lot longer to form and I'd need him to be incapacitated or blind in order to not dodge it."

"Shame." He laughed over another attempt from Cinder to catch their attention. "I take it it's all limited by dust?"

"Pretty much… even though I'm the heiress of the SDC, dust has become rare enough that even I can't get hold of much. It's not a case of money; a lot of places are just sold out."

"I guess that's the-"

"Excuse me," Cinder interrupted with a concealed scowl. It wasn't nearly hidden well enough to fool him, and that only proved she had something she wanted. "I hate to interrupt, but I just wanted to ask a quick question about what we were talking about before."

"Hmm?" Weiss scowled at the other woman. "What does she mean?"

"She was asking me about the breach," he said. "She was one of the people I accidentally attacked. Well, she and her team, I'd guess."

"Quite so," Cinder smiled. "They're all doing fine, however. You weren't able to injure any of them an-"

"He wasn't in control of his own actions." Weiss shook her head. "You can't blame him for what happened. He holds no responsibility for any damage caused." Weiss' frigid tone made him cringe. Gods, this was not the `keep her out of Cinder's sight` he'd hoped for. Luckily, Cinder seemed more amused than offended.

"I'm not trying to sue him, Wei-"

"That's Miss Schnee, thank you. I don't think we know one another well enough."

"Miss Schnee, then. As I was saying, I'm not here to insult him. Rather, I wanted to express our team's sympathies for what happened, along with our understanding. There are no hard feelings among us."

"We appreciate it," Weiss said. " _He_ appreciates it."

Jaune sighed and placed his other hand on hers, pushing it back down into her lap. "Weiss, it's fine. I can speak for myself." He chuckled nervously and sent Cinder an apologetic shrug. "We're under a lot of pressure, sorry. Most other people aren't exactly willing to be friends with us right now." Cinder smiled understandingly.

"Perhaps that would change with a demonstration," she said.

"What, drug me up and _not_ have me attack someone to prove I'm not a psychopath?" He winced when he felt Weiss dig an elbow into his side. She did _not_ look amused by the suggestion. Cinder, on the other hand, laughed.

"Not at all, Jaune. I merely meant that our teams could become friends. It might calm people down to see you interacting normally with people who you previously attacked." Her laughter trailed off as she looked at him. "What do you think?"

 _I think this means it's me or my team you're interested in._ He cursed to himself and glanced back to Yang and Blake's spar, as though distracted. _If she just wanted to cover herself or find out if I was a threat, she could have done that without inconveniencing herself. By asking to be friends, though, she creates more work for her and her team. She wouldn't do that if she didn't think there was something to gain from it._

Damn it, damn it, damn it…

He'd been a fool to think she would put up with them interrupting her plans _three_ times in a row. Cinder was adapting, as she always did. She was making plans. Now, how did he get rid of her without sounding suspicious?

"I think we'll be fine," Weiss said. His eyes flicked to her, but Weiss stared into Cinder's. "We wouldn't want to put you and your team through the same, and we already have people we're quite close to. Thank you for offering, but I think we'll pass. Right, Jaune?"

Jaune was about to quickly try and argue, to recover before she offended Cinder – but froze. That was it. Weiss was a genius! He couldn't say no to Cinder because it would raise her guard and make her think he knew something about her, but Weiss definitely could. More than that, whether she realised it or not, she was playing the jealous girlfriend quite well.

He could play the cowed boyfriend just as easily. He ducked his head and laughed nervously. "Uh… yeah, sure. S-Sorry Cinder. Weiss has spoken."

"So I see." She rolled her eyes and rose to her feet. "Well, I can see that I'm interrupting a moment. I do apologise. If you change your mind, or find yourself… unburdened," she smiled and pointedly did not look at Weiss, "then know that my offer stands. For now, I'll bid you a speedy recovery, Jaune. Get well soon."

"Sure, thanks." He waited for her to move away before he dared to even _feel_ relieved. His shoulders relaxed and he let out a long breath.

 _I dodged the bullet there, but this doesn't mean it's over. Cinder isn't one to give up, and there's more than one way to find out about us. I'll need to make sure she doesn't approach Team RRNN._ Beside him, he felt Weiss relax against his side and couldn't help but smile. It looked like he wasn't the only one who'd felt less than comfortable around her.

"I wasn't trying anything with her," he said. "I promise."

/-/

Jaune's words caught her attention, enough so to drag it away from the beautiful woman who sashayed away from them. Even the way she carried herself was alluring. It felt intentional, manufactured… fake. She was used to people putting on airs, to people who carried themselves with diplomatic grace, as opposed to genuine kindness.

"I never said you did anything with her. I have eyes, Jaune."

"Well, it's just that you seemed awfully antagonistic. Have the two of you met before?"

Was he being serious? She looked at him for a few seconds, and then groaned when she realised that he really was. "Jaune, of _course_ I've met her before. She nearly roasted me alive. She sent _you_ to the hospital."

"Oh, right…" He blinked, and to her annoyance, looked genuinely surprised. "I'd honestly forgotten that."

"Yeah, well, _I_ didn't."

She didn't forget, and she didn't forgive, either. She forgave it even _less_ , when that same woman then approached him with the kind of fake facade of someone after something. _Was did she want from him? Was she trying to seduce him? No, don't be foolish. Even if she was, that's none of your business, Weiss. He doesn't belong to you._

"I just think there's something off about her." She looked away awkwardly when he shot her a sharp look. "I'm not saying anything _bad_ , just… I get a strange feeling around her." _Yeah, jealousy,_ her mind unhelpfully supplied. "Maybe it's just lingering resentment over the whole training accident thing."

"Yeah, maybe." Jaune shrugged. "Well, it's not like I was eager to have that conversation anyway. You helped me out."

She had? A part of her would have thought he'd have _wanted_ such a woman's attention. He always did before. _No, he hasn't slept around in a while. Not since… not since I confessed to him._ Her eyes fell to the arm about her waist, and the hand her own rested atop of. It felt warm and firm on her stomach, but more importantly, it felt like it belonged. There was no awkwardness there, despite it being alien for anyone to touch her so informally.

It felt good. She liked it… she liked the sense of possession it suggested, even if the thought would have normally angered her. She was Weiss Schnee. No one could _possess_ her. And yet… she couldn't help but feel there would have been no complaints if he claimed it.

 _Not that I wouldn't mind saying the same about him._ Ugh, she groaned. Winter was right… she really _hadn't_ gotten over him. He'd said no, and like some kind of insistent stalker, she wanted to keep pushing. _No doesn't mean no forever, right? He only said no at that moment. What if I changed his mind?_

Didn't most people go through that normally? She seemed to recall her mother explaining how she'd initially turned down her father. Okay, maybe that was a bad example but still, the point remained. In fact, she was fairly sure Jaune had mentioned his father being rejected numerous times by his mother. Compared to _her_ family, Jaune's was loving too. It was proof. She wanted to cheer, but settled for blinking away her fantasies as she realised Jaune was trying to get her attention.

"Weiss? Hello, you there?"

"Huh, what?"

"I asked you a question." A slow smile spread across his face. "Lost in thought?"

Yes, and there was _no_ chance in hell she was going to tell him what of. "Sorry, what were you asking?"

"On the train, back in Mountain Glenn. You saw me when I was… not thinking straight, right?"

She did. She hated to even think back on it and sighed at him bringing it up. "I saw," she said. "Whatever happened, though, it wasn't your fault. I told you before, you barely hurt me. I'm not made of glass, Jaune."

"I know, I know." His hand rubbed her stomach and she felt herself melt against him. He smiled. "I wasn't going to ask that, I promise. It's just… I wanted to know if you saw me fight against any of the White Fang."

"We saw the results, but not any actual combat. When we found you, it looked like you had already been engaged with Torchwick for several minutes." She frowned. "Why do you ask? Is there something you wanted to know?"

He paused for a moment, almost as though caught. She wondered if he would answer the question at all, but after a few seconds of thought, he nodded. "I wanted to know _how_ I fought when I could barely think. I know some things can be instinctual, but I'm just a little surprised I could get that far in that state. I should have been throwing up, not kicking ass."

"Most of the White Fang didn't seem very well-trained. Blake thinks it might have been intended as a suicide mission from the start."

"It's not…" Jaune sighed. "The people you found, did it look like there were signs of combat? Did it look like a fight took place, or like I snuck up and took them out before they knew it?"

Weiss leaned back a little, surprised or maybe even a little concerned at the question. He looked serious, though, so she did her best to remember. It wasn't hard. Some of those carriages had been covered in more blood than any one man could contain. She could still recall the frozen terror on their faces. "Definitely combat," she said. "Jaune, some of those faunus were impaled on their own weapons. Why all these questions?"

"I'm just trying to piece it together. Isn't it normal to not like a big hole in your memories."

 _Yeah, but you never cared before. Why the sudden change?_ Weiss opened her mouth to ask, but was cut off by an ear-piercing whistle. She winced, along with Jaune.

"Hey, mini-princess. It's your turn." Qrow grinned from his position next to an exhausted Yang and Blake, sprawled flat on her back. "Quit cuddling with your boyfriend and get over here."

"Uncle Qrow!" Yang punched his side. "Why did you have to interrupt?"

"I'm sorry, what? I couldn't hear you over the sound of you losing three on one against me."

"Ugh, you are _such_ a child."

"I think you missed of an adjective there, Yang. I'm a _victorious_ child. Anyway, get over here. Your sister will have my balls if you get pregnant on my watch."

Weiss' cheeks felt like they might catch fire. She glanced to Jaune, in time to see him cough awkwardly and remove his hand from her stomach. She didn't think she'd ever hated someone as much as she did Qrow Branwen at that point.

"Um, go break a leg," Jaune laughed.

Oh, she'd do more than just break it.

/-/

 _What was that about? I didn't even realise we were so close._ He sighed and lifted up his hand. He could still feel her beneath his fingertips. _Don't fall for her, Jaune. You know you can… you know it would be too easy._

 _You know how it will end._

His hand wiped against the grass, to get rid of the sensation. His eyes traced Weiss as she appeared before Yang, as the two nodded, and as Qrow lifted Blake away. He didn't watch the fight, however. It wasn't important.

So… he'd fought the White Fang normally, had he?

He hadn't considered it before, or rather the implications of it. It was a single huntsman against a horde of untrained civilians. That was never a good option for the civilians, and even less so in an enclosed space where only two or three could attack at once. Even out of his mind, he would have still been strong enough.

But there was one thing that bothered him still.

He looked to his other hand and opened it. On his palm were several small indentations, where his nails had dug into skin when Cinder first appeared. It stung briefly, but it was the slow drip of crimson fluid that he focused on.

His aura should have prevented that.

It hadn't… which meant it was still not working as it ought to. If that were true, however, then he'd have surely died on that train. The White Fang had guns on their side, and only a huntsman's aura protected them against those.

That meant his aura worked… it protected him, shielded him.

But if so, then why was it not doing so now?

Where had it gone?

/-/

Blake took a deep breath and tried to calm her frayed nerves. She flitted from one shadow to the next, ever-onwards towards the elevator that led to the headmaster's office. He was in a meeting with other members of staff. She'd make sure to check that. Her team were busy too, it being several hours since their training session. Jaune was asleep, Weiss watching him, and Yang with her sister. Now was the perfect time.

Not was the worst time.

 _This is madness,_ her mind warned. It wasn't anything it hadn't been saying for the past few hours. He was the headmaster of Beacon, a powerful huntsman with decades of experience. If he caught her, she would be in a world of trouble. That was _if_ he caught her, of course.

She was no stranger to placing great risks on her ability to infiltrate a dangerous location. It was what she'd been doing for the White Fang so several years, and SDC encampments could be just as dangerous as this, if not more. At least Ozpin didn't have an army of robots that could detect heat signatures on hand. He wasn't a paranoid Atlesian officer, nor an SDC Executive with millions to spend on security. He was just a teacher. Even if he was powerful, his office was still just that of a teacher's. So long as _he_ was absent, the risk ought to be low.

 _And the rewards might very well be worth it_ , she thought as she slipped into the elevator once she'd made sure no one was looking. It whirred near-silently upwards. _Yang is relying on me for this. Jaune is too, though he doesn't realise it yet._ The door swished open.

"Headmaster Ozpin?" Blake called. She waited, just to see if he was present. If he were, she could claim she'd come for some other reason and excuse herself once he answered. Fortunately, it seemed he was still at the meeting. She paused for another few seconds, then walked cautiously into the room.

It was empty. She was in.

 _This feels too easy,_ she thought. One of her hands reached down to her hip, but Gambol Shroud was still in her locker. She rolled her eyes for even thinking about it, and then for her paranoia as well. Of course it was easy, this was just his school office. It wasn't like he had his personal fortune stored under his desk.

Once she was sure she wouldn't be interrupted, Blake crept across the office and settled down into his seat. It was comfortable, very comfortable, but a little too large for her. The tall back reared up above her, and she felt like a child in an adult's seat. Shaking her head, she pulled herself into his desk and ran her fingers across it, looking for the access button to his terminal. It was underneath, a common place to hide it – _because it's a normal desk,_ she reminded herself. The varnished wood slid aside, a keyboard rising up from it, even as a screen flickered into life before her eyes.

Perfect.

Her fingers darted across the keys, eyes focused on the various folders and documents he had across his desktop. Most of them, she ignored, but it was the student registry she wanted, assuming he had access to it. He did, luckily. She ducked into it and ran through the letters, searching for Jaune Arc. She let out a bated breath as she found his file.

 _I've done it,_ she thought. She licked her lips and opened it.

 _-Password Required-_

"Damn it!" Blake hissed. It did feel almost too good to be true. "Why would he leave his terminal unlocked but have a password for individual folders?" she groaned. "How would he remember that many passwords?"

"I've been told I have a good memory."

Blake reared back in panic. A hand against the back of her seat prevented her from jumping out, however. She glanced behind her to see a green suit, then trailed her eyes up to meet those of the headmaster.

"Good evening, Miss Belladonna." He smiled. "I wasn't aware you were coming to pay me a visit."

Her heart fell. Should she run, should she try to escape? It was her immediate thought, but this wasn't some SDC Security Officer. He knew her name, where she slept and had influence over her. He could end her tenure in Beacon as easily as he could have her arrested. "How?" she whispered.

"How did I know?" Ozpin chuckled and stepped around the desk. To her embarrassment he took one of the simple wooden seats and left her in his opulent one. The comparison didn't do anything to change their roles, however. "When you entered my office, you set off a silent alarm," he said. "Normally, it's to alert me to anyone who has come for an appointment, but since I was in a meeting with my colleagues at the time, I decided to come and see what it was." He lowered his glasses to look at her. "Imagine my surprise when I see a particular student perusing my files."

That explained how he'd known, but not how she failed to detect his entry. Her eyes darted to the elevator, but he caught her.

"I have an alternative entry, should I need it." His smile said he wouldn't be informing her of it. "Of course, it is not I who should be answering questions, don't you think?"

Blake shrunk in on herself. She didn't speak. There wasn't any point, really. No amount of excuses would get her out of this, nor would anything else she might say. If Ozpin was upset with her stubborn defiance, he didn't show it. If anything, he looked amused.

"You have broken the rules in entering the office of a teacher without permission," he said, "but because you were unable to access that folder, you did not break any laws. You have nothing to fear but a detention with Miss Goodwitch." He smiled and took a sip of coffee. "Then again, perhaps that is reason enough to fear."

She looked up in shock. She wasn't going to be expelled? Ozpin seemed to understand her concern easily enough.

"Far be it for me to deprive our people of a potential huntress. In terms of legality, your actions are ill-thought out and deserving of punishment, but surely no more so than the actions of others. Mr Arc, for instance, assaulted several peers when he was under the influence of drugs. Technically speaking, he should have been expelled for that."

Anger surged to life within her. Her head snapped up, to look directly into the headmaster's eyes. "He didn't have any control of his actions!" she said. "You can't hold him responsible for what happened!"

"Ah, a reaction…" He chuckled when she ducked her head and cursed. "Fear not, Mr Arc suffered no punishment for his actions and won't. It was merely an example. Breaking into my office was foolish, accessing my terminal even more so, but you have not yet acquired anything for which I would feel the need to punish you unduly. You will serve a detention, and I trust this will not happen again."

"It won't, sir." Blake ducked her head, more than aware of how kind he was being. He had every right to do worse to her. "Thank you… and I'm sorry."

"If you'll forgive me frank nature, you do not _look_ very sorry."

Blake's head snapped up. "I am. I didn't mean to-"

"Get caught?" Ozpin laughed when her cheeks flushed. "Miss Belladonna, while we have not had much reason to interact personally, I believe I know enough of your past to say you are a young woman not unused to making difficult decisions. As such, I believe you are sorry that you were caught, and didn't intend to be, but that you are not at all sorry for attempting this in the first place." He paused to watch her. "Is that right?"

She didn't answer. How could she? He was pretty much spot on. _If only I knew the password, I could have gotten in. I could have found what I needed._

"I thought as much," he said. "We all have reasons for the decisions we make, and I dare say if someone can apologise so soon after making their choice, then it was ill-thought out to begin with. Tell me, my dear, what is it you wished to find?"

She didn't have to tell him, she knew that. He'd as good as said she would only get a detention, so she could have shrugged and let it go – but a part of her was desperate. _I've already come this far. I've already tried and failed. I can't afford to keep failing._ She looked up into his eyes.

"I wanted to find out why you recruited Jaune into Beacon." She wouldn't mention Yang or Sun. There was no need to bring them into it.

"Recruited?" Ozpin asked. "Whatever do you-"

"I know he didn't want to attend. I know you had something to do with Yang and how it led to Jaune being taken in as well."

"Well, it seems Miss Xiao-Long has shared that story with you." Ozpin leaned back but didn't seem too upset by the line of questioning. "I did push the issue on Mr Arc, I shall admit."

"Why?"

"Potential, I suppose. In truth, I was more interested in your partner. As much as he may not believe it, a decision _was_ necessary to ensure Miss Xiao-Long didn't suffer for her crimes."

"That place was part of the criminal underground," Blake said. She'd seen as much when they went down there, and Yang told her. "Why arrest and charge her for something like that?"

"Because when she was arrested, they had committed no crimes." Ozpin sighed. "Had they attacked her, I might have been able to claim it as self-defence, but the two of them incapacitated all who attempted to stop them. I was left with a situation where the only one to blame for the whole debacle was a prospective student of mine. I did not wish to lose Miss Xiao-Long. Mr Arc, came as an added bonus, but that was all."

That was it? It wasn't what she'd hoped for, nor anything that could help her or Yang in figuring out what was going on. The disappointment must have shown on her face, for Ozpin sighed.

"I take it that was not the answer you wished for?" he asked. It wasn't, no. She'd wanted something about him being involved with the White Fang in the past, or being a victim of an attack. She'd hoped for something obvious, a story they could understand, that they could use to figure out why he did things and use to help him. Ozpin sighed. "Miss Belladonna, why don't you tell me what it is you _wished_ to achieve? If it bothers you, I shall not share the information – nor will I consider any _additional_ punishments above what you have already received."

She bit her lip and tried to keep the words in. He was good, she would admit. He managed to sound just supportive enough, just kind enough, that she wanted to trust him. Years dealing with racism warned her against that, however.

But she was desperate… she needed something – and he was the only person left that she felt might have the answers.

She told him.

She told him everything – bar who else was involved in her scheme. Ozpin sat through it calmly. He didn't interrupt, even if his eyebrows rose once or twice. He would always adopt a calm face a moment after, sipping his coffee as she explained. When she was done, he sighed.

"I see. I cannot fault your desire to help a teammate, Miss Belladonna, but your execution could perhaps use work. Might I ask why you did not simply ask Mr Arc?"

"He would never tell me," she scoffed. "He's too good a liar, or maybe just too good at distracting us whenever he doesn't want to talk about something. He always does it, even if it's something little or unimportant." Blake blew out some air from her nose. Her eyes narrowed as she bit back a growl. Jaune could be so irresponsibly irritating! "Sometimes it feels like he has a million secrets he won't share with us."

"All men have secrets, my dear. Some are not for sharing."

"Well, maybe they should be when they start nearly getting you killed. I know about secrets, I have my own, but the moment they came back to try and _hurt_ my team, I told them all about it! Jaune… it feels like he runs into danger all the time and yet we _still_ don't know why."

"I must admit some surprise." Ozpin said. "I was not aware any secrets of his had endangered your team as of yet." He had a point, but missed out the rather obvious factor. Blake scowled and glared at him.

"Jaune is _part_ of our team. If he gets hurt, then it affects the team. I just… it's so frustrating to know he's hurting himself and won't ask us for help."

"You sound angry."

"I am," she agreed. "He has no respect for his safety, yet treats us like glass. We're expected to sit on the side lines and stay safe as he runs around risking his life. I'm not made of glass and I'm not going to shatter if a Grimm hits me. None of us are!" She sighed and rubbed one hand down her face. "I feel like we _will_ shatter if he dies, however. Of course, getting him to realise that is just about impossible." Ozpin chuckled to himself.

"It's not unusual for those who care about others to prioritise their safety," he said. "It's also not unusual for some to forget that others might wish the same in return. Some of us spend so much time believing we are the only ones who can do something that we forget the world does not revolve around us."

Exactly, that was exactly it! Jaune acted like he was the only one who could deal with Mountain Glenn, like _he_ had to save her at the docks. Even when she and the others went out to the warehouse, and did absolutely _fine_ , he got angry because they went without _him_. He was angry because he felt they'd be dead if he wasn't there to hold their hand every step of the way. Blake sighed. She felt emotionally exhausted. "I just want him to treat us like equals," she said. "I'm not asking him to change or do things differently."

"You just want him to ask for your help." Ozpin finished. Blake's eyes widened.

"Yes. I just want him to work with us, to let us help him like he's helped us. He can't keep doing this. Sooner or later, he's going to burn out."

Blake's rant finished as suddenly as it had begun, and it wasn't until she heard the headmaster's soft laughter that she realised all the things she'd said. _He tricked me,_ she realised. _He used my emotions against me. I've never been so angry before, I've never given so much away._ She clenched her eyes shut and cursed herself for a million different kinds of a fool. She'd gotten sloppy. Jaune always seemed to make her mess up like that.

"An interesting reason, I will admit." The Headmaster rose to his feet and finished the last of his coffee. "I suppose at the very least, it confirms my decision not to punish you further. While misguided, your intent was not to cause harm or damage Beacon in any way."

"I wouldn't do that." she said.

"I believe you, Miss Belladonna. In fact, I find myself quite impressed to see you now; compared to the young woman I once met. I do believe you made mention of how people would not accept you, or how you were not at Beacon to make friends." She glowered and looked away, but there was no denying what they both knew. She'd just ranted about her friend, after all. "Well, I must go and collect a form to fill in for your detention," he went on. "Will you wait here while I fetch it? I shall only be ten minutes or so."

Confusion settled on Blake's shoulders. Wait in his office. Why? She looked up to him, but the headmaster wore only an enigmatic smile. Blake nodded. It took her a second to realise she was still in his seat, and that it made it look as though he were the errant student. The analogy made her cheeks darken, if only because of how stupid it was. "Yes, sir, I'll wait."

"Very good." Ozpin strolled towards the elevator door, but then paused. "Your teammate," he said. "Mr Arc… he is quite the wildcard, is he not?"

"Huh?" She looked at the headmaster.

"Think on it," he said. "I will only be ten minutes, Miss Belladonna."

The door swished open and shut behind him.

Blake stared at it, unsure why exactly he hadn't made her follow or even delayed it until tomorrow. It wasn't like she was going to leave Beacon in the middle of the night. Her eyes trailed down to her hands, still before the keyboard set into the desk.

Her eyes widened. Could he…? No, surely not.

But what if it was so?

She swallowed and brought up the screen once more. It hadn't moved, but she didn't have much time. She brought up the same folder as the last time, and attempted to open Jaune's. It prompted her for a password as it had before, but this time she had one to enter.

 _Wildcard_

It opened.

"He…?" She couldn't finish. She swallowed and ignored it. "Ten minutes," she whispered. "I need to be quick." She flicked through it as best she could. There were his grades, which she ignored, along with information on his family. She didn't want to intrude on his privacy, which felt a weak justification for what she was already doing, but this wasn't for her curiosity. Instead, she found a folder labelled criminal record and delved into it. Surely, it would contain information about the crime Ozpin had apparently pinned on him, the reason he'd been recruited.

It did, but the file didn't offer much in the way of answers. _It's like Ozpin said, the only charge is for disorder and criminal damage and it even mentions Yang by name. He told the truth, then. He really did force Jaune here just to ensure Yang's place._ There was a mention of a tracker which was worth a raised eyebrow, but she ignored it. If Jaune wore one, he kept it hidden, and probably for good reason. She wouldn't intrude.

Another folder caught her eye as she left the first, one labelled `Movements`. She opened it, curious as to what it might mean. The folder was filled with images, each labelled with a date and time on the bottom. There were hundreds, if not thousands, and Blake let out a long sigh as she looked at them all.

There was no chance she had time the time to sift through all of those. Why did Ozpin even have maps? She opened one in and recognised it as Vale easily enough. There was a marker too, along with a dotted line. "This must be the tracker. I guess these were taken automatically and uploaded to Ozpin's terminal. It's not like he would have had the time to label and date each and every file."

She was about to leave it, but a sub-folder drew her attention. It was labelled with one word "Interesting". _Well, let's see what's so interesting, shall we?_

Of interest, apparently, were several maps. Far fewer in number and dated more than a few days apart, they were no different from the others. Her eyes narrowed as she looked at the dates. Each seemed to come in a pair of two days, with one being the thirteenth and fourteenth of the month, and then another pair being the twentieth and twenty-first. She opened and maximised one of them.

"Jaune was in Vale," she whispered. Her eyes tracked his dot and the line he'd left behind. Apparently, it was a map which showed his movements over the course of a single hour. She checked the time at the bottom, and then reared back. "One-thirty in the morning? Why would he be out in Vale at that time?"

She closed it down and opened another. This one was much the same, albeit at a point before midnight – but still on a weekday. Jaune's tracker suggested he'd left Beacon and gone into the city, but that couldn't be right. _This is silly. It even claims he went into the ocean at one point, but unless he's got a secret life as a skinny dipper, I doubt he'd bother with that._

If he wanted to swim, Beacon actually had a pool, not to mention the water's edge down the cliff. He didn't need to go all the way into the city – and certainly not to go swimming in the sludge off the industrial district.

Wait, the industrial district? Wasn't that where the two of them had gone looking for White Fang warehouses?

Blake pulled out of the image and inspected the dates once more. Damn it… she couldn't _remember_ the exact dates when they'd gone out. She'd been too busy at the time and it wasn't like she kept a detailed diary of her vigilante activities. _The month fits, though. The second image always seems to have limited movement too. Jaune comes into Vale, but just kind of sits in one spot for an hour before returning._

Could that be the times when she went with him? There was no tracker for her, of course, but she could easily imagine herself crouched by his side. The maps certainly seemed to match up, even if the detail wasn't that good.

If anything, the fact they _had_ been out on those days as good as proved it.

 _But why would he have come the day before as well? I did tell him about the places I wanted us to check out, but what would be the point going there on his own?_

The answer hit her like one of Yang's punches. It had much the same effect too, rattling her so hard that she fell back in Ozpin's seat. No… surely not? Would he really have gone that far, _just_ to prevent her fighting the White Fang?

What a stupid question… of course he would.

Blake heard the elevator whir and closed the terminal once more. Her hands shook as she did, her mouth unusually dry. When the headmaster entered, she doubted he could possibly have missed how shaken she looked.

He didn't once comment on it.

He gave her a detention slip, warned her against breaking into his office – and sent her on her way.

Yang…

Yang had to know.

* * *

 **I realise Jaune has been rather passive, these last few chapters, but I'd just like to say that is on purpose. He is recovering, but the world continues to move on despite this. There isn't much else for me to say here, as I kind of need to take a running jump at Professor Arc now. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter - The Daughter's Duo move closer to discovering things, but Ozpin has his own games, as always.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 6th May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	38. Chapter 38

**Hey guys, there's a bit of an important note at the bottom, but I'll tl;dr it here as well.**

 **I kind of need to take a one week holiday from writing, partly for health reasons, partly for quality reasons. Therefore, the next chapter of this won't come out until two weeks – the 18** **th** **May. After that, things will go back to normal, but there's just going to be a week where I'm missing.**

 **As said, there will be notes at the bottom to fully explain. I've made this a slightly larger chapter, however, in order to balance it out.**

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 **Note: There's a chance no alerts will be sent for this. It's a problem many authors have had all week! If so, then I do know, but there is nothing I can do until the site is fixed. If there are alerts, however... then never mind.**

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 **Beta** : College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 38 - Through the Looking Glass**

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The three met in a dark and abandoned classroom, like they were out of some dramatic spy thriller. It was Yang's doing, Blake was sure. Her partner loved that kind of thing, though judging from Sun's grin, he wasn't against the idea. She stepped in and closed the door behind her.

"Agent Blake returns," Yang said. "Was your mission successful?"

"It was successful," she said, and then, after a pregnant pause added, "I'm not calling you Agent Yang. It's bad enough we have to do this with the lights out, but I'm not playing your silly games."

"Agent Yang thinks Agent Blake is breaking protocol." She turned to the other blonde. "What does Agent Sun believe?"

"Agent Sun-"

"Agent _Blake_ believes," she interrupted, "that if the two of you don't stop speaking in the third person, she is going to walk away and not tell you anything." She crossed her arms and regarded them with a raised eyebrow. Yang gave in with a loud sigh.

"Alright, sheesh, talk about being a buzz kill. Can't we have a little fun around here?"

"This isn't a game."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Yang shot her a withering look, and Blake's ire slowly faded. "I'm not saying we don't take this seriously, but there's no reason we can't try to inject a little levity into what is a messed-up situation."

"Maybe, but I'm not in the mood right now." Blake sighed and pulled out a seat to sit down on. Her eyes met Yang's. "Ozpin caught me breaking into his terminal."

"Wait, you actually _did_ that!? Blake, it was a joke! I didn't mean you should actually try and break into his stuff."

"I know Yang, I know. It's just… asking Jaune would have gotten nowhere. You know what he's like; he would have distracted me or just lied about it. I didn't have a choice. The only way I could think to find out why Jaune was brought here was to learn the headmaster's reason."

"And he caught you at it, great." Yang rubbed a hand down her face and paced about the room. "What's going to happen? Are you in trouble? If you need it, I'll talk to him and say I put you up to it."

She would go that far? Blake felt a smile creep onto her face at Yang's almost immediate offer. "You don't have to," she said. "He caught me, but he said a detention would do. He… it felt like he knew what I wanted there. He played with me, said because I didn't get into his files, there was no crime."

"Breaking into his office and accessing his terminal isn't bad enough?" Sun asked. "Is discipline always that light here?"

"Well, we did get out of that food fight without so much as a slap on the wrist," Yang said. Blake shook her head.

"This is different. He was curious… I think he wanted to know why I did it. Maybe he thought a softer approach would be better." She bit her lip. "A part of me thinks he suspected I was acting as a White Fang traitor, and that was his way of giving me a chance to prove him wrong. He… he does know about what I was before Beacon. It's a sensible concern to have."

"You proved him wrong, right? I don't want to imagine soldiers breaking our door down while I'm in the shower." Blake nodded. "How did you do it?"

Ah… there was the difficult question. She tried to think of a good way to put it, but nothing came to mind. In the end, and in the face of an insistent Yang, she told the truth. "I told him about Jaune."

"You told him? You just… up and told him why you'd broken into his office?"

Blake cringed. "Yeah…"

"Oh, wow…" Yang rolled her eyes. "So let me get this straight, the first time Sun approached you, he got the full story, and now the first time Ozpin catches you, it's the full reveal for him as well. Geez Blake, aren't you meant to be the sneaky one? Is this how things were done in the White Fang as well?"

"To be fair, the main point of terrorism is to _be_ noticed." Blake's point died off as Yang stared at her. "You don't understand, Yang. He just appeared behind me, I was caught off-guard, I didn't know what to do. I also had to convince him I was somehow breaking into his office for a benign reason, and not because I was trying to plant a bomb. Forgive me if I was a little desperate to prove he didn't need to kill me right then and there."

"Alright, fine… this isn't a complete loss. So you got out of it, with a detention, and the headmaster knows what we're doing." She sighed and sat down on the desk. "I guess that's not a big deal. It's not like we're doing anything against the rules. I'm not sure where we go from here if you didn't find anything, though."

Blake's face slowly morphed into a wide grin. It didn't take Yang long to notice, and when she did, her eyes widened.

"You found something, didn't you?"

"I might have."

Yang laughed. She kicked off the desk and dragged a chair across to sit in front of Blake. Her eyes were bright, her teeth even more so. "How?" she asked. "No, forget that – what did you find?"

Blake took a deep breath and settled herself into as comfortable a position as she could. "The how is kind of important too." she said. "When I told him the reason I was trying to find out what information he had, he as good as told me it himself." Blake spared a glance towards Sun and chose her words wisely. "He said he only really pressured Jaune to come to Beacon because he knew it would enable you to." She followed it up with a meaningful glance, but Yang caught it easily enough.

"Huh, not what I expected… not sure I believe it either, to be honest. It seems a little convenient for that to be the only reason."

"Um…?" Sun raised a hand. Blake shook her head.

"Sorry Sun. That one's a little private."

He looked between Yang and her for a moment, but clearly decided not to push when he saw Yang's grimace. Blake appreciated his tact, partly because she didn't expect it of him. Maybe he'd learned more from Jaune than she thought.

"I got onto his terminal either way," she said. "That's what I meant about him playing me… when I told him what I was after, he made up some excuse to leave and gave me ten minutes alone with his files. He even gave me the password to Jaune's."

"Weird…"

"Suspicious, more like," Sun said. "I can't think of any teacher in Haven who would do something like that. You'd have been strung up the moment you broke in, not rewarded and then given free reign. That's ridiculous."

"Sun's got a point," Yang said. "I know Ozpin can be pretty lax on the rules, both from the food fight but also letting Ruby in early, but this is a bit much. It's especially weird since he knew you might have had way more dangerous motives." Yang gave her an apologetic smile for that, but Blake didn't feel offended. She was right, after all. Ozpin had good reason to be concerned, not let her through. "Maybe it was a test," Yang added. "I mean, it's not like if you were with the White Fang still, you could have used Jaune's details to cause problems."

Blake sighed. "That's what you think."

"Huh?"

"In his files, there were a number of maps. It turns out Jaune had a tracker of some kind after he got into Beacon, to make sure he didn't run away. Still private, Sun," Blake added, earning a sigh from him. "The point is, it made maps of wherever Jaune travelled, at whatever time. It even tracked the nights when he went out with me to investigate the White Fang."

"And if they get hold of those, it might lead to him being attacked." Yang sighed. "I guess that means Uncle Qrow told the truth about the training. You remember he said Ozpin was worried about us being targeted? Maybe it was over this."

"Maybe," Blake acknowledged, "but I doubt it. You need to remember, it would be a lot of work to find out Jaune's presence there, and pretty unnecessary too. You, me and Weiss were hardly inconspicuous when we busted that warehouse and recovered the Paladins."

"True… but what's he worried about then? Why give you access to Jaune's files?"

"Because he wanted me to find something else," Blake said. It was the knowledge that had bothered her ever since, and continued to leave her in a foul mood. She tried to think of a good way to say it, but instead went for the blunt approach. "Those nights where Jaune and I snuck out," she said. "The maps show that he went to the exact same locations exactly one day before we both did."

"What!?" Yang almost fell out of her seat. "What do you mean? Why would he bother doing that?"

Blake's frustration spilled over. "Isn't it obvious?" she asked. "He did it to keep _me_ from finding anything of value. It's just another example of him putting everyone else before himself, except that he wasted my time by not telling me the places had been raided." She thumbed her eyes and let out a long breath. "I imagine if they _had_ been dangerous, he would have found some way of delaying or getting us lost."

"It wasn't dangerous though, was it? At least he didn't get into any fights."

"He would have if your uncle hadn't already taken them down. Imagine what might have happened if the White Fang had been there or worse, Torchwick."

That shut Yang up, and sent her smile spiralling into a frown.

"Did he do it each and every time?" Yang asked.

"I don't know. It's not like I remembered the exact dates we went out, and I didn't have long to look at each of the maps. I only checked the first two, but I can't see any other reason for him to spend two days in a row at each warehouse."

"What about the day _we_ raided the warehouse?"

Blake frowned. "What about it? He was here in Beacon."

"Part of me isn't so sure…" Yang mumbled something under her breath and looked away. "Never mind, I'll consider _that_ later. The main point is he's running headfirst into danger again. It looks like the trend is more commonplace than we thought."

Blake nodded. She rose from her seat and moved towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Yang asked.

"To confront him, obviously."

"Whoah!" Yang lurched forward, her seat clattering to the ground. She dove forward and snagged Blake by the arm. It was a wonderfully theatrical display, but rather pointless since Blake hadn't moved since Yang's opening word. "You can't just confront him," she said.

"Why not?" Blake pulled her wrist away and scowled. Not at Yang, nor Sun, but that suicidal idiot. What was he thinking, going to those places without her? Did he not imagine what she might have felt like if he'd been killed, if he'd been hurt and she only found out days later that it was her fault? "I'm not going to stand for him doing this, Yang. It's one thing to push me out the way of a falling piece of rubble, or save me from my own mistake, but this is him wilfully endangering himself."

"Was," Sun Said. "I doubt it's happened since."

Like that mattered. Blake threw one hand in the air, her expression more than enough to dismiss his point. Yang caught her hand and brought both together, holding them between their bodies. Her face was sincere.

"I know, Blake. Trust me, I really do. Even if I'm not showing it, I'm as angry – if not more – than you. We _can't_ confront him on it, though."

Those weren't the words she wanted to hear. Her eyes scrunched shut and she took a deep breath before opening them once more. When she did, they were as calm as she could make them. A storm still raged inside her, however. "Why can't we?" she asked.

"Because he'll deny it," Yang said. "He will say he didn't do it, or that you must have read it wrong, or that he went _after_ the event when it was safe. He might even say there must have been a glitch and the dates were wrong." She shrugged one shoulder. "You can't prove any of it."

"Or he could admit it," Sun added, "and that would be it. I doubt it's a crime for him to cut ahead of you and go before you did. It's not like you can get him in any trouble."

"He's right, Blake. Even if Jaune does admit what happened, he can just shrug and ask what the problem is. Technically speaking, wasn't your deal that he'd help you check those places?" Yang waited for her reluctant nod. "Then it's done. He stuck to the promise of helping you… he just checked first to make sure it wouldn't be dangerous."

"At risk to himself," she protested.

"Yeah, and I agree that sucks. Sun's right when he says Jaune hasn't broken any rules, though. Even if we confront him, nothing will come of it. Hell, we even know the reason why he did it, so it's not like we need to ask him." Yang let go of Blake's hands and rubbed her forehead. "Got to say though, now we know he risked himself on his own, it makes him a serious hypocrite for bitching us out for going as a trio." She grinned. "I'll make him pay for that one day. I felt like crap after he told us off."

"How can you be so relaxed about this?" Blake asked, stepping back. She shook her head from side to side, more annoyed than she dared admit. "If we can't confront him, then we've got nothing. All of this was a waste of time and we're back to square one. How are you so blasé about this?"

"I'm not!" Yang shouted. Her eyes flashed red for an instant. It took a visible force of will for the girl to calm herself down, and she looked away as she did. When she turned back, her irises were lilac once more, but the faint twist to her lips was still present. "I'm not relaxed about this, Blake. Not one bit. I'm just being realistic. I'm looking at the situation and thinking that we want results, not satisfaction."

"What do you mean?"

"Confronting Jaune," Yang said. "That'll make us feel better about ourselves, let us vent and yell at him for being an idiot, but it's not going to change anything." She sighed and crossed her arms, leaning back against the classroom door. "Do you think for even a minute he'd not do it again, just because we told him off for it?"

Blake knew he would. That was just the kind of stubborn idiot he was. "No…" she said.

"Exactly. He'd do it again in a flash, the only difference being that he'd take care about it. He'd know we were watching and find a way to do it without us finding out. We'd blow our only advantage, and for what – to make us feel good about catching him?" She shook her head. "That's why we can't confront him, Blake. All it's going to do is tip him off."

Shame welled up inside of her. Had she really wanted to throw the knowledge in his face just for her own satisfaction? She was supposed to be trying to help him, not herself. Her shoulders sagged. She couldn't meet Yang's eyes. "I didn't mean… I…" She broke off when a hand landed on her shoulder.

"Hey, I know," her partner said. "I got angry too, Blake. I just figured it out a little earlier. You're the one who found this info out, so you just had longer to get worked up over it. I'm not blaming you or something."

"Yang's got a point," Sun said. He stepped forward with a wide smile. "Besides, doesn't getting emotional about it just show how much you care? I doubt you'd be this angry if it were someone not important to you."

"He's right, Blake. Heh, for once."

"Hey!"

Sun's dismay made her smile, not to mention Yang's teasing. She took a deep breath and let it go, feeling her anger drain away with it. "You're right," she said. "Both of you. There's not much point going to him over it. So… what do we do?"

Yang grinned. "We use what we have. We know Jaune visited those places before you went there, and we're pretty sure we know why, but not the full story. I'll try and talk with my Uncle Qrow about it, but for the most part we just need to watch him and make sure if anything White Fang or criminal-related comes up, we can step in to keep an eye on him."

"I'll help," Sun said. "I'm the only one here that everyone knows is a faunus. You'd be surprised how many faunus out in Vale openly talk about the White Fang when they don't think any humans are nearby."

Blake nodded. It was something Adam had tried to drill into new recruits, but it was always the staunch racists that caused the most trouble. They came in as fanatics, convinced that humans were the enemy and that every faunus was an ally. It was always a tricky thing, especially since the White Fang needed the fanatical idiots more than they did the desperate ones.

"One thing _is_ bothering me, though," Sun went on. "Yang… I don't think you should talk to your Uncle about this."

"Huh? Why not? Uncle Qrow is cool. He wouldn't tell Jaune."

"But he would tell Ozpin," Blake filled in. She looked over to Sun with sudden realisation. "Sun has a point, Yang. Remember that Qrow started to train us when Ozpin asked him to. He was also put onto our mission by the headmaster, when he just so happens to be the huntsman most involved in fighting against the White Fang right now. Don't you think that's a little convenient?"

To Yang's credit, it didn't take her long to figure it out.

"You think Ozpin put Qrow in charge of Mountain Glenn because he was suspicious about Jaune?" She looked like she wanted to argue it, but couldn't. "That _would_ explain why he spends so much time talking to Jaune whenever he trains us."

"Yeah, it just sounds a little too much," Sun said. "It sounds like Ozpin has an interest in him. Didn't you say earlier you didn't believe what he said about recruiting Jaune?"

"I did…" Yang sighed. "Okay, I guess we'll keep Uncle Qrow out of it for now. If things get dangerous though, I think it'll be worth asking him. I wonder what Ozpin wants with Jaune, though?"

A flicker of memory came back to her mind.

"Wild card…"

"Hm? Blake?" Yang asked.

"Wild card," she repeated, louder this time. "That's the password that he had for Jaune's file on his terminal."

"Only Jaune's was protected?"

"I… I don't know," she admitted. "I didn't think to check anyone else's." An oversight for sure. If she could have determined whether it was everyone or _just_ Jaune's, then it would have brought a lot of answers. "Even so, the password is unique enough, isn't it?"

"I'll say," Yang nodded and crossed her arms. "What counts as a wild card anyway?"

"Someone unpredictable," Blake answered. "A person who doesn't follow the rules…"

"Or a playing card that can have any value, suit, colour or other property in a game," Sun replied.

"Curiously specific definition, Sun."

He held up his scroll with a guilty smile. Ah, so he'd searched the definition. Still, it was an interesting addition. Someone who could be any value, suit or colour? In a card game, that would provide incredible flexibility. In fact, it would be overpowered.

"Game breaking…" she whispered.

"Blake?"

"That's what he means," she said. "A wild card is something that can break rules, expectations and the game itself."

"But what game is the headmaster playing, and with who?"

"Considering he's had a Huntsman close to him attack three White Fang warehouses and shut down an operation in Mountain Glenn," Sun pointed out. "I'd say the _who_ ought to be obvious."

"As for what kind of game," Blake filled in with a sigh. "I'd say a very dangerous one…"

Sun sighed. "This just got even more complicated, didn't it?"

"That's Jaune for you," Yang laughed. "You can still back out if you want. Blake and I can do this on our own. He's our team leader, and it was the two of us that formed the Daughterly Duo."

"I'd feel bad if I folded now." Sun sighed and shoved his hands into his pockets. "One thing, though. If I'm going to be a part of this, can we _please_ change the name?"

"Nope. You're a daughter now. Deal with it."

"Sorry, Sun," Blake said. "I tried to make her change it when this all started but…" She looked at Yang as though that explained everything. It really did.

"Ugh… just my luck. Any rules?"

"Yeah," Yang nodded. "Don't tell Weiss. We're worried she'll-"

"Freak out, confront him, tie him to a bed, hire a team of crack snipers to watch his every move, completely overreact?" Sun listed, expression flat. Yang grinned.

"All of the above and a few more to boot." Yang held a hand out between them, palm down.

"Yeah, I figured." Sun laughed and placed his hand above Yang's. Both their eyes flicked to her. "You in, Blake?"

Hmph, did they even need to ask?

She placed her hand above theirs.

/-/

Jaune rubbed his forehead.

He could feel the dull headache forming, though for once it was less to do with soul-crushing despair and more the heavy books before him. Several thick tomes were stretched out over the library table, most of them already read through – several times in fact. Each was a study into aura, its manipulation and how it worked.

One would have thought with the onset of scrolls and technology, the use for books would be a thing of the past, but all he'd come across on medical forums was idiot huntsmen and huntresses asking why their aura hadn't protected them from STD's, the common cold or a range of other pointless maladies.

Not for the first time, he wished Oobleck was around. The man was a walking dictionary in his own right, and just loved to find the answer to any question he didn't know the answer to. Unfortunately, he was still on leave, and from what Jaune heard it was something grief-related. Perhaps a loss in the family; he wasn't sure. Hell, maybe it happened every repeat and he just hadn't noticed. _My attention tends to be on a certain raven-haired woman around this time of my lives. Not in the good way, either._

With a sigh and a mental reprimand for trying to escape the task at hand, Jaune leaned back over the book and began to read. _While aura's protective properties shield individuals from physical harm, its protection does not extend to ailments of a biological, psychological or toxicological nature. This can be tested and seen in everyday life, as even those with prodigious auras suffer from illness, stress and the effects of alcohol._

"Huh, I guess that explains why I could still be drugged." Then again, if aura didn't work that way, there would be no medical treatment beyond bandaging a wound and hoping for the best.

 _While those with aura can contract illness, it's worth noting that even in the most extreme and life-endangering cases, a person's aura does not suffer. In the same way aura offers no protection against illness, illness does not drain aura in turn. Naturally, this is of little benefit to those about to die, but does work to remind huntsmen that even when badly ill or suffering an infection, they can still rely on their aura in the event of a Grimm attack._ There were a few annotations and citations to follow that up, all related to research he made a small note to check out if he got desperate.

The results themselves were interesting enough, however. If illness and aura were unrelated – and Qrow's perpetual inebriation was proof of that – then surely it stood to reason, his aura couldn't have been impacted or blocked by some kind of condition.

"That doesn't answer any questions, though." He sighed and massaged his temples, eyes scrunched shut. It only eliminated one possibility, that he was sick and it was blocking his aura. That was a problem, since he'd been sort of hoping for that.

 _If it was a physical problem, it would go away when I start the next repeat and get a new body. If this is something else… can I say the same?_

What would happen if it didn't go away? What would happen if his aura failed him – forever onwards from this point?

That was simple… he would die.

In the short term, anyway. The bigger picture was a little more nightmarish. Without aura, there would be no amount of bullshitting or outsmarting his way through his enemies. He would die and repeat, and however long he survived after the point of initiation would determine how far back he went. Without aura, and with fate conspiring to place him in Beacon, that was sure to be a short period. It might get shorter and shorter, drawing him back until he died only a day after initiation.

He would then wake up in the auditorium, the night before the test. If he then died _in_ the test, he would wake up only a few minutes or hours before the launch.

Eventually, it might be cut down _to_ the launch.

That was where things started to resemble a horror movie. Without the time to escape, he would be launched into the forest, where Pyrrha would pin him to a tree as she had in his original lifetime. She would then attempt to unlock his aura, which would activate – for he still _had_ aura, his scroll said so. It just wouldn't protect him from the Grimm that infested the Emerald Forest. He would die to one of them, perhaps the Nevermore or Deathstalker, perhaps something lesser. He would die… and he would repeat. Launch, die… and do it again.

Over and over… and over…

 _Would my mind shatter from the strain, or would it be worse…? What if I got a new mind each time, never able to escape the endless cycle of being thrown to my death before a forest filled with Grimm I could never hope to defeat?_

It sounded, if one would pardon his Yang, rather grim.

"It won't happen," he whispered. "I won't let it happen. I need to find out what's causing this. If it keeps on happening and I repeat, I might not have the time or resources to research it. If that happens and I get killed early, the repeats begin and I'm trapped for eternity." A part of him thought that should have terrified him more, but he was strangely calm about it.

Oh no, wait, that was probably just the shock numbing him. His right hand was shaking, a clear sign of… well, something. He didn't know what, but it never normally shook, so it was either rain, fear or some kind of disease. Given the topic, he'd go with gut-wrenching terror at what promised to be the most horrific fate imaginable.

 _Okay, let's consider what I know. My aura was fine when everything started. It helped me against the Grimm that attacked Mom, not to mention Yang in the nightclub. I know I started to take small wounds around that time, though… things that wouldn't normally cause problems._ So, his aura had begun to weaken… but when had that started? It still held true against Cardin in his spar. _I did cut my finger while half-swording… I remember using it as an excuse to leave when Glynda was too shocked at my fighting style. Heh, good times._

Only a few months back, however, it seemed to fail completely. There was the fight against the Malachites, where Melanie scored a deep cut on his side. There was also the time he'd traipsed about as Silver and Weiss gave him a lovely scar to the right of his breastbone. By then, it stopped protecting him.

Which didn't add up…

 _I fell into the subways to save Blake in Mountain Glenn. I was knocked out when I hit the bottom, but with all that rubble, I should have died. That's nothing compared to the train, though. Those White Fang may have been untrained, but they had numbers enough to swam a drugged-up guy with no aura. I was practically uninjured at the end – my aura `had` to be working!_

His eyes widened. The fire too – when he'd stepped before an attack from Cinder to protect Weiss. He could remember his aura flaring to shield him from that. Did it have something to do with who he was against?

No, that didn't make sense… aura didn't pick and choose, and if it did, it surely wouldn't have let Melanie Malachite of all people cut him. She wasn't quite the same level of pure evil as Cinder, not even close, but she was still a bitch. More than that, an SDC droid? Unless those were going through some pretty Penny-like changes, he doubted they have enough sentience for his aura to balk.

Come to think of it, had he even introduced Penny to Ruby? Did it even matter? _Actually, I don't even think she was at the dance. I guess since Ruby didn't join in to look for Blake, she didn't meet Penny… and since Penny didn't find a friend, she didn't bother to ask Ironwood if she could attend the Beacon dance._ He felt a little bit of guilt at that, but there were bigger things to focus on.

"Hey Jaune." Ruby appeared at his side, as if by magic, but more likely her Semblance. There was a small flutter of rose petals behind her to give it away. "You know Weiss is looking for you, right?"

"No, but it's an easy guess."

Ruby frowned, "You're not supposed to be wandering around on your own. She's really worried, Jaune. You shouldn't have snuck off like that. What if you got hurt and there was no one around?"

"Then I'd ask what could have hurt me," he said, but relented when he saw the look in her eyes. "Ruby, it's fine. I'm just reading in the library. I think I can do that without Weiss having to give up four hours of her life as well. She deserves to have a rest instead of looking after my convalescent ass all day."

"Conva…?"

"Recovering from an illness," he explained. "What I mean is that she should have some time for herself and not stick to me like I'll explode if she isn't within five metres at all times."

"Hmm…" Ruby's stern face became a little weaker. She tried to hold it, but he doubted even she could say Weiss hadn't waited on him hand and foot. Eventually, she sighed and plopped down in a seat beside him. "I'll send her a message and tell her it's okay and I'll keep an eye on you," she said. "At least she'll not worry then."

"Thanks, Ruby."

"That doesn't mean you're out of trouble, mister!" Ruby poked his chest and scowled with all the fierceness of a ruffled kitten. "You need to look after yourself more. That way, Weiss wouldn't need to worry _or_ spend her time looking after you."

"Yeah well, I'm doing my best." It wasn't like he'd intended to be captured, beaten up and drugged. His eyes fell back to the books before him, but he couldn't bring himself to dive back into them right now. He turned to Ruby instead. "How are you guys doing anyway? I've not had a chance to see you all as a group. Only you and Nora when you're babysitting me." He made sure to glare at her for that.

"Heh heh, well, you needed it? A-Anyway, we're all doing awesome. I asked Pyrrha if she could put us through some of the training she went through, and that went really well, but then Nora decided to put us through fitness training and that was insane!" Ruby's cheeks puffed out and her face turned red. "She was like a demon, Jaune! Even Pyrrha nearly died, and I thought Ren had – his chest stopped moving."

"Did Nora give him mouth to mouth?"

Ruby giggled. "She tried, but Ren heard her coming and woke up. She looked disappointed."

"Those two…" Jaune shook his head fondly. It was impossible not to know the people who'd been his teammates for so long in and out. He would – and had many times – trusted them with his life. Sometimes they let him down and he died, but had never once been for lack of trying. They would, and had, fought to the last. "I wonder when they'll give in and ravage one another. Hell, I wonder who'll be the first to snap."

Ruby's cheeks darkened, but she smiled nonetheless. "I think it will be Nora," she said. "Pyrrha thinks it will be Ren, though. She says Nora is confident in everything but him, and that she won't ever make the first move."

"Heh, despite that they both are practically together already."

"Yeah, and definitely together-together," she said. The two of them shared a quick look and then descended into laughter.

No matter the time, no matter the circumstances, Ruby's easy friendship had never been absent in his lives. Even on the ones he'd worked for Roman in, he still ended up somehow befriending her. Back then, he'd just been a common criminal, but she saw something in him, as she always did.

"Hey Jaune," she asked, voice sounding a little nervous.

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"Nothing…" Ruby fiddled with her fingers, eyes on the desk before her. "It's just… Nora and Ren act like they fit together, you know?"

He nodded. "Yeah, it's pretty obvious."

"Yeah… like you and Weiss."

His smile fell.

"Forget I mentioned it!" Ruby waved her hands, no doubt having seen his expression. "So, uh… looking forward to the festival?"

Not really, and with good reason. He still smiled for her, if only because she deserved it for not pushing on the other issue. "It should be interesting," he said. "What about you? Can't wait to fight, I guess?"

"Y-Yeah… maybe…" She didn't sound confident.

"Ruby, is something wrong?" She'd never had issues with the competition before, not in the hundreds of times he'd watched her go through it. If anything, she seemed to relish the chance to put her skills to the test. Now, however, she looked incredibly nervous.

"I'm looking forward to it," she said. "It's just… I'm worried."

"About what?"

"About how I'll do." Ruby let out a little sigh and leaned back in her seat, kicking her legs. "Pyrrha's a champion, Nora and Ren are really strong, and I'm just fifteen. Wouldn't you be worried in my place?"

Funnily enough, he didn't think he had been – but he should have. Maybe he'd just been more self-centred back then. Still, he'd never thought Ruby suffered such doubts. She always seemed so excited about the fights.

"You're their team leader, Ruby. I doubt anyone has more of a right to stand by their side than you do."

"That just makes it worse. I'm expected to lead them, to tell them how to fight." She laughed. "Tell Pyrrha how to fight? She's better than I am. Ren and Nora are their own little thing too, and they fight better with each other than they do if I give them orders."

"Then don't give them orders," he said. She was right about those two, and it was a lesson he'd learned himself in time. Nora trusted Ren more than she did anyone else, even him. Ren, on the other hand, knew both their capabilities down to a tee. "A leader doesn't always have to lead. Sometimes the job is just about bringing them together, about being a point they can rally around. It's not that you're worried about though, is it?"

"Ugh… it's weird how you always seem to see through me. You do it to everyone… it's like you know us inside and out."

"Maybe I'm just that awesome."

Ruby stuck her tongue out at him for that.

"Educated guess," he amended. "Are you nervous because of your age? Don't be. You're as good as half the people here in Beacon."

"Well yeah, but I need to be better than all of them if we want to win."

He chuckled. "You think you'll make it all the way to the end?"

"That's what I'm going for." Ruby grinned at him. "Why? You planning to try and stand in my way?"

"I'm not, but Weiss probably will." She was too competitive for her own good, and something like this might as well have been a magnet for her. For him, of course, the whole thing was pointless anyway. There would _be_ no champion.

Only a single winner, and several thousand losers.

"Are you not nervous about it yourself?" Ruby asked.

"Not really. I don't expect to get very far in it."

"You're not even going to try?" Her face was disheartened. "This is a really rare event, Jaune. Are you sure you won't regret missing out on it?"

"Rare…?" He chuckled. For some, maybe. "Is that why you're trying so hard, because it's something new?"

"Nuh-uh." She shook her head. "I'm going to try and win because I don't know if I'll feel bad about not trying later."

Confused, he tilted his head towards her "What do you mean?"

"Well… I know it's not going to be easy. I'm two years younger than everyone else, and there's bound to be loads of people stronger than I am." Ruby smiled weakly down at the floor. Her legs still kicked off the chair ones. "Even with Pyrrha, Ren and Nora, our chances of winning are pretty slim. We're only first years, after all. Pyrrha's a champion, but people with three years more experience will still be stronger than her."

They wouldn't be, but Ruby didn't know what. She thought the best of everyone, that those in the higher years would train even half as hard as she did. They didn't. Ruby was a rare breed. "Why compete, then? The odds are stacked against you, you've said it yourself."

She shrugged. "Because you never know, I guess. We probably won't win, but we definitely won't if we don't try." She smiled up at him. "You can't ever win without trying, Jaune. You know that, right?"

His heart lurched. For a moment, it felt as though the entire library swayed. He feared he might fall, but placed a hand on the table to calm himself. Ruby never seemed to notice.

"I… I know that."

"Hm. So I thought, even if there's no chance, I want to try anyway. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't."

He struggled to breathe once more. Was she doing it on purpose? No, of course not. She didn't know… they were no way she could. It was just Ruby being Ruby; as indomitable as ever. "Maybe that works for you," he said. "But what would you do if it was an impossible task?"

"Impossible? Nothing's impossible, Jaune."

"Some things are." He pushed one of the text books over to the edge of the table. "Stop this from falling without leaving your chair."

"Huh?"

He pushed it. She wasn't even prepared and it fell to the floor with a hefty thump. "You failed."

"Hey, that's not fair. You didn't give me enough of a warning." She glared at him, bottom lip stuck out.

"Would that have made a difference? You're not Glynda, so there's no way you could have actually stopped it. Not without your weapon anyway," he added, just in case she brought it up. "My point is, some things are impossible. You have to give up sooner or later."

"I know that," Ruby whispered. "I used to wish I could bring Mom back, but I know that can't happen." Her lips quivered, but her face soon became strong once more. She looked up at him, eyes flashing silver. "But if something is possible, if there is ever a chance, no matter how small, I'll take it."

He was the first to look away. "Maybe that's the difference between us, then. Not all battles are so simple, Ruby. Sometimes the threat is too much, or sometimes you're just too weak. Isn't knowing when to cut your losses an important part of strategy?"

"Is that why you're not going to try your hardest in the tournament?"

"In a way."

She was closer than she knew.

"Won't you regret it, though?" she asked.

He didn't answer.

"If you try and fail… then you were right." She nodded. "You can look back on it and think, I failed… but I tried my best. No one could have done more. If you don't try, though. Won't you forever look back and wonder if things might have been different?"

His eyes scrunched shut. He couldn't meet her eyes. "Does that change what happens? In both examples, you still lose in the end. Is it really worth investing everything you have into something when you know it won't work?"

Ruby nodded. "I think so."

His hand slammed down onto the table. It made her jump, but he lurched around to face her, eyes wild. "How!?" he asked, no, demanded. "In what way? If you know you'll lose, if you know there's no hope, then isn't it better to save your strength for another chance?" He took several deep breaths, awaiting her answer. It was only when he noticed her frightened expression that he backed away with a mumbled apology. It took her a while to answer, but answer she did.

"M-Maybe…" she admitted. "I don't know. It's just… maybe you're right and maybe it would be best for me to wait until I'm older and we can try again. We'd probably do better. No, we _would_ do better. It's not like we'll become worse fighters. It just wouldn't be as special though, would it?" Her eyes lit up, her face too. "I just ask myself _what if_ we won it this time. What if we made it all the way. I know we probably won't, but if I backed out now, I'd forever wonder if it were possible. I'd look back on this moment and ask myself, if I chose differently, if I'd risked everything, could we have made it?"

"Not even if you could try again another time?"

"We wouldn't be the same people." Ruby giggled, unaware of the slap she'd delivered. "Even if we were older and it was a different tournament, I wouldn't be the same Ruby Rose I am now. I'd be a different one."

Weiss, Blake, Yang… everyone. They were the same people, every time he went back. They were the same… but they weren't. The relationships were different, as were the jokes. In his next life, Blake wouldn't look at him with the same trust. She wouldn't go red when he teased her about the books she read or Sun's attention. Yang wouldn't smile when she saw him working on homework, or call him daddy with a saccharine voice. Weiss wouldn't fit against his side, smile and roll her eyes as though she could read his every thought.

They wouldn't be the same people. Not even close.

"I think I'd look back and wonder if I could have done it," Ruby continued, heedless of the turmoil he felt. "If I tried and failed, at least I wouldn't feel bad. But if I never tried… I don't think I'd ever be able to forget that."

He swallowed. He didn't think he could either.

"Even in twenty years' time, when it doesn't even matter anymore, I'd still remember this – the person I was – the people _we_ were. I'd remember it, and ask why I never took that chance. I'd regret it watching it fly away." She paused, took a deep breath, and then looked towards him. "Wouldn't you, Jaune?" she asked. "Wouldn't you regret choosing to do nothing?"

Anything he might have said in response was cut off as several students rushed past them. Their stampeding footfalls carried them to one edge of the library, and Ruby looked over.

"Whoah! Jaune, look – look!" Her haunted mood was gone. She didn't wait for his response, but shot off in that direction.

He, on the other hand, looked up at a more leisurely pace. Students crowded the windows and nothing could be seen past their silhouettes, but Ruby's red cloak was enough to light the way. He settled his books down and strolled over to her.

"Ruby, what's-"

His breath caught.

"Isn't it amazing?" she asked, unheeding of his complicated expression. Her hands were pressed to the glass, her nose too. She wasn't the only one, and it was a wonder it didn't break. "It's a marvel of engineering, created by specialists and designers from all of the four major Kingdoms. It's beautiful."

"Yeah…" He stared up at it. His eyes hardened. "It sure is."

Amity Colosseum had arrived. Like a shadowed beast, it loomed over Vale, casting its shadow upon the people. They rejoiced, but he didn't.

It loomed over him too.

Cast a shadow over his mind… over his heart.

It felt so soon… surely, he had more time left? Just a few more weeks, a few more days… a few more hours. His mouth was dry and no amount of swallowing changed that. This life… the life he'd come to love more than any other.

It would soon be over.

If that were to happen, and he began anew… could he look back on this life without hating himself? Could he look back at what he lost and condone never having tried?

Could he look back without regret?

Could he accept losing them?

No…

He could not.

"I can't wait to set foot on it," Ruby breathed. "I bet they'll have rides, and stalls – and games! Do you think-" Her voice cut off. She let go of the window and looked around, silver eyes filled with concern. "Jaune…?"

He was nowhere to be seen.

/-/

His mind whirred with the tempting thoughts Ruby had laid there. It was madness, he knew, but it also resonated inside him. Try again. Try to win? How long had it been since he gave up on that? It was before Beacon… almost two years ago now, back in Ansel. He was under-trained, out of shape… out of aura, even. It was hopeless.

But hadn't it always been hopeless?

Hadn't the life before this, and the life before that, and so on and so on for the last five hundred years? He'd never given up there, no matter how difficult it got.

His feet moved a little faster down the corridor.

"There you are," Weiss growled, finally catching sight of him as he rounded the corner. She was awaiting him outside Kitsune's medical room, along with Blake and Yang. The two sent him odd looks, but didn't speak. "I thought you were going to try and escape from this too for a few moments."

"And risk Tsune's wrath? You must be joking."

"Does my wrath not carry the same weight, then? I can increase it if that's a problem."

"You're perfect just how you are, Weiss." He slipped past her with a coy smile, and almost grinned when her cheeks turned the slightest bit pink. On anyone else, it might have been unnoticeable, but her fair complexion gave her away. She clearly knew it too, for she scowled fiercely.

"Someone's in a good mood," Yang said.

"A suspiciously good mood," Blake added.

He rolled his eyes. "My two daughters turning against me, oh woe is me, why does the world present me with such cruel children?"

"Karma, probably." Blake shrugged. "You've certainly done enough to deserve it."

Hm, she seemed a little snappier than usual. Jaune glanced to Yang for an answer.

"Ignore her," she said. "Blake got a detention and isn't happy about it."

"Yang!"

"She did?" He blinked at the suddenly embarrassed girl. He was honestly surprised. "Huh… I'd have expected that of Yang, not you. What did you do?"

"Read her smut in front of a professor," Yang said, not at all upset at what he'd said about her. It _was_ pretty much true, after all. "Isn't that right, Blake?"

"Ugh, yes, that's right."

"Blake…" Weiss sighed and shook her head. "Well, I suppose it's not too bad, but do try and keep your reputation in mind. Not everyone is going be quite so forgiving of your… peculiar tastes."

"Now, now, Weiss," he teased, "We should encourage our daughter in all things. She's seventeen and hormonal. Maybe this is an experimental phase."

Weiss shared a brief look with him and smiled. "True, she is around that age after all. Do you think we should give her the talk, maybe with a banana to try and put some protection on?"

"An apt choice. After all, there is Sun to consider, isn't there?"

"I despise you both so much right now," Blake said, hand on her face. "Weren't we here to make sure Jaune didn't run away from his doctor's appointment? Can't we focus on that?"

"I was hardly going to run away," he said, pushing his way past them and into Tsune's office. It wasn't the med bay she normally used, but a smaller office nearby. She sat behind her desk, one hand on the holographic keyboard of her terminal, the other on a piece of paper before her. Her brown eyes lit up when she saw him, however.

For all the wrong reasons, as usual.

"Hello," she purred. "Time for a few tests~"

"You know, there's a point at which sadism stops being sexy."

"I'll keep that in mind, now sit down." She pointed to the seat on the side of her desk, and then left his teammates to take the others. He was used to the procedure by now, since it was the same one she put him through every three days since the breach. She would wrap something about his bicep, to take his pulse and readings, and then draw blood from his arm with a large needle. Fortunately, she didn't see the need to do anything to make it worse.

Unfortunately, that was because he hated it all anyway. It felt intrusive and nasty, and there was nothing worse than sitting there and accepting the pain without being able to do a single thing to defend himself.

"There you go," she said once it was done, and gave him a light slap on the arm just to watch him wince. She plucked the glass vial out of her syringe and put it into a small machine on her desk. "That'll do its work and analyse your blood, but how are other things going? Have you been sleeping well?"

"I hav-"

"I was asking Miss Schnee," she said with an amused grin. "I think we all know you're incapable of looking after yourself, _Jaune_ ~"

Weiss didn't even bat an eyelid. "We've made sure he gets a full night's sleep, and he's even taken a nap or two during the day as well. We've also forced full meals down him at every opportunity."

"And I can't wait for it to be over," he grumbled.

"Oh?" Weiss sent him an arch look. "Why? Did you think we would stop just because the danger is over? I think we'll be watching your meals for quite a while yet, mister."

Ugh… just his luck.

"He _does_ look healthier," Tsune said. Her eyes traced up and down his body. "If all this comes back well, he should be back on his feet in a matter of days."

"Good." he said. "It's about time."

"Impatient? The tournament is coming up, but I wouldn't have thought you interested in such things. To hear Glynda, your motivation to fight is about as consistent as one of Port's stories. Is someone feeling a little competitive?"

"Something like that." He spared a glance for his teammates. Weiss looked intrigued, but Blake and Yang? They looked almost suspicious. He shrugged and turned back to the doctor. "It's more that I doubt my team will settle for not taking part."

"You've got that right," Weiss snorted. "An opportunity like the Vytal Festival isn't something to take lightly. There will be so many people watching, including my sister and – and my father…" She shook her head. "I intend to make a good showing, even if no one else does."

Tsune's response was interrupted by a light dinging noise. She flicked open the plastic front of her little machine and pulled the vial out.

Jaune swallowed nervously as she hummed and read the screen. What was only a few seconds felt like an eternity, during which his hands gripped the bottom of his chair.

"Well, it looks like there is still a little bit left in your system, but that should clear up in a few days. There will always be a trace, for several weeks or months, but it shouldn't have an effect on you."

"Can I compete?" he asked. "Can I fight?"

"Can he train," Weiss cut in. "Jaune, you're not going straight into those fights… not without some training to test whether you're still in form."

"I believe he is fit for both." Tsune smiled and slipped his blood vial into a cabinet. "Take it easy for the first few times, if only to avoid pulling a muscle, but he should be fine. His aura readings are coming back strong and his blood tests show that most of the substances are out of his body. Congratulations Jaune, you've made a full recovery. Well, unless there's anything unusual you've noticed or felt?"

Like his aura, and the fact it no longer worked? She might have known a way around it, but that was a risk he wasn't sure he could take. Tsune had already admitted she was an expert in the human body, not in how aura did or didn't work. The most she could do was identify something was wrong and then take steps to mitigate the damage.

She would prevent him from taking part in the tournament… but more than that, she would likely advise he be removed from Beacon. After all, what point was there for him to stay if he couldn't spar, train or fight Grimm. He might be kept in some medical facility down in Vale, but either way, he would have to stay there and watch everyone be killed.

His eyes trailed to Weiss, and then to his daughters of a sort. They all looked worried and they all watched him with concerned gazes.

Jaune smiled.

"I haven't noticed anything," he lied. "I think I'm good to go."

With no aura, the fights would be difficult… suicidal, even. He wasn't afraid though. He would make them work somehow.

He had to.

"Everything is back to normal," Weiss breathed. "Thank goodness."

"Team Jazzberry back in action," Yang cheered. "Are we ready to show them what we're made of or what?"

Jaune felt time slow down. Was he ready? No, of course not. Cinder was prepared, her plan in place, and he knew what was coming – how dangerous it would be. It was frightening… terribly so.

But he wasn't prepared to sit down and let it happen.

He wasn't prepared to look back and regret not doing anything.

"I'm ready," he said.

And despite his fear, he felt he was. There was a sudden thrill… an electricity that ran through his body. He was more than ready. This was the moment. _I won't give up, Cinder. Not now, not back then, and never again._ Even if the odds were against him, he would keep moving forward. It was all he could do.

"Yang, Blake… Weiss…" He looked them each in the eye, took them in. Arguably, he'd wasted his time in this life… spent it on having fun, rather than training. It wasn't a waste, though. He wouldn't accept that. He'd reconnected with his family, he'd enjoyed himself, he'd come to love his teammates as family. Wasted? This had been a life worth living.

A life worth fighting for.

He grinned.

"Let's kick some ass."

* * *

 **Below is same note as from White Sheep, included in all this week so to hit those who only read certain fics.**

 **A Week without Fanfiction**

 **People who have read my other fics, perhaps know that I've been pretty badly sick since this past weekend. I went to the doctors over it, and he believes it to be mostly stress-related. Now, before panic sets in, I'd like to say that Fanfiction is not stress to me. I genuinely enjoy what I do.**

 **My main job, on the other hand, a little less so. Summer is our biggest period, and since we write a month in advance, I am right now on the hardest part of the year – our June issues. I've had to work outside of normal hours, over weekends, and with Fanfiction taking up the same slots. My sleep got reduced, I missed meals, and ultimately started to feel like crap.**

 **I also think the quality of some of my writing has reflected this the last week… it feels a little flatter than normal, devoid of life or the same dramatic tension. Anyway, my doctor suggested a week of rest and relaxation, which is somewhat weird for me, since I'm not the kind of person who likes to do nothing. On the other hand, my doctor has made a point of it and I kind of do need to follow his advice when I'm sick.**

 **How this will work is fairly simple. I'm going to continue doing each fanfic until they have all had this notice at the bottom, and then there will be a single week of no uploads. After that, things will resume. White Sheep will be the first, and the date at the bottom will reflect two weeks. There will still be NTF, PA, FD and Ent this week, but starting from next Thursday, you won't see any fics for the week.**

 **If in doubt, the dates I put at the bottom of each story will be accurate.**

 **Hopefully, you can all understand why. I'm not abandoning anything. I'm not stopping, nor have I lost the love for what I do… I just need to take a break to sort things out. Honestly, there is a good chance I'll write during that week too, but it will be without deadlines and without the stress of having to have X done by Y, before I have to move onto Z. The break should also give me a chance to recharge, read some books for a change, and improve myself as a writer too.**

 **I'll still be here, both in my forum and by PM, and I'll still be checking reviews, etc… but I won't be uploading anything until the week is over. Once it's over, uploads will go back to normal. I'm not moving to a two-week system or anything.**

 **Thanks for understanding.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 20** **th** **May (Two Weeks)**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	39. Chapter 39

**The week off was a good chance to recharge, read, and plan ahead on my stories.**

 **Due to his own holiday, CF didn't get to look at this. Look at us all, taking our holidays. How dare we!?**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** A Stuck at Home Tome

 **Chapter 39 - The Calm  
**

* * *

Jaune's sudden desire to train must have taken his team by surprise. That or it put them into shock entirely. That was the only explanation for why even now, a week later, Weiss had still looked like she wasn't sure if she believed him when he said he was going out to run laps around Beacon. She'd known better than to challenge him, however. Yang did that the first time, totally assuming he was off for some booty call, then had been stuck doing laps with him.

She'd never forgiven him for that, even if it was her fault in the first place.

For Jaune, the long runs were a chance to unwind and de-stress. It wasn't something he'd realised he really needed, but being left out of breath and with aching muscles was a catharsis, and there couldn't be catharsis without a problem to escape from. It was probably the fear of what he knew would come, what he was still fairly sure would happen even though he'd made the decision to try and fight it.

His hands tightened into fists, and he found a burst of last-minute energy that let him run harder and faster. He was going to fight this. The future looked bad, but when did it not? He'd faced the threat of death over a thousand times. This would be no different. Unlike all those other times, however, it felt so much more personal. He'd always had reason to fight, people to fight for, loved ones to save…

But this felt heavier. This life felt better, _he_ felt more alive – in a way he hadn't known he was lacking. Maybe it was his family, maybe it was his friends, or maybe it was the fact he'd allowed himself time to relax, to put aside his hellish training and actually _live_ for a little bit.

Even if that time didn't help him now, he couldn't find it in himself to regret it. Slowing down and taking time off had given him a new appreciation for life. It reminded him what life was, that it was more than just endless training in pursuit of a single, unifying goal.

Exhaustion caught him near the statue, but he kept jogging until the grass, collapsing down on that and laying on his back. It was cool and soft, in contrast to the sun that beat down on him. He closed his eyes against it, then covered them with his arm when that wasn't enough. By all rights it was a lovely day, except that he was exhausted and covered in sweat, which never felt good in hot weather. Where was sleet and snow when you needed it?

 _An hour and a half,_ Jaune thought, checking his scroll and ending the stopwatch. _That's a lot better than it was last week. Not much, but it might make the difference._

Conditioning was all he needed… all he'd ever needed, really. When it came to pure skill and technique, there were few better than him. What chance did they have when they'd only had seventeen to twenty years of life, and only half or less of that to train? It wasn't like he was a better person than them or a harder worker. He just had all the time in the world – and he'd used it. The problem was that pure skill had never been enough to make a difference. _He'd_ never been enough to make a difference. He was only one man, after all, and his attempts to draw other people in to help him had always met with failure.

It didn't matter, though. He would keep fighting. One eye cracked open as he rolled over onto his side and flipped through his scroll. The aura display came up, and he sighed at seeing the full and healthy green bar. He reached out to pick up a stone and brushed it against his skin. It took a few tries, but it eventually did graze and draw the tiniest droplet of blood.

It was hard not to feel disappointed. He wasn't sure what he'd hoped for, but there had been a desperate belief it might have fixed itself now that he'd decided to return to this path. Life wasn't so easy. Nor was aura. "I guess I'm just lucky the others haven't asked why I don't want to spar."

They were probably still afraid of hurting him so soon after his illness. While they still trained with Qrow, and grew all the stronger for it, he sat on the side lines, occasionally joining in to talk about strategy and leadership with the older man. If Qrow was surprised at the sudden shift in his motivation, then he kept quiet on it. He still didn't join any of the spars, though. Without aura, his secret would be given away immediately, and there was no way they'd let him compete. Weiss, Yang and Blake would protect him out of love, but they'd also ensure they died alone and unprotected in kind.

He sighed and rolled back over onto his back. At least he was doing something. He was getting better.

A shadow fell over him.

"I thought you were meant to be training," Weiss said. She stood with hands on hips, Blake and Yang on either side. "I didn't realise you were training your ability to fall asleep at any moment."

"Can you not see I'm covered in sweat?"

"No, but I can smell it."

He knew she couldn't. Her smile gave the insult away. With the festival so close, and the three of them unknowing of what would come, their moods had never been higher. Ignorance was bliss. He couldn't bring himself to rain on their parade, not when he felt better just watching them smile and laugh.

"You said you'd come and spend the day with us at the festival," Yang said. "You're not getting out of that, even if you are tired."

"That afraid I'll run off?"

"More like Blake will." She rolled her eyes at the dark-haired girl. "Do you have any idea how many times she's tried to tell us this is pointless or not important?"

"It isn't," Blake said.

"See? Gods, it's like me and Weiss are the only people who even know how to have fun on this team."

"Weiss and I," the heiress said.

"Correction, _I'm_ the only person who knows how to have fun."

He laughed. "Poor Yang. Life really dealt you a bad hand. Give me a second to rest and I'll be ready."

"You have ten," Weiss said, tossing someone over him. His vision was cut off for a moment, before he fumbled the fabric off his face and realised it was the white jacket they'd all bought him. The day had been too hot to run in it, but it would be a welcome relief later. "Don't think we're going to let you sneak off on the pretence of getting a shower or something," she said, stalking up to stand by his head. "Not after the three of us spent time preparing."

"I can tell," Jaune said, head between her legs. "Black underwear. Risqué."

"Wrong." She smiled. "A combat skirt is designed to stop you looking, but a good attempt at riling me up nonetheless. I'm not going to kick you, though. You'd only use that as an excuse to get out of this."

"You know me too well," he laughed, sitting up and then climbing to his feet with her help. He brushed his hair down into a manageable style and pulled the jacket on over his shoulders. They were wrong about one thing; he wouldn't have welched on their deal. Even though he'd decided to try his hardest to make this a successful run, he wasn't stupid enough to injure himself by training too much, or to neglect his team.

The Vytal Festival itself had already begun, even if the tournament was a day or two off. Back in the past repeats, he only focused on the fights for obvious reasons, and sometimes it felt like the festival _was_ the tournament. The clue was in the name, however. This was a festival. The tournament was one of many attractions. A famous one, sure, and probably the main event – but there were plenty of other things to do.

Both Beacon _and_ Amity had been tooled up, and the school had been opened to the public too, so that people could avail themselves of the various trade stands and stalls. Some held games, others food. Overall, it was probably an attempt to close the divide between huntsmen and civilians, to show people that Beacon wasn't some secret society where super-soldiers trained, but rather a school like any other.

It worked, he supposed. There were certainly a lot of children around, running between stalls and generally getting underfoot like kids did. Off in the distance, he could see Ruby looking a little awkward as kids surrounded her, many pointing at her weapon.

"Don't interfere," Yang said, scroll out and taking pictures. "This is gold!"

"You're a terrible sister," Weiss sighed. "Winter never did anything like this."

"You hope," Jaune added, earning a suddenly worried look from the girl. "I'll have you know she showed me all sorts of baby pictures of you."

"She didn't…"

He tried to hold his face, but must have failed.

Weiss slapped his arm. "Idiot," she muttered.

"Maybe she would if I asked her. I'll make a note to do so the next time we bump into one another."

Weiss' returning look said there would be consequences if he tried. She was distracted, however, when Yang pointed to a stall and dragged her over. Blake sighed like a moody teenager and followed, while he brought up the rear with an amused grin.

"It's a ball toss game," Yang explained. "You need to knock the stack of tins over and then you get a prize."

"Yang, just because I was raised in high society doesn't mean I'm an idiot," Weiss said. She had one hand on her face as she stood before the rather self-explanatory stall. "I know how this works. I also know it's practically impossible to knock them all over with a single ball."

The overweight man behind the counter clearly heard her, for he slid over with a smile just a little too plastic. It was the kind of smile any adult had when working with children non-stop. It was a smile which said he was either at the end of his patience, or had already snapped and become a child murderer. Seeing as Jaune could still make out the occasional twitch by his eye, he'd go with the former.

"Actually, little lady, you get _three_ balls to use." the man said. "Three balls, three attempts and a prize if you knock them off."

"What's the catch?" Weiss asked.

"No catching here, little lady. Just throwing. Care to test your luck?"

"Go for it," Yang said. "You should try and win Jaune a prize. Isn't that what people do at festivals and such?"

It was a low blow, especially because of Weiss' feelings, and Jaune knew it struck true the moment her eyes flicked over to look at him. He stepped forward to stop her, but Weiss' money was already out. She slammed a hand down on the counter, giving over the thirty or so lien required to play. "I don't need luck," she said. "I'll let skill decide."

"Yang," he growled, eyeing his wayward daughter.

She giggled and looked as unrepentant as ever.

Weiss hefted the three balls in her hand, weighing them as she regarded the stack of cans with a keen gaze. She tested them, tossed one up and caught it again, just to make sure it wasn't unbalanced or suspect in some other way. When she was pleased with it, she launched the ball with an overhead swing.

It struck the stack head on, scattering them in various directions. None remained standing.

"There," she said, placing the other two balls back on the counter.

"Ha ha, not bad," the man said. "I still see a few cans on the platform, though." He pointed to two cans, which had been knocked over but still remained on the wooden shelf itself. "You don't just need to knock them over. You need to knock them _down_."

Tch, of course. Jaune rolled his eyes, almost in perfect synch with Weiss.

"And here we have the catch," she said. "It's always the same, I suppose. Ironic that people call the SDC morally bankrupt. At least we give people the dust they pay for, and pay people the wages they ask."

If the man felt any anger at that, he knew better than to show it. Jaune caught the man's eyes harden, though – and his smile took a smug edge. Oh?

"I still have two shots left," Weiss said, picking up the balls once more and testing them as she had the first. She clearly expected foul play in some way, but launched another ball once she was satisfied with her weapon. It struck true once more, Weiss' skill and concentration enough to hit whatever target she deemed. The can on the right was torn from the shelf with ease, carried off into the curtain behind it where it fell to the floor. "That's one down."

"And one remaining," Yang grinned. "Yeah. Go Weiss!"

"Hmph. Not exactly a difficult task." Weiss threw the last ball, which true to the others, struck the remaining can head on. It rattled and flew into the air. Against all odds, it slapped against one of the side panels, hit the roof of the tent, and then fell back down onto the shelf with a dull clank, momentum spent.

Weiss' mouth fell open.

"Oh, so close," the man sighed. "I really thought you had it with that one, little lady. A perfect shot too. Only bad luck stopped it coming off."

Yang sniggered. "I don't need luck." she mimicked, "I'll let skill decide."

"Yang Xiao-Long, I _will_ kill you." Weiss looked humiliated, hands ramrod straight at her side. She swallowed and fished in her pocket, doubtless for more lien to use. She brought it out and laid it down on the counter.

Jaune's hand covered hers. "Would it be okay if I had a go?" he asked.

"You want to?"

"Sure." He smiled. "Maybe I'll have a little more luck."

Weiss nodded and stepped back. She left the lien on the counter, however, and gestured for him to take her place. He rolled his eyes as he heard Yang tease something about what it might mean if he won her something.

"Looking to win your little lady a prize?" the man asked.

"Something like that. Three balls, right – and I need to knock each and every can off the shelf?"

"That's right." The balls were thrown to him. "Here, catch."

The three balls were tossed his way at once, spreading out in the air. The man clearly intended to embarrass him, but had no idea who he was dealing with. Jaune caught one in his left, flicked it into the air, then caught another – and the third in his right. With a cocky smirk, he juggled them for a few seconds, earning a delighted laugh from Yang and a smug smile from Blake.

There was nothing quite like knocking someone off their pedestal.

He tested the balance of each ball as he juggled them, doing much the same as Weiss and mentally imagining just how hard he'd need to throw it and where. It was the difference between a civilian and a huntsman, he supposed. Once he was happy, he threw the first.

Blake nodded as the stack was knocked down. It wasn't quite as impressive as Weiss', since three cans remained on the shelf, but two were close together and he was confident he could catch both of those with a second ball. He aimed and let loose.

"Down to one again," the man laughed. "Let's see whether luck or skill prevails today."

"I'm skilled, but when it comes to luck I'm probably the unluckiest man on Remnant," Jaune said. He eyed the last can. It was the same one Weiss struggled with. "However, I don't think it'll be an issue."

He threw the last ball, and he felt more than heard Weiss sigh from behind him. It sailed a foot or so above, missing the can entirely.

Yang gasped in horror.

Blake's eyes narrowed.

The ball struck the corner of the tent, bounced off the metallic frame which held it up, and then came back down on the can from behind. The overweight man's smile fell as the can sailed towards the audience.

His expression became positively sickly when the can didn't fall to the floor.

It hovered in mid-air, suspended from a piece of string only visible when the sun hit it from the right angle. The crowd that had naturally gathered behind them to watch someone fail began to mutter. They didn't sound pleased.

"Luck and skill," Jaune sighed, "have very little to do with your game."

"Why, you…" Weiss took a step forward, but he caught her around the shoulders. They stood with her against his chest and one of his arms wrapped around her shoulders, the other her waist.

"Now, now," he laughed. "Don't begrudge the man. Not everyone can be as honest and forthright as you. Some people need to cheat and steal to make a living, even if it's from children." Jaune smiled as the unrest behind them picked up. "Isn't that right, Mister?"

"I… I uh…"

"I think the can is off the platform, even if it didn't hit the floor. I'd like my prize, please."

"Of course, of course." He turned and snatched a yellow bear off the pile and held it out. It was a ratty thing and looked like it had been goodness knows where before this. It looked like a piece of crap.

Jaune pointed back at the pile. "I'd like the swan, please." It was a little larger, but not by too much. "The white one," he added. "I think it'll fit the recipient a little more than that old thing."

The man scowled but didn't dare argue. He put down the bear and practically threw the swan at them. Jaune caught it before it could hit Weiss in the face, then turned them both away with a parting smile. He very much doubted anyone would visit the man's stall after that. Good riddance. Weiss wasn't the only one who hated cheats and sneaks.

"Here you go," he said, holding the swan against Weiss' chest. She took it without a word and held it there.

"Thank you," she said. "I knew I didn't… ugh, I can't believe I fell for his trick."

"You didn't miss, Weiss. It was the only reason I figured out there must have been a trick. Your aim was perfect as usual." He grinned and made to tease her a little further, but for someone interrupting him.

" _Luck and skill have very little to do with your game_ ," the voice mocked. The impression wasn't very good, but the sarcastic lilt was familiar. Familiar enough to make his head perk up. "Sheesh, talk about trying to sound cool. Did you steal that from a movie or something?"

It couldn't be… Jaune's mind went blank, but even so, it didn't stop the automatic response. "Don't complain because you're jealous. No one expects you to try and match my level of wit."

"H-Hey, I'm cooler than you!"

"Keep telling yourself that," Jaune said, turning with a wide smile. "It might be true one day, Hazel."

Hazel, his sister, growled and looked away, unable to come up with a return blow. That didn't matter, though. He wasn't sure he could bring himself to listen anyway. They were all there… from Amber to Sapphire, his mom and dad too. His mouth fell open, but the words wouldn't come out.

"Surprise," Juniper said with a little wave. She smiled a smile full of white teeth, but leaned against Nicholas' shoulder. He had one arm around her, offering support as well as protecting her. The reason why was obvious, for she carried quite the added weight on her stomach.

"Mom…?"

"Oi, and us," Hazel growled.

"Hazel, shut up," Jade said, slapping her twin around the back of the head. "You'll ruin the mood. Ugh, you already did. Can't you see he's with someone?"

Confusion settled over him at that comment, but he felt something shift against his chest. It only took looking down at Weiss' red face to realise he still had hold of her, and what their position looked like. He coughed and let her go, wincing when she took a step away from him.

"Hazel!" Lavender sighed. "This is all your fault."

"Tch. Not my fault he-"

Juniper placed a hand over her daughter's mouth, cutting her off with a roll of the eyes. "Let him speak, sweetie. That is if he can think of anything to say. I'd have thought a son of mine so popular with the ladies would know how to greet his own family."

The kick was all he needed to move into action. He stepped forwards, arms open wide, and then winced when four girls tried to squeeze into them at once. When Amber, Lavender, Sable and Sapphire realised they couldn't fit, they went for the obvious option.

Keep trying regardless.

Jaune felt his shoulders creak, "O-Ow, could you maybe…?"

"No," Amber said. "It's been months! You need to make up for all the time we missed." She wrapped her arms around his waist, Lavender doing the same a little higher, while the other two aided in his imminent dislocation.

"Girls, give him some space," his father chuckled.

It was only once they had, grumbling the entire way, that the others took their turns. Jade gave him a quick hug and a thump on the arm, Hazel a reluctant one that was tighter than it looked. Coral gave him one too, but made sure to lay a kiss on his cheek as she did.

Jaune hesitated in front of Juniper. He didn't know what to do, not with the baby bump there. What if he hurt her?

She laughed and drew him in with one arm, settling him beside it as she hugged him into her side. "It's good to see you, sweetie," she said. "It's been so long."

It had, and he felt a tear in the corner of his eye. He wiped it away, trying to make sure no one noticed. She did, of course, but she wouldn't mention it. "How are you here?" he asked. "No wait, why are you here – how did you find me?"

"Bullhead, to cheer you on, and your friends – in that order."

 _My friends…?_ Jaune turned back to his team, in time to see Yang holding a scroll she'd no doubt used to record his emotional outburst. He'd need to find and wipe that clean later. Yang with blackmail material was like a Beowolf with a baby. The chances of him surviving that were about the same too. "You guys organised this?" he asked. "When, how?"

Weiss snorted. "Why did you think we were so insistent on getting you here? Did you really think I'd have refused you time to get changed if it wasn't important?"

"Surprise," Blake said, with a little smile on her face.

"Weiss had the idea," Yang said, "I set it up. Sapphire and I exchanged numbers back when they came to Vale~"

A part of him felt that ought to have frightened him, that there might have been _other things_ they exchanged. Terrible things… things of him when he was a baby, or when they'd dressed him up as a girl. He couldn't muster the fear, however. His smile was watery. He couldn't believe his team would go so far for him "You three…" he whispered.

"Consider it a gift for your recovery," Weiss said. Her smile was kind, her eyes soft. "That and for getting hurt trying to help us."

Jaune winced.

"What recovery?" Juniper asked dangerously.

Weiss' eyes suddenly became a lot less kind. "You didn't tell them?" she snapped.

"Well, I _meant_ to…"

"Jaune Arc!" the two of them snapped in perfect unison. Weiss and Juniper looked at one another in surprise, then shared a meaningful nod and turned back to him, hands on their hips.

"Would you care to explain?" Weiss asked.

"Yes, sweetie," Juniper simpered. "I really think you should."

"Heh heh…" He looked to Yang and Blake, but they shook their heads, expressions disappointed. No help there, then. Weiss started to tap one foot, and he knew that his time was up. He swallowed, took a deep breath and answered. "I forgot?"

/-/

Jaune's sisters all broke off to enjoy the festival, after a few choice words thrown in his direction and a promise extracted that he would show them around later. Yang and Blake went with them, leaving Weiss and he with his parents. That might have been fine from their point of view, since they were all currently aligned against him in their anger – but it felt like he was being thrown to three Beowolves, unarmed and tied up.

They dragged him to a stall that served food and drink, and didn't forgive him until he'd grovelled for at least fifteen minutes.

"Really, you're so irresponsible," Juniper said. "Didn't you think we would be worried?"

"Of course I did," he said, "but I was worried what effect it might have on you and the baby. What if you panicked and something went wrong?"

"Then I would have had your father with me." She laid a hand on Nicholas', and he cupped it gently. "Either way, what if something went wrong with _you_? What if you died from your wounds, and I'd never had a last chance to talk with you?" She sighed. "Did you think it would be okay because you wouldn't be around to feel guilty about it?"

He had… and the realisation made him feel sick. He knew the reason why, of course. He'd gotten so used to the resets and repeats, the idea that time would wind itself back when he died, that what might have happened _after_ his death never factored into it.

That didn't make it okay, however.

"I'm sorry. I won't do it again."

Juniper levelled a stern glare on him.

It faded a minute or so later. "I forgive you," she sighed. "I don't want to mar this trip with something like this. So long as you never do it again, we won't have any problems."

"I'll do better next time. I promise."

"Um…" Weiss played with her mug of tea. "Perhaps I should leave the three of you here to have a family moment."

"No, no," Juniper smiled. "You're not intruding at all. Stay with us Weiss, I insist."

He recognised his mother's expression, one of intense glee, and perhaps even a little relief. She thought Weiss and he were on a date together, the image compounded by the swan teddy Weiss had on her lap. After his constant womanising, she was probably thrilled to see him with a girl close to his age, and especially one she liked.

Considering her cheeks, Weiss had _definitely_ figured that out as well.

He wasn't sure what to say. Would Weiss be relieved if he stepped in to say they weren't together, or would it hurt her? In the end he decided to stay silent and let her be the one to complain if she wanted to. She didn't.

"How is the pregnancy coming along?" Jaune asked.

"About as well as you can see." Juniper gestured towards her stomach. "The girls are helping more about the house now, keeping me from doing anything sometimes. It gets boring."

"They mean well," Nicholas chuckled. "You work yourself too hard."

"I work myself just enough to ensure I have something to do. Don't tell me what I can and can't do."

"Her hormones have started to kick in as well," he said, offering a small smile to he and Weiss.

"They have not!" Juniper snapped.

Jaune shared a quick look with Weiss, who daintily hid her smile behind the act of taking a sip of tea. It was good to see them well, even better to hear things were going normally. He couldn't remember his mother ever being pregnant – that was just too many hundreds of years ago. He knew Lavender had been a difficult birth, however. She'd been advised not to have any more.

"Have you found out if it's a boy or a girl yet?" Weiss asked, coming to his father's rescue. Juniper abandoned her anger in an instant, her mood doing a complete switch as she smiled at the heiress.

"I haven't asked," she said. "Oh, the doctor offered, but I want to keep it as a surprise. It's not like it will make a difference anyway, and we have both boy and girl baby clothes and things left behind after Jaune and Amber." She rolled her eyes. "Not that it's stopped Nicky spoiling the baby already. He's already bought two cots, one in blue and the other in pink, just in case. Goodness knows what we'll do with the other." She shot her husband a pointed look, but his smile was anything but apologetic.

"Maybe it will be twins," Weiss offered.

"It's just the one. Trust me, after giving birth to twins twice, I can tell the difference. I can feel the baby kick, and there isn't enough movement in there for more." Juniper smiled at Weiss. "Would you like to feel it?"

Weiss hesitated. She bit her lip, clearly uncertain whether it would be rude, childish or somehow not befitting of a Schnee. Her eyes shone, however. "Can I…?"

"Of course, dear." Juniper shifted her seat around so that her stomach wasn't beneath the counter. "Come on and give me your hand. I'll show you where to feel."

Weiss looked a little nervous and looked to him for help. He knew what she wanted immediately, and stood up as well. Now with him in tow, she felt a little more confident and moved over to kneel by his mother.

Juniper smiled and took her hand, shifting it under her over-large top and placing it against her stomach. "Just wait a second," she whispered. "He or she is quite active. I blame Nicky for that."

"Among many other things," Nicholas joked.

Jaune blinked when Juniper reached out to snag his hand. She smiled and brought it to her stomach, resting it against Weiss'. There was something strangely intimate about the gesture. He fixed a look on his mother, one that clearly said she shouldn't try to interfere.

Her return look was anything but apologetic.

"Oh!" Weiss gasped. "I felt it move." She looked up, not at Juniper, but at him. "Did you feel it?" she asked, voice light and airy. "I felt it move."

"I didn't-"

"Here," she sighed, taking his hand in hers and moving it where hers once lay. She kept her hand atop his, pushing it against the skin.

He didn't miss the pleased look on Juniper's face, but his thoughts were wiped away entirely as he felt something akin to a bump. His mind froze. Was that…? It happened again. Soft, almost impossibly so, but it was a definite twitch of movement against his palm. "I felt it," he whispered. His voice was hoarse.

"Isn't it amazing?" Weiss asked.

It… was.

His eyes fell to his hand, to Weiss' hand and also his mother's stomach, where his little brother or sister resided. He'd known she was pregnant of course, but it had never truly hit him before. Not until now. There was a baby there, under the palm of his hand. It was a living, growing and soon to be thinking human child. Perhaps it dreamed even now. Who knew?

It was a life that might never exist in another repeat. Even if his mother and father conceived it, what guarantee was there that it would be the same child? He took a deep breath, and felt determination swell inside of him.

Just another reason to make sure this life was his last.

/-/

"That's the story," Yang said, having explained their current situation to the two girls. Sapphire had been as good as her word and brought Coral along for them to speak to; who she claimed could offer the most insight into Jaune's apparent change. Yang would admit to feeling a little awkward around the girl, especially since she supported the idea of Jaune and Weiss getting together, and could easily guess his fiancé would not.

She didn't comment on it, however.

"What do you think?" Sapphire asked the other woman. "I know he changed, but I figured you'd be the most likely to remember it. You paid the most attention, after all."

Coral adjusted her glasses. She didn't smile, nor did she reach for the drinks Yang had bought for the two of them. "I noticed," she said simply. "What of it?"

"Didn't you hear Yang's explanation?" Blake hissed. "We need to know what changed to understand why Jaune is doing these things."

"Do you? Will an explanation change the fact it's happening – or aid in stopping it from happening again?" Coral smiled, though there was no warmth in it. "Understanding won't change anything. Whether you know the reason or not, it won't stop Jaune from doing what he wants. He has always been like that… even _before_ the change."

Yang caught the slip immediately. "So there _was_ a change."

"It would be pointless for me to argue against that. It doesn't mean I have to share the things I know."

Frustration tore at Yang. She could feel it affecting her hair and eyes, but she clamped down on it with iron-clad will. That didn't stop the glare she sent the stupid girl, though. "Why?" she growled. "Why keep this from us?"

"Because it's none of your business," Coral said easily. "I'm all for you trying to help him, but I don't see why you need to intrude into our lives for that. Whatever caused this change is something he went through – not you."

"So you don't even care if he gets hurt?" Blake asked.

Coral's face twisted into one that was dangerously calm. "I did not say that."

"No, but your actions might cause it. If we don't know what's making Jaune do this, then we can't-" Blake cut off as a hand touched her shoulder. She glared at the offender.

Sun Wukong winced, but he turned to Coral with an easy smile once Blake stopped speaking. "You really care for Jaune, don't you?" he asked.

The girl blinked. "I do."

"You love him, huh?"

"Yes. That is not in question."

 _It is from me,_ Yang thought, and a glance at Blake said her partner felt the same. Sun, however, didn't argue the point – nor did he jump on the chance Yang would have taken.

"You're not refusing to tell us just to be mean, are you?" Sun asked. "You have your own reasons."

Reasons? What game was Sun playing here? Yang made to interrupt, but Coral replied before she could.

"That would be unnecessarily petty," she said. "I wouldn't waste my energy on that."

"I guess not." He laughed. "I think I understand. You're worried he'll be angry if you do, aren't you?"

"Close," Coral said, and the small smile that came out almost blew Yang away. It wasn't happy, not in the way most people would describe. It had an element of pleasure instead, or maybe relief mixed with amused happiness. "Jaune would be angry, but that doesn't bother me much. He can be just as entertaining when he's emotional as when he's not."

Yang winced. She really didn't want to imagine that.

"I won't tell, however, because it would be a betrayal of him." Coral sighed and poked her drink. "As much as I agree with your desire to help him, if he hasn't told you the reason why himself, then it's likely because he doesn't want you to know. If I told you anything I knew…" She looked glum. "It would be as though I turned on him behind his back. I don't want to do that to him."

That… that was the reason? Yang felt her anger dissipate, replaced with a sudden sense of disappointment. How quick had she been to label the girl a stupid bitch, when all she wanted was not to upset someone she cared for? Thinking of it from her point of view, she had a point. If someone asked her for personal information on Ruby, stuff she knew her sister wouldn't want revealed, then she'd have seen them off herself.

Blake deflated too, robbed of ire.

"Heh, I thought that was the case," Sun said. "I get the same with Nep sometimes, even if he does tell Sun and Scarlet pretty much every embarrassing story I tell him _not_ to share. Is Jaune like that?"

"No. He's very loyal."

"Hence why you want to repay it in kind, I guess."

Coral nodded.

"The thing is," he went on, "we're not trying to find this out for the sake of curiosity, or something. We're doing this because we're genuinely worried about him. Because Blake and Yang love him too, maybe if it isn't quite the same as you do."

"And you?" she asked. "Do you love him?"

Sun's balked. His eyes tracked over to Blake, and Yang snorted at that. Was he worried Blake would misunderstand or something? "I-uh… it's a little different. I like him, but I wouldn't say love. Well, it's…"

Sapphire's amused snort cut him off. "Be nice, Coral," she chastised, "You did that on purpose."

"I did," Coral said, smiling when she saw Sun glower. "But to be fair, he's trying to manipulate me as well. He's appealing to logic over feelings, trying to bring me round to the idea of betraying Jaune's trust out of a selfish desire to keep him safe – no matter how upset he would be."

Sun froze.

Yang cursed to herself. Damn it, he was so close. Sun was the only one of them to get the girl to talk, and that was weird enough in itself, but maybe Blake and her messed up because they were too emotionally involved. It all looked for naught now, however. Coral wouldn't fall for a trick she could see a mile coming.

"Ah, yeah…" Sun coughed. "I guess I am."

Coral smiled. "Okay," she said. "Go on."

"Huh?" Yang's mouth fell open.

"I never said I was against the idea. I am human myself, and perfectly selfish. While it would hurt to have him angry at me, and hurt even more to see the disappointed look in his eyes…" She paused, expression glum, but it soon switched to one more determined. "Even through all of that, if the danger was enough, I would accept that punishment to keep him alive. In the end, his survival is more important to me than his love."

"Geez…" Sun whispered. "That's pretty intense…"

"That's Coral for you," Sapphire said. "She's always been like this. I suppose that's why she and Jaune get on with one another so well, even if it can get really awkward for the rest of us when they get a little too close for our comfort."

Yang could well imagine, and she still wasn't sure what to do about that. _I'll have to try and corner her alone sometime later and have a word._ Ugh, that would have been easier when she still thought the other girl an asshole. Knowing she held back on Jaune's past in order to protect him didn't exactly paint her as the bad guy.

Blake made to interject on why she should help them, but Yang kicked her under the table and shook her head. She nodded towards Sun, a little surprised he was being so useful, but not willing to miss out on that.

Sun and Coral batted questions and ideas between them. It was a weird sight. Sun wasn't the best speaker, but he was blunt – blunter than anyone Yang had ever heard. She supposed that was how he was with Blake too, but Jaune's intended seemed to appreciate it. He laid out the risks, paused when she challenged them, and then answered as best he could.

He didn't get angry or impatient, nor did he try to bluster past any of them. Yang knew she would have. She would have gotten annoyed, pushed and tried to force the other girl to give up. Blake was the same, really. They both wanted the best for Jaune, but neither of them wanted to wait for it.

Having Sun with them was their saving grace.

And against all odds, it proved fruitful.

"The White Fang," Coral said. "From what I've read, they're little more than angry idiots taking out their injustice on the lives of others. If they truly wanted change, they'd focus on the people responsible for their current situation. All they really want is to make other people as miserable as they are."

Blake squirmed in her seat, but calmed down when Yang touched her hand beneath the table. The faunus nodded back, grateful for the silent confidence.

"I wouldn't go that far," Sun said awkwardly, more than aware of exactly who he was trying to court. "They'd uh… definitely want to kill Jaune, though. Especially after what happened on their last mission."

Coral's face twisted. It looked like she was deep in thought, but that carried on for a good two minutes in pure silence. Yang wondered if they should interrupt, but Sapphire looked content, so she decided to wait it out.

Eventually, the woman sighed, "The risk is too high. I suppose I'll tell you."

"Yes!" Yang cheered.

"I'll thank you not to be pleased you've convinced me to break Jaune's trust," she said, and Yang's mood dropped once more. "I'm certainly not. Make no mistake; this is for _his_ benefit, not yours."

"We get that," Sun said. "Thank you, Coral."

She sent Sun a look, and then nodded once it was clear there was no duplicity there. He was too honest for that, too blunt.

"Jaune _did_ change," she began. "It was around two years and eight months ago. Sapphire likely doesn't remember it exactly, but I do. It was a very big shift, enough to turn me from someone who didn't like him at all, to someone who found him precious."

"Coral and Jaune didn't always get along," Sapphire filled in. "In fact, I'd go so far as to say she hated him."

Yang expected the other girl to protest, but she didn't. "Hate, while strong, isn't exactly the wrong word," she admitted. "That's why I remember it so well. The change wasn't sudden, it was instantaneous." Coral looked deadly serious. "One night he was as he'd always been… the next, it was as though he were a different person altogether."

Sapphire looked awkward. "He wasn't, though," she rushed to add. "Everyone noticed, and I remember he had a few blood tests from Mom and Dad, just to make sure nothing was wrong with him. Obviously it didn't even cross our mind it wasn't Jaune, but even if he was, those tests would have found it."

"He was the same person out here," Coral said, with a gesture to her body, "but not in his mind. People often called me broken-"

"Which you're not," Sapphire growled.

"Which I am," Coral corrected. "The insults of others haven't ever bothered me. Why should they when I don't care for their opinion? The only people who could hurt me were those I considered worth the oxygen they breathed. That list was very short. Jaune wasn't on it originally." She cocked her head. "And then suddenly… he was."

Yang and Blake shared a meaningful look. "Why did he change?" Blake asked.

"I don't know."

"Then what was the point of all of this!? Why put us through your game if you don't even know what made him change?" Blake slammed a hand down on the table. It honestly looked like she was about to snap.

Coral, however, didn't seem to care.

" _How_ did he change?" Sun asked.

"That, I do know," she said. "Before, Jaune was a weak, unconfident and needy person. He did nothing for himself, either to better himself, protect himself, or even to think for himself. He was selfish, but selfish without doing anything to achieve what he wanted. He was the kind of person to choose a new hobby every week, and never put any effort into it. He picked up and dropped dreams regularly. There was nothing interesting about him."

"That's a little unfair, Coral," Sapphire laughed. It tapered off as Jaune's sister looked around uncomfortably. "Not exactly untrue… but unfair. He grew up."

"No, he didn't," Coral said. "He didn't grow up. He changed. Overnight. He went from being weak and ineffectual to driven and determined. He moved slower, with more lethargy, but his stance was stronger."

"A fighting stance?" Yang asked.

Coral shook her head. "No, more in how confident he was. He didn't hesitate as much, he made decisions… they weren't always the best decisions, but he was no longer afraid to make them. He also looked at everyone differently."

"In what way?"

"Like he expected to lose us," Sapphire said. Her eyes narrowed. "I never realised, but… do you remember the birthday party thrown for his fifteenth?"

"I do," Coral said.

"He was practically moved to tears. I didn't think anything of it at the time, but he never had that reaction before." Sapphire touched her forehead, as though trying to remember. "He acted like he was surprised we were there, that we'd do all that for him. How did we never notice?"

"Juniper did," Coral said. "As did Nicholas. As did I. Why do you think they were so quick to whisk him away to doctor's visits and such? They saw the odd behaviour and worried something was wrong, but as his change started to fade from memory, everyone began to forget it ever happened in the first place. Jaune was happy. You were happy. Why change that?"

"And you were happy too," Yang said. "You said you liked him more after the change, after all."

"I was," Coral admitted. "I don't mind saying it. All people are selfish, myself included. I begrudged the old Jaune his place, but this one…? This one, I loved. He was the same person – he knew all the same things, but…" She sighed and looked away. "He understood me."

Yang didn't like the feeling in her stomach. The whole conversation felt heavier somehow, as though they were treading on dangerous ground. "Why did it feel like he suddenly understood you?" she asked.

"Because it felt like he was broken too."

Damn it… she knew she wouldn't have liked the answer.

"It felt like he lost something," Coral went on, "but that by losing it, he gained something else. Namely, the ability to understand me." She shrugged. "We became closer. He became important to me."

"Lost something," Blake said, "or someone?"

Coral shrugged one shoulder.

"Did he have many friends before he changed?" Yang asked. "Were there any of them you suddenly didn't see him hang around with anymore?" She looked to the two women, but paused when they both looked uncertain. "What's wrong?"

"Jaune had friends," Sapphire whispered. "Not many, but he had friends like anyone his age would. After the change, though… I don't think I ever thought on it, but I never saw _any_ of them again. He didn't hang around with them. He didn't talk to them…"

"They no longer interested him," Coral said blandly. "They couldn't understand him."

"Because he was broken?" Blake asked.

"Because he was different. People don't like different. It distresses them."

Yang knew Blake couldn't argue that, not when it was what the faunus faced first hand. Still, Coral's story as good as corroborated what they'd suspected. Something happened to Jaune when he was younger, something that scarred him so effectively, his personality did a complete one-eighty. His habits changed, he started to act differently… and if their earlier suspicions were true – and his mother's – it must have been around that time he started to come down with some form of depression.

Like Blake said before, people who suffered from that tended to view their lives as having less worth than other people's. It might explain why he was so willing to risk his own to protect theirs.

As for the White Fang, there were still two options remaining. Jaune either risked his life to stop them because he was worried they'd hurt his team… or he did it because of something they'd done to him earlier in his life.

The next step was obvious.

"Thanks, Coral," Yang said. "You really helped us out. I… do have one question, though. Would you answer it?"

"Ask and see."

"You said you like Jaune because he can understand you, because he feels…" Yang hated the word, but used it anyway, "broken, like you."

"It's a little more complicated than that, but close enough. What is it you wanted to ask?"

Yang shared a look with Blake and Sun. She figured they'd guessed her question, for they nodded back. She took a deep breath, knowing the question wouldn't be popular with the girl. "Would you be against the idea of us trying to help him? Would you be against the idea of us helping him if it made him become… unbroken."

She expected anger. She expected glares, condemnation, something.

What she got was a small, sad smile.

"No. I would want what makes him happy."

/-/

Whether or not it was selfish and wrong, Weiss felt a little more pleased than she cared to admit for how the day had gone. The chance to spend some time with her team was one thing, as it was to see Jaune's face when they surprised him with his family. The real kicker, however, had to be what almost any other person might have called a date and a chance to meet the parents.

Maybe it wasn't for them, since he'd turned her down, but it still felt like it.

She also knew Jaune's mother considered it one as well, if the regular looks she received were any indication. Juniper Arc approved of her as her son's potential partner, even if she never said it out loud. That meant a lot to her. More than it ought to have. A Schnee did not need the approval of other people. A Schnee did what they wanted, how they wanted, and if they wanted it bad enough – they'd do something to make it happen.

Her father would have been disgusted, not only at her choice of love interest, but also the manner in which she pursued it. She was not her father, though. She never would be, and for that she counted herself thankful.

Still, she wasn't above showing off a little, even if it was a habit she knew she ought to curb. Here, though, a little generosity was both natural and well-received.

"I'll pay for the meal," she said, laughing off Juniper's protests. "Really, it's no problem. You and your family supported us out in Vale, both with food and a room to stay in." Weiss smiled at the memory. "Please let me repay you this, even if it's just a little bit."

They knew who she was, of course. That was probably the only reason they accepted, even if it was reluctantly. They were good people. Jaune was lucky to have parents like them. Weiss drew her card with a flourish and offered it to the man behind the counter.

She nearly died when it was rejected.

"T-This has to be a mistake," she laughed, acutely aware of Jaune's parents behind her. She took back the card and cleaned it on her wrist, handing it back to the gentleman behind the counter. "Could you try again?"

"Of course, just give me a second." The elderly man smiled and tried it again. When it failed, he checked his machine, polished the card and tried a third time.

Weiss felt her stomach fall out when it failed again.

"Is there a problem, Weiss?" Juniper asked. She smiled kindly. "Maybe it's a computer error. Let us handle the bill for this. It's fine."

It was a mercy offer, Weiss knew. Both of Jaune's parents were pretending they believed that, giving her an out she could take instead of admitting her embarrassment. Her eyes scrunched shut as she swallowed her humiliation and made to accept.

Jaune beat her to it. "Let me see that," he said, taking the card from the man. He brought it against his wrist and scuffed it against the fabric of his coat. When he handed it back to the man it was a different colour. It was a different card. "There," he said. "There was something stuck to the back of it. Maybe that'll fix it."

The shopkeeper noticed, of course. He must have understood, however, for he pulled the card out of sight. "I'll try it once more," he said, sliding over to the machine and ringing up the purchase. "Ah, there we go – all working as intended."

Weiss felt relief crash down on her when his parents sat back down.

"I guess it _was_ just that," Juniper laughed.

"I guess so," the shopkeeper said, handing the card back to her with a wink.

She didn't think she'd ever wanted to thank someone more. No, wait, she wanted to thank Jaune a whole lot more. "I-I guess it was," she laughed, walking back to their table on shaky legs. She slipped Jaune's card into her skirt, sending him a silent ` thank you` from the side of her mouth.

He smiled back.

"Thank you for this, Weiss," Juniper said. She reached over to pull Weiss into a quick hug, then leaned a head down by her ear. "For what it's worth," she whispered, "I think my son cares for you more than he lets on."

Her heart skipped a beat. She wanted to ask more, but the moment was gone as his mother pulled back with a warm smile and moved over to hug her son.

"We'll call it here for now," she said. "I'm not very mobile like this. I think it's time I took a break."

"Do you want me to see you back to your hotel?"

"No, no, don't be silly. You should spend the rest of the day with your friends. We'll be here every day to see you and watch you compete either way." Juniper pulled back and kissed her son's cheek. "Make sure to do your team proud."

"I will, Mom."

"That's good." Juniper smiled, but it quickly switched to a frown as she looked beside her. "Well, aren't you going to say something to your son?"

"I was waiting for an opportunity," Nicholas said. "I was just a little worried I might be told off for interrupting."

"Why would I- are you saying I'm hormonal again!?"

"No, dear…" The older man stepped forward to give Jaune a quick hug. Juniper watched with a fond smile, but standing beside her partner, Weiss heard the man's whispered words. "Help me."

"Hell no," Jaune hissed. "You did this to her. Wear protection."

"I did! It didn't work."

"Come on, Nicky," Juniper laughed. She gripped her husband by the arm and dragged him away with more strength than her frame really suggested.

Weiss watched them go, amused not only at their byplay, but also how easy and relaxed they were around one another. _I wonder if I'll ever have that with someone one day._ Her eyes flicked to Jaune beside her, but she knew she didn't have the courage to say anything. Instead, she picked up the white swan he'd won for her and held it against her side. She tried to make the action look casual, even if she would have hunted down anyone who dared try to take it from her.

"I never realised how weird Mom is when she's pregnant," Jaune said. "Sorry about how she acted. It must have been pretty awkward."

"It didn't feel awkward at all. I enjoyed it."

"Thanks for paying for them, anyway. Our family isn't exactly hurt for lien, but if Dad hasn't been on any hunts lately… well, looking after so many people isn't cheap. Sapphire, Sable and Coral do what they can to help, but the rest are still in education."

Weiss felt a tiny prickle under her skin. Was he mocking her? "You know full well I didn't pay for that meal," she sighed. Her hand fished into her skirt pocket, drawing out her scroll. It didn't take her long to find the reason for the card being rejected. It was detailed in a lovely message from her father, after all. "I've been cut off from my finances," she said. It felt like she should have been furious at that, but she wasn't. It was a loss, sure, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. She still had her team.

"Can he do that?" Jaune asked

She sighed and put the scroll away. "I don't actually have what you'd call a bank account. The SDC has more money than most banks do, and father would never pay a middleman just to look after it." Parasites, he would call them. People who fed off the wealth of others without doing any work for it. "He set up the SDC to have its own bank… of a sort. The service is only available to employees, not that many of them trust us enough to use it. Management do, and there are no hidden rates or traps. It's a good offer and a good deal…"

"Except that it gives him control over the accounts," Jaune finished. "That's why he can cut you off, because he doesn't need to contact a bank and customer protections. He just closes your account… or blocks access to it."

Weiss nodded. Her father would only do that if he wanted something, if he felt it would serve a purpose – probably one of forcing her to talk to him. If it were just that, she might have accepted, but she knew it wasn't. He wanted her back in Atlas, back under his control.

Back where she was nothing more than a resource.

"Forget it," she said, both to him and Jaune. She fished around in her pocket and found the card he'd used. "Here. Thank you for not letting me look like an idiot in front of your parents. I appreciate it and promise to pay you back however I can."

"Pay me back for what?" he asked.

She sighed. "The money you used to buy the meal." She poked the card into his arm when he made no move to take it from her. "Here," she repeated.

Jaune smiled. "That's not mine."

Huh? Weiss pulled it back and looked down at the card, eyes growing wide as she saw the name etched across the front. Miss Weiss Schnee.

What…?

She turned it over, inspected the back. It was a perfectly normal card, from VCB, the Vale Central Bank. She didn't have an account with them, however. She didn't have an account with any bank. Her eyes shot up to meet his. "I don't understand."

"Well, I didn't want to interrupt your story," Jaune said, "but you did make one mistake. You _do_ have an account with a bank outside of your family." He pointed at the card meaningfully.

"How, though? I didn't sign up for this."

"Officially, you did. You also transferred quite a lot of funds from your main account into it." Jaune shrugged, but his smile could only be described as smug. "Officially, that is."

No way…

"What's the unofficial account?"

"Top secret, I'm afraid."

She didn't know what to say. Yet again he did something she couldn't understand, that she couldn't explain. The question of how he'd managed to fool a bank and set an account up in her name was one example, but how he could have known that would be necessary was the bigger one. The chances of her father telling Jaune were lower than the moon falling from the sky. She doubted even Winter would have known, otherwise her sister would have assuredly warned her in advance.

She gripped his wrist with her hand. "How did you know?" she asked. "How could you possibly have known any of this would happen?"

"Lucky guess?"

She squeezed.

He sighed. "I'm a time traveller. I've lived this life hundreds of times before, to the point where I know every event as it's about to happen." He turned to face her. "Happy?"

Weiss kept his gaze for a good ten seconds. Eventually, she sighed and rolled her eyes. "If you don't want to tell me, then don't. There's no reason to be such an idiot about it."

"But it's true," Jaune laughed. "You never believe me, either. That always happens."

"I'll bet it does," she sighed. "And maybe you get to sleep with my sister as well."

"Yep."

She kicked him in the shin for that, and then kicked him again when instead of a pained yelp she got louder laughter. He was such an idiot. She kind of liked that about him, though… even if she wasn't sure why. "Come on," she sighed, taking his hand in hers and dragging him away. "We'd best find Blake and Yang before they do something stupid. Plus, even though the surprise is over, you _did_ still promise to spend the day with us here."

"Yes, dear," he said, still laughing to himself.

She dragged him away, to play games, find their team and generally have a relaxing day before the fights started. And if he never noticed how she kept hold of his hand, if he never noticed how his fingers curled around hers...?

Well, she wasn't going to complain.

/-/

While students and visitors alike enjoyed the hospitality of Beacon, its illustrious headmaster wished he could be doing the same… or doing paperwork, or playing chess, or anything really that didn't involve standing out in the hot sun as his old friend's ship slowly settled down. James really did like his entrances. It was part of being respected, he would always say.

Part of intimidating people, he likely meant.

Still, as the tall man stepped out from his small craft, Ozpin couldn't help the small smile that graced his face. "James," he said, stepping forward with his cane in one hand. "It's good to see you."

"You as well, old friend," Ironwood said. He was flanked by guards and offered Ozpin nothing more than a terse handshake. He would give no more in public, but there was no malice there. The General had an image to uphold, and Ozpin knew the greeting would be more familiar once they were out of the public eye. Already, several photographers were taking shots from the edge of the field.

"Would you like to reconvene in my office?" Ozpin asked.

"Please," James whispered.

The two moved away, Ironwood barking some quick orders to his guards, who saluted and left him to help unload the aircraft they'd arrived in. It was a small thing, which was both a miracle and relief in itself. He'd half-dreaded the arrival of a battleship.

No students crossed their path as they traversed the halls. They were all too busy enjoying themselves, but Ironwood's face remained carved from rock until they boarded the elevator to his office. Only then did it crack.

"Relieved to be free of their scrutiny?" Ozpin asked as his old friend let out a long sigh.

"Like you wouldn't believe," James laughed. "Things have been hectic back in Atlas. Ah, but let us not sour the mood talking about that. This should be a time for celebration."

"Indeed, the Vytal Festival ought to bridge the gap between all the nations. I take it you've brought your best and brightest to compete?"

"Naturally, old friend. I've heard much talk of yours as well." James sent him a sly look. "Specialist Schnee was quick to heap praise on her sister's team, and after seeing their record I've come to realise that's not just familial loyalty."

"Team Jazzberry is a skilled team," Ozpin said.

"They certainly sound it. I must say, though…"

"I know," Ozpin sighed. "The name was a difficult one, I admit. Hindsight makes a fool of us all, however. I've been able to come up with names since, but admitting that and changing the team designation would not look professional."

"I'm sure that led to some strife."

"I believe the younger Miss Schnee was quite upset by it."

"I can't imagine why."

Ozpin looked at Ironwood for a moment, and the General looked back. As the elevator door dinged open and they both walked out, they couldn't help but laugh. "It's good to see you again," Ozpin repeated. "It really has been too long."

"I couldn't agree more." Ironwood's eyes lit up. "Ah, Glynda, a sight for sore eyes."

"James," Glynda smiled back.

"And Qrow," Ironwood sighed.

"What? No kind words?" The drunken man swayed on his feet. "If it helps, you're a sight set to make my eyes feel sore too."

Ironwood rolled his eyes and ignored the man as he always did.

"Rooms have been set up for you and your men," Glynda said. "I'll pass the details onto your scrolls and the contact details of those you provided in advance. Your students have already been allocated rooms, of course, but should you wish to see them or speak with them, you're free to confiscate any classroom for it. Classes are all cancelled until after the tournament."

"Thank you, Glynda. I think I'll trust in their judgment, however." Ironwood accepted a cup of coffee from the woman and turned back to Ozpin. "How goes the security?"

Ozpin sighed. He'd known it would come to this. "I've recalled a number of huntsmen and huntresses back to the city. They've already been allocated locations and zones, both on Amity and in Vale. Defences around the city itself had been beefed up, while security on the Colosseum is at an all-time high."

"I see, I see… if you need additional hands, my Paladins could-"

"No James, that won't be necessary," Ozpin said, for what felt like the hundredth time. "Vale has everything in hand, as you already know. I believe our recent record speaks for us."

"Indeed it does. Several White Fang plots foiled and a terrorist strike on the heart of the city left without casualties." Ironwood paused. "Well, without innocent casualties at any rate. Your response was very rapid. You're to be commended."

"Beacon is always prepared."

"But perhaps a little more prepared than usual, no?" Ironwood's face took on a shrewd edge. "A certain someone saw fit to brief me on your mysterious friend. This… Silver."

"Bloody Ice-Queen," Qrow mumbled.

Ozpin's thoughts weren't much different, but he'd expected no less from Winter Schnee. "Our contact is but one of many advantages we wield," he said. "He has been useful in providing us information, however. That cannot be denied."

"And you've yet to locate him?"

"Qrow has encountered him numerous times. On the last, he was injured by one of our students. We feared he might have succumbed to it, but Miss Schnee's call proves otherwise."

"And you didn't think to pursue the matter?" Ironwood was clearly annoyed. "This mole could hold valuable information on the White Fang and their operations. Locating him should be a priority, extracting that information even more so."

"Define extract," Qrow interrupted. His red eyes held a dangerous edge. "I know you're not saying what I think you're saying, right Jimmie?"

"How should I be expected know what someone like _you_ thinks, Branwen?"

"Enough," Ozpin said. He stepped forward and between them, making it look like he was palcing his mug down on his desk. "James, while we do desire to find and speak with our contact, the security and safety of the people of Vale and those attending the festival took precedence. I'm sure you can understand."

Ironwood nodded grudgingly.

"On the other hand, the matter of locating him hasn't stopped. Right now, however, we don't want to push him into hiding until after the tournament is over. If the White Fang wish to make a move, this would be a golden opportunity. Silver has already shown a willingness to betray their causes. If we attempt to capture him, we might distract him or push him into hiding. That might impede his ability to warn us of a potential attack." He sighed and turned back to James. "Once we have the manpower to spare, however, rest assured we will do our best to find him."

"And to talk with him," Qrow said. "No interrogation and definitely none of that shit we all know you lot in Atlas pull."

Ironwood had a face of thunder, but managed to keep his temper in check. "As you say, Ozpin. I'll leave the matter in your hands for now. However, the Schnee Dust Company is a vested ally of the Atlas military. With his daughters here, and with this contact having been in touch with both, he's asked me to look into the matter and locate this Silver individual." Ironwood pulled out a folder from his coat pocket. "Naturally, I sought the Council of Vale's permission."

"Those stupid fossils," Qrow snapped. "You shoul-"

Ozpin interrupted him. "That's fine, James. If you desire so badly to seek him out, then feel free. All I ask is that his questioning is left to the Kingdom whose jurisdiction you stand within."

"Naturally," Ironwood nodded, seemingly pleased to have won him over. "I should see to the comfort of my men first, though. Glynda, would it be possible to show me to their quarters? I'd love to catch up on the way."

"Of course, James. Come with me."

Qrow waited until they were both out of the room, and the elevator was almost certainly at the bottom, before he turned back to Ozpin. "Is it safe to leave him in charge of that? I don't mind sayin' I don't want Silver captured by him. Heh, the mysterious bugger's grown on me."

"And you needn't worry, Qrow. I don't believe James will think to look in the right places."

"The right places? You saying you know what those are?" Qrow looked intrigued. "You know more than you're letting on, don't you?"

Ozpin chuckled. "Perish the thought. Come now, I'd like to hear how the training of your niece's team is going. Will they be able to make an impact at the tournament?"

"My niece's team," Qrow challenged, "or a particular member of it?"

Ozpin didn't answer.

He didn't have to.

* * *

 **Back from my break, and on the NTF train as usual. I can't think of much to say here, so I'll keep it short.**

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 **Next Chapter: 27** **th** **May**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	40. Chapter 40

**Hey all, a nice note before we start that NTF now has a new cover art. The artist is Sa-Dui, and you can check them out on Deviant Art. Obviously I can't include links here as they get auto-deleted. The piece was commissioned by a reader – Booya93. A big thank you for that, and a nice surprise it was. Unfortunately, I can't make the image fit Blake on-screen in this pic, but you can see the full thing on Sa-Dui's DA.**

 **It's worth having a look at, and a big thank you again! It looks amazing. :D**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Commissioned by Booya93)

 **Chapter 40 – The Storm**

* * *

Weiss was used to frustrated panic.

She hadn't been before Beacon, but after becoming a part of Team Jazzberry, it had become such a common feeling that she'd developed a scale of them. This ranked at about a two out of ten. That didn't sound like much, but when you considered that three was about the point before homicidal fantasies, and one was looking up discrete undertakers to dispose of the bodies, it became a little clearer. It hadn't reached that point yet, primarily because a certain someone wasn't within her reach.

"Where is he?" she hissed, scanning the people around her with stiff shoulders. "I can't believe I let him out of my sight. I can't believe we trusted him not to somehow mess this up!"

"Honestly, neither can I," Blake sighed. "He's been so focused lately that I think we forgot who we were dealing with. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't appear until halfway through the first fight." She rolled her eyes. "Even then, he'd do it as some kind of sneak attack to take advantage of an opening."

Weiss hummed and tried to smile. She knew Blake was trying to cheer her up, and she appreciated it. The thought of him not making an appearance was terrifying, however. This was so much more serious than all the stuff he normally chose to skip.

What was that idiot thinking? Ooh… they'd been getting along so well lately, but she was going to remind him exactly who he was playing around with when she next saw him. If this was his idea of a joke, she'd show him one of her own involving Myrtenaster, him and a tree. She'd recreate initiation, except with her rapier shoved up his-

"Hey guys," Ruby cheered, interrupting her thoughts and Jaune's imaginary demise. The young leader looked in fine spirits, and why not? It was the day of the tournament and her team looked fit to breeze through the early _and_ late stages. Out of everyone here, Pyrrha was definitely going to be a problem.

Weiss was banking on Jaune having the solution. Maybe this time she'd let him off for his tricky and blatantly unfair methods of winning fights.

"Hey sis." Yang reached over to ruffle Ruby's head. "You lookin' forward to getting started?"

Ruby pulled away with a pout, but it couldn't last. She laughed and hopped on the spot. "Definitely! I get to show everyone what I'm made of, and we're going to kick butt. Isn't that right, guys?"

"Legs will be broken!" Nora roared, drawing some wary glances from nearby competitors. Ren sighed and moved over to try and calm her down, not that he had any success.

Pyrrha chuckled. "I wouldn't go that far, but we're fairly confident. How about you, Weiss?"

"I believe we have a good chance," she said.

"That's gran-" Pyrrha paused, finally noticing what was wrong. "Where's your partner?"

Weiss' shoulders drooped. "He's… on his way, I'm sure."

"But Weiss," Ruby whispered, "Isn't your team's fight in like, forty minutes?"

"Yes, Ruby…" Weiss' palm came up to meet her face. "Yes it is."

 _I'm going to kill him._

/-/

It was a stray and idle thought, as he pressed his back against a wall and listened to two people walk by, chatting about a colleague with food sickness they deemed as being lazy on their busiest day. He waited until they were gone before slipping out and making his way down the corridor. Above him, through the concrete ceiling, the crowd could be heard – chanting and roaring as the first fight of the Vytal Festival began.

That left the backstage areas of the arena in a state of frenzied panic, both from the amount of work that needed to be done and the stressful conditions involved in organising and running one of the biggest events of the Remnant calendar. Combine that altogether, and it wasn't hard to see why people failed to notice a new addition among them. Jaune adjusted the baggy blue uniform on his shoulders and pulled the flat, blue cap down over his eyes.

Sometimes blending in was as simple as looking like you belonged, and the Atlas soldiers guarding the next corridor let him through after a cursory glance at his ID tag. The man there didn't look much like him, but the guards were too busy watching the fight on a nearby screen to notice.

 _SSSN versus BRNZ,_ Jaune thought, taking a quick look before he stepped through the door. _I suppose that means the random team generator is still working. If the fights were chosen beforehand, then they'd be the same every repeat._ Being chosen at random, however, that meant each repeat only created the opportunity – not the same result. Both teams would still be in attendance, but the machine selected them without interference, leading to potentially different results each and every time.

That was fine, though. He'd been through it enough times that he knew the various teams, along with their strengths and weaknesses. BRNZ would have been a bad fit for them thanks to the sniper. A single round he couldn't dodge would spell the end of the fight, and likely his life. Ironically, it would also spark a tragedy that would only have helped Cinder when she pulled her usual routine. Sun's team wasn't much better. The guy was slippery… enough so that he'd surely land a hit, and a hit from that staff would do more than enough damage.

As he approached his destination, a man in a similar uniform to him blocked his path. "Hey, what are you doing here? This place is off limits."

"Not off limits enough, clearly," Jaune said, looking him up and down. "Do you think I'd be here if I wasn't ordered to? There's been an issue with the servers. They need me to check them out."

"You're an IT technician?"

"No, I'm a janitor." Jaune sighed and flashed his ID card. The man didn't have the time to make out anything before he pulled it back. He could have asked to see it again… but Jaune was fairly sure he'd be too embarrassed to do so. "Of course I'm a technician, moron. Are you going to stand in my way, or would you like to explain to the audience why the next fight won't be happening?"

"What-? I didn't…" The man paused and looked behind him. "I wasn't informed of this. Why didn't someone let me know?"

Jaune sighed and planted a hand on his hip. "The same reason they didn't tell me I'd be going through an interrogation. Those guys are useless, believe me. You'd think with how regular this thing is that they'd have better procedures in hand. It's like a zoo back here."

The man chuckled nervously. There was nothing like joined dislike against a different party to create a sense of camaraderie and trust. "Tell me about it," he said. "Everything is so last minute, and half the time they don't even tell you what it is they want you to do. I guess this is the same." He shrugged and stepped aside, revealing the door for Jaune. "Go ahead, then."

"Thanks." Jaune stepped past and pressed four digits into the keypad on the wall, then cursed when it beeped and flashed red.

"Hm?" The man looked at him suspiciously. "Is something wrong?"

"Damn code isn't working," Jaune growled, entering another four random numbers. "They told me it was 8397. They said that was the passcode for all Block Two doors."

"Ah, well, this is Block Three…"

"Those idiots!" Jaune threw his hands in the air. "Can they not do _anything_ right? Now I've got to waste time calling them, and convincing the bloody receptionist this is a serious matter and that no, it can't wait. How useless are they?"

"Ah, forget it." The other man patted his shoulder and leaned over. He leaned over the keypad and entered the code. "It'll take you ages to get through those bureaucratic assholes. So much red tape… just don't tell anyone I did this for you and we'll be even."

"Deal," Jaune laughed. "Sorry about earlier. I'm stressed out – you know what it's like."

"I hear you, man. All those influential types up there… it's all people like us can do to stick together."

"Damn straight." Jaune bumped a fist against the man's, before he stepped into the room and let the door whisk shut behind him. He cracked his neck and pulled the cap off, settling it down on a nearby keyboard. "Well… that's one thing dealt with.

The room was both shrouded in darkness and illuminated by hundreds of blinking lights, which was a strange paradox, but caused by the various computers, terminals and screens that lined the walls. None of them showed the fights, however, but instead various lines of code and programming. Jaune pulled a seat over to one and sat down before it.

"Username and password, huh…?" His fingers flicked across the keys as he entered the details of someone he'd found however many repeats ago. It wasn't the first time he'd thought of such a plan, but it was the first time he'd be using it in this way. The terminal unlocked, and although that gave him access to records and information, it didn't give him what he wanted.

But he could find it.

A brief glance at the clock said he didn't have much time left, but he opened up the operating system and started to type in some direct commands, bringing up pages and pages of code. Nonsense and madness to most people, he'd actually spent a few lives learning how to program and hack into computers.

The original plan had been to develop some kind of counter-virus for the Atlas robots, then turn them on the attackers at the fall of Beacon. It was one, maybe two hundred lifetimes ago that he tried that. Between fighting, training and trying to kill Cinder, the learning had been slow, but he'd gotten proficient eventually.

It hadn't changed anything, unfortunately. He'd run up against the rather predictable roadblock of resources and secrecy inherent in the Atlas military. He should have known, really, but there was a vast difference between programming and breaking into a routine machine, and re-designing an entire AI system. The fact that it was made by the same guy who created Penny, a full-functioning synthetic life form, should have been the first clue.

Whoever Cinder got to create that virus was someone special indeed… probably a person who'd worked on the Paladin systems in the first place or a traitor who still did. No amount of time or effort had let him get close to emulating that.

The skills were still useful, though, so not a complete waste of time.

Here, it let him break the encryption around the match generator. The security was good, but not perfect. It didn't need to be, since it wasn't like it mattered _too much_ if the fights weren't random. Sure, it would let people dodge or choose certain fights, but Ozpin and Ironwood likely knew it wouldn't make a difference in the long run. Even if you cheated, you'd still have to prove yourself against the stronger team in the finals.

 _I wonder how Cinder manages this from her scroll,_ he thought, making some quick adjustments for the next fight. _If it was another virus, she'd need to break in here, but there were never any reports of that._ Not that it meant anything, since here he was doing the exact same thing. Maybe Cinder had a mole inside… it was a possibility. From what he recalled of working under her the one time, she'd made it a point to rig the matches the night before they started. Maybe she simply passed the information on to someone under her employ, and they snuck in to do just this.

It didn't matter. He wrote the last few lines of code, uploaded it – and then logged out of the terminal. His cap came back on and he entered the code he'd memorised from the other guy to get out.

"All done?" he asked.

"It was a smaller thing than they realised. Not that I'll tell them that, of course. If they want to give me a bonus, I'm all for it."

"Buy me a drink if they do," the man laughed.

"You got it, boss." Jaune smirked and turned away. "I've got to go for now, though. Duty calls – and trust me, my line manager isn't someone you want to keep waiting."

"A tyrant?"

"Honestly… she's probably thinking about how much she wants to kill me, right now."

/-/

True to expectation, Weiss' eyes zeroed in on him the moment he came within a hundred metre radius. They also locked on, and he could see them narrow as she judged distance to target, his movement patterns, and exactly the best way to make him regret every little thing he'd ever done. "In my defence," he said, holding his hands up, "I'm here and the fight hasn't started yet."

"Nice," Yang drawled. "I bet that's going to go down well."

"You were nearly late," Blake warned. Even she looked a little angry.

It wasn't like he could blame her. He turned to Weiss with a raised eyebrow, and then leaned away when he noticed her shoulders shaking. Oh dear… she was either about to cry or explode, and if someone chose the former then they clearly didn't know his partner very well.

Weiss took a deep breath, and then to his surprise, let it go.

"You're… not angry?" he tried.

"Oh, I'm angry." Weiss' saccharine smile was as beautiful as it was arctic. "I've just recalled that I currently need you in good health for the match ahead. Once that's over and done with we can have a little talk."

"Won't we be too tired for that?"

"Don't worry. You won't be required to do much speaking during it."

He winced. "I got here on time, though. I didn't do anything wrong."

"You made me panic!" Weiss stepped forward so that her face was barely three inches from his. Her finger stabbed into his chest, and from the look on her face she was mildly disappointed it didn't impale him. "Do you have any idea how stressful it was to sit here wondering whether you'd even show up or not!?"

"To be fair, wouldn't that make it your fault for doubting me?"

Weiss huffed and walked away. "No. It wouldn't."

Jaune blinked and watched her go, then winced when Yang slapped a hand on his back. "Smooth moves, dad," she said. "You know, for someone so good with the ladies you sure can be useless at times. It makes me wonder just what attracts them all."

"Laugh it up, dear daughter." He pulled her hand off and sighed. "Most women are easier to deal with than Weiss."

"Most women don't genuinely care for you."

He didn't miss the meaning there, not Yang's implied hint. He glared at her, but she only smiled back, as though butter wouldn't melt in her mouth. "I'm aware of her feelings, Yang. There's no reason to keep bringing it up."

Yang shrugged and walked by him, but not before blowing him a teasing kiss. She followed over to Weiss, who was deep in conversation with Pyrrha and Ruby, and thus deep in the act of ignoring his presence. Ugh… he'd known she would be upset, but it wasn't like he could have told her where he was going.

"Your turn, Blake?" he asked, hearing her heels against the grass behind him.

"I'll respect your judgment on Weiss," she said. "If you don't think it will work, I won't push you to try anyway. Yang just wants the best for everyone."

"I know." He sighed. "That's just the kind of person she is."

"Are you saying you're different?"

"Maybe, maybe not." He wanted to help them too, but it wasn't quite as pure as Yang. She wanted he and Weiss to be happy because she cared about their happiness. He wanted to protect them because he wanted _his_ friends to live. It was selfish… but then again, what wasn't? _I'm only human after all._

"Is something wrong?" Blake asked.

"Nothing," he said. "I'd best go grovel at Weiss' feet for an apology. Wish me well. You're my favourite little girl after all."

"Is that something to be proud of when my competition is Yang?"

"Just because the competition is low, and annoying, doesn't mean you shouldn't feel proud."

"Idiot," Blake laughed.

Jaune grinned and made to move away, but she caught his arm before he could leave. "Blake?"

Her face was deadly serious. "If something is bothering you… and I know you'll say it isn't," she added. "But if there is… you could talk to me about it."

He stared at her.

"I know I'm probably not the best person to speak to. I ran away from my own problems and can barely face them even now. I'm still hiding my heritage from most people, too. But I can listen and… well, I'd try my best to help."

Jaune's eyes softened, even as his teammate squirmed uncomfortably on the spot. She wasn't used to such overt displays of affection. She never was. That she'd be willing to say all that… it spoke of just how much she cared.

"Thank you, Blake. I'll keep that in mind." He nodded to her, and she seemed relieved by the formality of the response. A slow grin appeared. "Really, though, I see daddy's little girl is really pulling out all the stops today. Don't tell me there's something you want me to buy you?"

"It's not like that. I… ugh. Weiss is right. You're insufferable."

"Guilty~"

"Where were you anyway? Before this, I mean. What were you doing that took you so long to get here?"

"I was doing some research on our potential opponents." It would serve as a useful excuse for his knowledge. "I managed to find some records of what they're good and bad at. It might give us the edge we need."

"If you'd told Weiss that, she might have taken it better."

 _If I'd thought up the excuse ahead of time, I'd have tried._ He shrugged and gestured over to the others with a nod. Blake nodded back and the two of them made their way over. Weiss shot him an irritated look, but scoffed and turned back to Ruby when he smiled at her.

Ruby giggled.

"It looks like they're calling the next fight," Nora hissed, bringing them all to silence. She leaned forwards on the railing, eyes lit up. "Ooh, I hope it's us. I hope it's us!"

"Nora, it's only the second bout. There are still plenty of other people to pick from."

"But it _could_ be us, Renny!"

Jaune chuckled and kept his face towards them, even as his eyes shifted over to the left. He could just make out Cinder and her people there, probably ten or twenty seats further down. Their eyes were fixed on the arena, but Mercury had his feet up on the railing before them. It suggested they didn't intend for their fight to be now, which was lucky.

He didn't want to show his hand too early, after all.

His eyes narrowed on Mercury's boots. _Hmm, now there's an idea. I'll have to see what I can do about that._

"It's stopping," Nora whispered. She leaned over to look at the holographic reel, and despite Weiss' loud scoff at Nora's behaviour, her hands gripped the railing just that little tighter. The result clicked into place.

"Team NDGO of Shade Academy in Vacuo," Peter commentated. "Now _here's_ a team with spunk, or so I hear. Four lovely ladies with skills that will soon teach you not to judge a fighter based on their appearance."

"Indeed, Peter, and rightly so, for these girls are a force to be reckoned with – and against them will be…" Oobleck trailed off, building suspense as the wheel turned.

"Team Jazzberry of Beacon Academy in Vale!" Oobleck shouted. "Hold onto your seats, ladies and gentleman, because if I know my teams, this one is bound to be an explosive show."

The crowd roared, muting the sounds of Weiss' shock and Nora's disappointment. He sat through it all, not showing quite the same reaction as his team, who now looked far more nervous than they had before. Where they doubted…

He could only smirk.

/-/

Weiss took a deep breath and came to a stop beside Yang and Blake. They'd been given a brief moment to prepare and gather their weapons, and now stood on their side of the arena, ready to step out of the changing areas and into the open air. The crowd chanted, their noise filtering through even the solid wall and ceiling itself. She was used to such things from her concerns, but it was clear Blake and Yang were a little nervous. Jaune, curiously enough, was not.

"Take deep breaths," she advised. "The crowd can be daunting at first, but you'll soon get used to them."

"Heh…" Yang jogged on the spot and tried to follow her advice. "Never thought I'd be one for stage fright."

"It's just nerves," Weiss said. "Everyone experiences it the first time. It gets easier soon enough. Just remember that almost everyone who is watching has no idea how to fight. Only a tiny fraction of the crowd will be huntsmen or huntresses. You could go out there and make a complete fool of yourself, and most of them wouldn't even realise."

"Hopefully we won't do that," Blake said.

"You won't." It was Jaune that spoke, in a self-assured voice. "You're nervous now, but once the fighting starts you'll be so focused on the enemy, you won't even notice the crowd."

Weiss felt a little surprised by his confident tone. She'd half-expected him to be faking it, but realised who it was she was talking to. Jaune Arc wouldn't bother to fake something like this. He wouldn't care if he was nervous or not. "Have you done something like this before?" she asked. "You seem calm."

"You could say I've been in a similar situation." He grinned. "Maybe it was in a past life."

"Then you must have done something very cruel to warrant this one," she snapped.

"Now Weiss, don't be so hard on yourself. You're a great partner."

"I didn't mean having me as your partner, idiot!"

"Guys," Yang interrupted. "Chill… we're on the same side here. Leave your flirting until after the fight. Blake said you had some dirt on these four." The latter was directed at Jaune, as Yang utterly ignored Weiss' frantic attempts to explain that they hadn't been flirting at all. "Anything we should know about them?"

Jaune shrugged. "They're individually skilled from what I hear, but their teamwork doesn't hold up. Ideally, they'll want to break us off into several one on one fights where they don't have to worry about hitting each other."

That was curiously specific knowledge. Weiss raised an eyebrow but continued to listen.

"I think the best bet will be if I take Dew, the one with the spear. Blake would be best against Gwen – she uses throwing weapons, and I doubt you'll be hit by them." He waited for Blake to nod, before turning to Yang. "Their leader, Nebula, uses a crossbow that turns into a sword. I don't think she's as strong in melee as she is in ranged, and I can't think of anyone better to keep the pressure on her."

"Hah," Yang slammed a fist into her palm. "She'll get off one shot – but only one."

"And the last for me," Weiss finished. She was impressed, she would admit. Perhaps he _had_ been off doing research as Blake claimed. "What do you know about my opponent?"

"She's called Octavia. Fights using a kris-like sword," he said. "It has some markings that suggest dust use, and I'm guessing fire from the colour. She's fast on her feet, but uses a bastardised fencing style. I think you'll be fine."

Weiss couldn't help but agree, and her lips twisted up as she thought about it. This Octavia used a fire-based attack and a combat style not dissimilar to her own. She could nullify the fire with ease, and counter any fast movements with her glyphs. When all the variables were accounted for, the littlest things became important. In fencing, reach was one of them – and Myrtenaster had far greater range than a dagger.

Still, she couldn't shake a small sense of fear, and it wasn't directed at herself. "Will you be okay with your opponent?" she asked. "It hasn't been long since your injury and-"

"I'll be fine, Weiss. Don't worry about me."

 _How can I not?_ Weiss thought. She sighed and looked to the others, in time to see Yang wink and nod towards his back. Blake agreed and held a finger to her lips, and Weiss felt a little more relieved. They would all keep an eye on him, whether he knew it or not.

A light above their door flashed, and Weiss shared a final look with each of them before she stepped out. The four of them walked in unison, Jaune to her left, with Blake and Yang flanked on either side of them. White light washed over their frames, blinding her for a moment, and even sparing them the terrifying sight of the crowd. It couldn't drown out the noise, however, and the chants grew ever louder as they walked out towards the raised platform that would form their battleground.

Somewhere in that crowd, her sister was watching her. Somewhere back in Atlas, she imagined her father might take the time to do so as well. Doubtful, perhaps, but a Schnee's success here might be deemed important enough for him to care.

She could dream.

The two teams centred up in the middle of the arena, and Weiss took the moment while the battlefield roulette span to inspect her opponent. Red hair, tanned skin, and a smile that was just a little too cocky. She'd been no better once, but that felt like a long time ago. Her eyes fell to the weapon too. Jaune had been right, as usual.

How was that always the case? How did he find out these things? If he would have ever answered her honestly, she might have asked.

Ha… a blunt answer from Jaune Arc. She'd seen movies about men called mysterious, and they didn't have a fraction of what he did. There were more questions than answers, and even those answers were more implied than anything. One thing she did not doubt, however, was his dedication to them.

Never that…

Their feet shifted as the floor beneath them moved. Weiss would have stumbled but for Jaune's shoulder being suddenly behind her. He didn't catch her or help her up, but the brief moment of his body to prop hers up was enough to regain control. "Thank you," she whispered, meaning more that he hadn't embarrassed her by having to help than the actual act of helping her. His smile said he knew exactly what she meant.

 _A desert and ocean environment,_ Weiss thought, analysing the arena. _The desert would seem to benefit them since they live in Vacuo. I'm not sure if the ocean is meant to balance it, but it really doesn't._ She looked to her partner briefly, but he didn't seem as concerned about their arena as she. Perhaps he simply didn't show it.

Yang certainly did if her muttered curse was any indication, and Weiss saw the members of Team NDGO smirking and laughing between them as they watched the battlefield click into place. "Does this change anything?" Weiss asked.

"It makes them even more arrogant," Jaune said.

Weiss nodded. People like that would be more prone to making mistakes. Or at least she certainly hoped so. Her eyes strayed to Dew, Jaune's chosen enemy. The woman looked confident and measured, clutching a spear in one hand. Unlike the other three, she didn't engage in idle chatter. She seemed to be inspecting their arena with a cautious eye.

She looked measured and in control – a dangerous enemy. Would Jaune be able to withstand such a person? He was determined, but not the strongest among them, and although his tactics usually let him trick his way to victory, she was worried his reputation might have proceeded him. He had enough people who disliked him in Beacon. Those girls were very pretty too… she could easily imagine an enamoured Beacon student spilling everything they knew.

She eyed him worriedly. _I have the biggest advantage over my opponent. If I rush my fight and take her out as soon as possible, then I can sweep back to help him. He won't appreciate it, but if it keeps him safe…_

Well, it was better to seek forgiveness than ask permission, or so they said. She'd never believed it herself, but she wouldn't seek forgiveness for protecting him anyway. He was her partner, her team leader, her… her friend.

The word rankled.

She didn't want him as a friend.

"Yang, Blake…" Jaune kept his eyes on the enemy as the timer began to count down. "Try to pressure them as soon as you can. We want to take out their ability to used ranged attacks straight away. Weiss, can you make an ice wall to cut Dew and Octavia apart?"

"I can," she said. It would be costly, but she didn't want him being attacked from behind once her opponent realised she couldn't defeat her.

"Good. Remember, guys, they're bad at teamwork, but they're arrogant. Weiss and Yang shouldn't have too much trouble winning their fights, and Blake and I will be able to hold out until help comes." He drew his sword.

"It feels like we're playing into their hands," Blake whispered. "Shouldn't we fight as a group and exploit their weakness?"

"Trust me." Jaune winked, and it was that amused little grin that truly tipped them off.

It wasn't hard to remember all his previous fights.

"Oh boy," Yang said, grinning despite herself. "I can't wait to see how this turns out."

"It'll be interesting if nothing else," Blake shook her head.

The counter ticked down to five. Weiss' thumb came to rest on the dust chamber on her weapon. She took a breath and held it. The clock ticked down, and much like she'd said earlier, the roar of the crowd almost seemed a million miles away. All she could hear was the deafening sound of that digital chime. Three seconds, two seconds, one second…

She leapt into action with the blare of the horn. A crossbow bolt whistled past her face, but she twisted away and slid onto one knee, striking a hand down onto the sand. Myrtenaster flashed, and a line of white raced along the ground.

Yang kept pace with it. She leapt into the air, flipped so she was upside down, and fired both her gauntlets backwards. The force propelled her forward, and Nebula swore and abandoned her attempt to reload, blocking the attack.

Her teammate tried to help, but the dagger she threw scattered away. Gambol Shroud smoked, the barrel aimed towards her.

"Be careful," Weiss hissed as the wall formed, about to cut her and Jaune apart. "If you need help, all you need to do is shout!"

"I've got this, Weiss," he laughed. The last thing she saw of him was his smile, before the ice formed. Before he was gone completely, she heard his parting words. "Have a little faith," he said. He was gone a moment later.

Faith?

 _I trust you, you idiot,_ she thought. _I just don't want to see you get hurt. Not again._ Her eyes hardened as she faced her enemy. Myrtenaster flicked up before her. She would ensure his safety at the tip of a sword.

"Weiss Schnee, huh?" Octavia laughed and drew her blade. She eyed the ice wall beside her, but shrugged and took a few steps away. Like he'd said, she seemed unconcerned to be trapped in a one on one fight. "I hope you don't expect your boyfriend to last against Dew. Guys have a tendency of falling for her…" She grinned. "In this case, literally…"

"Then you clearly don't know my partner very well," Weiss said. "Also, he's not my boyfriend."

"You don't sound too pleased with that." The girl launched a fire blast to test her defences, but Weiss swept it away with ease. Her eyes narrowed as she felt something ugly bubble up inside her. Octavia noticed. "Ooh, have I touched a nerve there, lady Schnee?"

Myrtenaster came up, and a glyph formed beneath her feet.

"Several, actually," she growled, "and I'll make you pay for them."

/-/

Jaune caught Dew's spear on the edge of Crocea Mors. He held it up horizontally above him, reached out to catch the spear behind the blade with his free hand, then pulled it aside. He punched the hit of Crocea Mors into her face, then followed up with a sweep that pulled her legs out from under.

Dew landed as best she could, swinging her spear around in a wide arc that forced him to disengage. She clambered to her feet with a focused expression. "You're good," she whispered. "Better than I'd heard."

"Now then," he said, "Who's been talking about little old me?" Crocea Mors traced a pattern before him, the tip flicking from side to side. Her spear adjusted each time, the point shifting from the left of her body to the right as she tried to keep up her guard.

She was cautious. That was both good and bad. It meant she wasn't likely to throw an all-out attack, but also meant she wouldn't make any mistakes he could exploit. The balance was tipped in her favour there. He only had to make one mistake for this to be over.

He hoped it wouldn't come to that… mostly because Dew hadn't ever really done anything to him in a past life, and he didn't wish to see her horrified expression when she lodged her spear in his body. There was a reason he'd sent Blake and Yang after Gwen and Nebula. Both used ranged weapons, which put him in a bad spot. Even if he pushed them back, it would only take a metre or so's space for Nebula to lodge a bolt in his throat. Gwen was worse.

And, of course, Octavia had her own issues – mostly her speed atop the sand. His best bet had been Dew, fast in her own right, but with a weapon that was slightly more predictable. It was that he took advantage of as she lunged in.

His sword blade crashed against her spear, knocking it aside and into the air. She pirouetted to try and bring it back, but he spun with her, falling down on one knee and slicing at her leg as her own attack sailed above his head.

She fell back with a cry, limping for a moment. Her aura had protected her, though. The pain was still there, as was the automatic response, but training kicked in and she pushed her foot back down with a frustrated growl.

 _I'm more skilled than her. I could win this fight if it were fair. Sadly, it's not, and she's bound to try a desperate last gambit if I push her._ The kind where she sought to take him down with her, likely trading blows. He couldn't afford that. _Come on, aura. I'm fighting. Isn't that what you wanted?_ The screen above the arena taunted him with its aura meter, labelling him as full.

Well, there was more than one way to deal with her. He switched Crocea Mors to his left hand, earning a worried expression from her. It switched to one of confusion when he flipped it into a reverse grip, holding the blade behind him.

She fell into a low stance, spear held out in front of her like a spear wall made of a single person. Against someone without a ranged option, it wasn't a bad idea. The biggest advantage a spear had over a sword was reach. If he could get past the point, however…

His boots kicked up dust as he lunged forward. He kept his eyes on her hands, noting the minute twitch that heralded her attack before she even made it. Her left hand shifted lower, and he was already in the air before she began the sweep that would have cut his legs out from under him. It sailed beneath, and his body twisted around to bring Crocea Mors down in a devastating overhead strike.

She cried out, but it was quickly silenced by his right fist slamming into her jaw. He turned, stepping with her as she staggered back. His body completed a half-circle, bringing around his left side again for another slash. She managed to bring up the haft of her weapon to block it, but her footing was clumsy.

He grabbed the spear just below the blade, wrenching it down and out of the way. So close, his own sword was useless, but he used the pommel like a dagger, driving it up and under her ribs. While not sharp, the tip was more than enough to drive the wind from her lungs. He placed a foot on her chest and kicked back, creating distance and landing on his knees after a quick backflip.

Dew Gayl slammed down onto the sand a few paces away.

She glared at him as she staggered back onto her feet. That cold calm he'd seen before had been replaced with pure hatred. Good.

"Fancy that," he taunted. "A Vacuo student eating sand while the pampered city dweller stays standing." He made a show of weaving his sword before him, tracing it gently across the sand. "If this carries on, the closest I'm going to come to injury is dehydration."

Dew's teeth ground together. She didn't speak, but her frustration was as clear as day. She made no move to attack, however, no doubt having realised he had the upper hand in melee combat. He didn't, of course, but it was important she felt it.

"I won't be baited," she said. "If you think I'll make a mistake due to anger, then you'll find that you're the one who is mistaken." She lowered her spear to the floor and began to wave it back and forth, much like he had.

Unlike him, hers came with an effect.

"You already have," he whispered, letting a hand reach into his jacket pocket. The white, Atlesian-style thing came with several handy attachments. Weiss knew how to pick functional fashion. As the three twisters surged towards him, he ducked between and through them – rushing her with a howl of victory.

Dew panicked, faced suddenly with a berserker. She slammed the point of her spear down and summoned a huge wave of wind, causing sand and dust to explode upwards in a cloud that obscured them both entirely.

Jaune's hand came out of his pocket, and he fixed the goggles over his eyes. "Thank you, Neptune," he whispered. "I'll never call your goggles stupid again." He'd also need to do something nice for the guy for lending them to him. He'd been confused at first, but handed them over after extracting a promise that he'd look after them.

Eyes protected, Jaune kept his mouth shut as the sand blasted over him. It whipped and pelted his skin, irritating it beyond belief. Behind him, the twisters were still going, and when the sand from her latest attack hit them, it was sucked up and expelled even further. The entire arena became covered in a thick dog, not unlike a desert storm.

He heard Dew coughing and hacking somewhere nearby. She'd been less prepared for it, even if it was her own attack, and she'd likely kept her mouth open and inhaled plenty of it.

Jaune grinned and crossed his arms. She couldn't find him and he had no pressing reason to find her.

Really… she'd already lost.

/-/

Blake thought she was under attack when the sandstorm hit. She ducked back, an arm before her face as she glared at the tricky opponent she'd been assigned. True to Jaune's predictions, her Semblance had proven useful against the girl's limited ammunition. The fight was anything but decided, however, and the two of them both had small pools missing from their aura.

As the sand and dust continued to roll in, Blake's eyes stung and she watched her opponent be taken from her sight. That worked both ways, of course.

"Dew," the girl howled. "What are you doing? Cut it out!" There was a muffled curse, followed by a cough and the sound of sand moving underfoot. "Damn it. I can't see a damn thing."

 _Me neither,_ Blake thought. _I can hear you just fine, however._ Her feline ears twitched beneath her bow. _She said Dew, Jaune's opponent. Is this what he meant about bad teamwork? By using such an attack on Jaune, she's robbed Gwen of the ranged advantage._ Blake's smile turned vicious. _Nebula, too. I'm sure Yang is having a field day with this._

Blake slunk low and towards the coughing girl. She was used to fighting with limited vision, something Adam trained her in – but also something her fighting style adopted anyway. With all her spins and pirouettes, there were times where she couldn't see her enemy and had to use other senses.

"W-Where are you?" Gwen coughed.

"I'm here…" Blake said, from only a few metres behind the girl. A dagger flashed towards her face, but passed through the clone she left behind. Two more flew, but they were slightly off target. _The sandstorm is distorting my image,_ she realised. _She isn't able to properly lead her attacks because she can't see me._ It would hardly help since the girl's eyes must have hurt as much as Blake's did. Her own vision was hazy too, made worse by how her eyes watered.

For Gambol Shroud, however, she only needed an indistinct outline of her opponent. Gwen Darcey had to carefully aim each throw.

Blake smirked and began to gently lope around the girl, like a Grimm circling its prey.

 _Next time, I'll ask Jaune to fill me in on the whole plan, as opposed to springing it on us as well._ She smiled to herself.

He certainly did enjoy surprising them.

/-/

Nebula swore under her breath and tried to be as quiet as she could. What was Dew thinking doing this? Didn't she understand what her wind would do to all the sand? No. It didn't matter. All that mattered was finding the rest of her team and convincing Dew to put an end to this. Her opponent was too much, a veritable monster in close combat that just _would not stay down_.

Ranged had been her only recourse – and wasn't that a laughable thought now?

 _I need to find the others. Reconvene and team up. I'm useless here._ Nebula swallowed her fear. She eased her foot to the side, eyes scanning left and right. She couldn't see much for the sand-filled wind, but with Xiao-Long's speed, she needed to see that faint blur in time to dodge.

Failure to dodge wasn't an option. She'd seen what a single punch did to that ship's mast. The sound was terrifyingly loud, and almost akin to what she imagined her spine snapping would sound like.

Something shifted to the left.

Nebula's heart leapt into her throat. She turned with a gasp, finger pulling the trigger before she could stop herself. Her bolt shot off into the sand with a near-silent twang.

There was no cry of pain from its direction.

 _Crap, crap, crap,_ Nebula's hand shook as she reloaded her weapon. _I can't afford to jump at shadows. There's an actual enemy in here with me. I need to stay calm._

She managed to get it loaded and the string snapped back into place. With a panicked breath, she took a step back.

And bumped into something.

A hand clamped onto her shoulder.

"Found you," her nightmare whispered.

/-/

"Damn it, Jaune. This has your handiwork all over it." Weiss sighed and brushed some sand away from her cheek. She'd tried to block the sandstorm as it hit, but the moment she dropped the wall of ice, it still got everywhere. "I hate sand. How about you?"

"D-Damn you…" Octavia groaned. The girl was flat on her back, her weapon several metres away.

"Let it be a lesson to you," Weiss said, trailing Myrtenaster behind her as she strode towards the girl. Her aura was already low, while Weiss' own stood at half or more. The battle had never really been fair from the start, and Octavia's strange sand-skating trick had taken a turn for the worse when Weiss introduced ice to the equation.

"A lesson… of what…?"

"When a girl tells you not to bring up her love life." Weiss thrust down, piercing the sand not an inch beside the girl's head. " _Don't!"_

Octavia's wide eyes rolled back up into her skull.

Weiss sheathed her rapier. "Now to find that idiot before he manages to get himself injured. I wouldn't be surprised if chokes to death on this sand just to spite me."

/-/

Jaune's sword clashed against Dew's spear. Sparks flew and she twisted back, bringing the point around in search of his heart. He caught it on his guard instead, twisting it and forcing her to one side. His shoulder rammed into her chest, followed by his pommel into her stomach. As she staggered back, he gripped Crocea Mors by the blade and brought it around the side of her head, wielding it like a club.

She flew back into the storm. He followed.

"D-Damn you," Dew growled. She tried to keep her eyes on him, but the sand stung at them, while Neptune's goggles kept him safe. Her lunge was clumsy and easily batted aside with the back of his hand. He lunged in and cut towards her face in return.

Had she no aura like him, it would have taken out her eye and left a nasty scar. As it was, she fell back with a cry of pain and one hand clutched to her face. She would have a bruise at worst.

"It's nothing personal, Dew. You were just in the way." He chuckled. "Well, I put you there, but it had to be someone and I knew you'd try this." Hacking the terminal into granting them NDGO, and then also to ensure the battlefield, had been a risky play – but what worked for SSSN could work for them. Even better, in fact, since his team was stronger than Sun's had ever been. He pointed his sword towards her, even if to her it was but a hazy image. "Surrender. We don't need to keep fighting."

"What?" she scoffed. "Afraid?"

"I'm a lover more than a fighter, but afraid?" He paused. "There are plenty of things that frighten me, Dew. Sadly, you're not one of them." He stepped forward. "Then again, it's probably for the best you're not. I like to kill things I'm afraid of. Keeps them from being problems."

"Don't you dare think you've won this. My team will-"

"Do nothing," he interrupted. "After all, this sandstorm is as much a problem to them as it is to you. You can't even cut off the tornadoes feeind it since you can't see them."

"They'll wear out in time."

"True… but how much time? And will you still be in a position to take advantage of it?"

Her teeth ground together. With a cry, she lunged forward, spinning the spear above her head. He stepped back to avoid the first sweep, then parried the return with a downward swing. She spun and brought the weapon behind her, but he followed and parried it, sparks flying as their weapons grated against one another.

Her foot swept at his but he saw it and stepped over, slamming it down between hers and using his arms to push her weapon back into her. She stumbled over his leg and fell to one knee. As he swung down, she smirked and slammed a fist into the sand. Wind exploded out from her.

It caught him in its grasp and carried him several metres away. Though he kept hold off his sword, his jacket was buffeted up into his face, and he was forced to hold both arms before him to avoid being swept away.

The sand had no such recourse, and was blasted off the side of the arena. There, the barriers took control and prevented it flying into the crowd. Sunlight pierced down on them once more, along with the roar of the crowd. Her attack had cleared the storm entirely.

"There," she said. "Let's see how you do now that your little trick has been foiled."

"My trick? You do realise that was _your_ attack, right?" He laughed when she blushed and cursed him under her breath. "I am known for my tricks, though. Used to get me in all sorts of trouble with Glynda. There was always one she wouldn't allow, though. Cut the idea off before it could even get anywhere. Damn shame." He shook his head, then cocked it towards Dew. "Would you like to see it?"

"I'm not afraid," she said. A lie, but she had spunk so he wouldn't call her out on it.

"It's quite simple, really," he said. "Just me using every weapon at my disposal, but for some reason Glynda thought it unfair or something."

"Do your worst."

"As you wish." Jaune waved a hand and smiled. "Yang. Kill."

"Huh?" Dew looked confused.

"Eh, I suppose I could," Yang laughed, startling the girl. The spear woman spun on the spot, pointing her weapon at the blonde. Her eyes widened and she turned to the left as well, in time to see Blake stood there. She had the black scarf she wore around her neck up over her mouth, likely to shield it from the sand.

"Hold on, Yang," Weiss grated. His partner did _not_ look pleased – nor clean. Her normally pristine battle outfit was marred with orange and brown, and he could see sand in her white hair. "I believe _I_ have a score to settle with this individual as well. After all, someone seemed to think it a good idea to cover _me_ in sand." Myrtenaster came free in a shower of ice dust. "I _hate_ sand!"

Dew looked between them struggling to keep her spear pointed toward each as they fanned out. As a last resort she turned to him, eyes wide.

Jaune grinned.

"Nice trick, hey? I call it a `team`. You might have heard of it."

/-/

"To us," Yang cheered, one foot on her bed and the other holding a can of soda in the air. "Champions of Vytal!"

"To us," Weiss echoed, along with Blake and Jaune. She took a drink from her own, the sweet and sugary taste a welcome treat despite its unhealthy calorie count. Tonight wasn't a night for worrying about such nonsense, however. Tonight, they celebrated.

"Don't you think it's a little early to call us champions?" Blake asked. "We only won our first fight."

"Yeah, but by the end of tomorrow's fights, the combatants are going to be cut by _half_. We're already in top fifty per cent just by doing this!" Yang's mood was infectious, and it seemed even the normally taciturn Blake couldn't fully hide her smile.

Weiss didn't even try. She knew it would have been a losing battle.

The rush of victory had mixed with the euphoria of their performance, and then been enhanced by the roar of the crowd and Port's praise over the speaker systems. She'd told herself not to let it go to her head, but it absolutely had. It had gone to all their heads.

And she didn't care in the slightest. She would calm down tomorrow, and then go into their two versus two fights a day or two after with a calmer mind. Right now, she was happy in a way she never had been before.

It was more intoxicating than the wine she'd once sampled with her sister.

Success and victory weren't strangers to her, nor to any Schnee. She was used to achieving what she set out to, even if the route wasn't always easy. She'd become a singer to prove she could, and then a huntress to escape her father's influence – and she'd excelled at that too. Such thoughts would bring a calm, if pleased, smile to her face. This was different.

She'd succeeded, but her team had succeeded too – and they'd done it together. More than that, she cared about their success in a way she never had for another. She'd always wished the best for her sister, of course, but that had been a distant thought. Winter would excel because she was Winter. With Team Jazzberry… _her_ team… there wasn't quite that same assurance. Once upon a time, they'd been a mess of a team hardly fit to be a part of Beacon. Now, they stood on the precipice of becoming champions – and Weiss loved that she was able to experience it with other people who shared her enthusiasm.

It made her feel free… bubbly, overflowing – like she was a glass spilling water over the edge. She felt drunk without touching a drop of alcohol, and without the sense of regret she always saw in her mother's eyes. She'd even waived Jaune's punishment for making them panic.

At least that was what she told herself, and not that she hadn't really meant it in the first place.

"How did you know so much about their team, Jaune?" she asked. The question brought Yang to silence and caused one of Blake's feline ears to perk towards them. She no longer wore her bow in the confines of their room.

"That's what I spent this morning doing," he said. "Despite a certain daughter's suspicions otherwise." He shot a small smile at Blake, but she only huffed and pretended to be reading one of her books.

"How?"

"I have my ways." He said. Weiss' heart dropped as she thought of what he might mean, and the good cheer that had felt so invulnerable began to fade away. "Not that," Jaune said, having caught her. "I didn't do anything like that, Weiss. I just found some of their records and went through them."

"Ah, I didn't think anything else." It was a lie and they both knew it. _Gods, don't be so silly, Weiss. You know he sleeps around and it's not like the two of you are together. He can do whatever he wants._ There was no denying the relief she felt at hearing he hadn't gone that far, however. Her fingers played with the cool can in her hand. Everyone was looking at her. Everyone knew her thoughts. "Do you have information on any other teams?" she asked, more to distract them than because she cared. "Or could you find more?"

Jaune nodded. "We were lucky we ended up against NDGO, really. I knew their weaknesses from reading and the battlefield they got played right into our hands. Dew's tornadoes wouldn't have caused a smoke screen like that with any other arena." His smirk took on an almost smug edge, and Weiss had the oddest suspicion their luck wasn't quite as _lucky_ as he suggested. No. She was reading into things, surely. "We'll have to see what comes with the others. I'll find out what I can."

"Wow, dad sure is pulling out all the stops." Yang leaned back. "Are you even my father anymore? I'm not used to seeing this kind of motivation from you."

"Or any kind," Blake added.

"Yeah. What gives?"

Weiss would admit to her own curiosity too. She stayed quiet, watching him as he looked between the two girls. "Are you trying to say I'm lazy?"

"Yes!" they said in unison.

"Normally, anyway," Yang added. "You've picked up recently. I'd be happy if it wasn't so unusual. Please tell me the world isn't ending."

"Could be," he said. "Maybe that's what I'm trying to stop."

"Sounds like quite the story. You want to tell it?"

"Well, it all began a thousand or so years ago…" Jaune ducked out of the way of a pillow, laughing happily. "Why ask if you won't listen or believe it?"

"I don't even know why I try," Yang sighed, arming herself with another. She launched it, and although Jaune caught it, the white thing blocked his vision and he was unprepared for the boot which caught his chest and knocked him off the bed with a yelp. "Score!" Yang cheered. "Truly, the aim of a champion."

A giggle escaped Weiss, quickly replaced with a laugh as she watched her partner rear back up and throw Yang's boot atop the nearby cabinet. Yang made a threatening gesture with her other, while Blake did her best not to get caught in the crossfire.

 _I love my team,_ Weiss thought.

It was a startling realisation, even if it had been on the tip of her tongue for what felt like weeks. Now though, it felt so much clearer. She loved her team. She really did. Beacon was possibly – nay, definitely – the best thing to have ever happened to her. She didn't think she'd ever felt so carefree, so happy.

Her scroll beeped. The caller surprised but also delighted her. "Winter," Weiss greeted, accepting the call. "Did you see-"

"Calm, sister," Winter chided. Weiss' cheeks flushed, but she didn't feel as ashamed as she might once have. Here with her team she didn't need to be calm. She didn't need to be a Schnee. "I saw your match, dear sister. You acquitted yourself wonderfully and I was impressed with your performance. As, I believe, were a lot of other people."

It was hard to keep the joy from her voice. "Thank you, sister. Is that why you called? To congratulate me?"

"Yes and no. I'll admit, I wanted to do that, but I also need to meet with you. Could you come to my room?"

"Now?" Weiss looked to her team. "Can it not wait?"

"It cannot. Worry not, Weiss. It won't take an hour."

"I'll be there," she said, ending the call. The others were all facing her when she looked up, and she smiled for their benefit. "My sister wants to see me. Don't stop the celebrations on my account. I'll be back soon enough."

Jaune made to stand. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No, no. My sister…"

"Doesn't like me much."

Weiss winced, but couldn't deny it. "I'll be back soon. I promise. Winter probably just wants to talk about the fight. That or the family business. Do you want me to fetch anything back?"

"A cake," Yang suggested.

"Something I can find at-" Weiss checked her scroll. "-eight in the evening."

"A cake!" Yang giggled but was cut off by a pillow.

"Thank you, Jaune," Weiss nodded, and received one in return. Their laughter echoed behind her as she slipped out of the room and away down the corridor. The faster she went to meet with her sister, the sooner she could be back with her team. She'd also promised to watch Ruby's team compete tomorrow, not that she would have missed that for anything.

It was to be a final between the two teams, after all. That had been their promise to one another.

Winter's room was more lavish than their own, but not situated too far away. Weiss knocked on it twice, and only entered once Winter called for her to do so. "You wanted to see me, Win-? Oh…" Weiss bowed. "General Ironwood. I apologise. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Ah, Miss Schnee. Hm, that might become confusing. May I call you Weiss?"

She nodded.

"As for interrupting, you needn't worry. It was actually yourself I wanted to speak to."

* * *

 **As you can see, this chapter is a tiny bit shorter – which is kind of part and parcel of my decision to "end chapters where they end" rather than fight on for some arbitrary number. It helps the story fit together.**

 **Anyway, the first fight, and Jaune's continued issue remains an issue.**

 **Make sure to check out Sa-Dui's profile on DA to see the full picture if you want to. I'd love to include a link for you, but they really don't work well and I'd have to include loads of "delete space" comments - and DA urls are complicated enough as they are without adding that into it.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 3** **rd** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	41. Chapter 41

**The cover image for this fic has been edited by Z-ComicX with the permission of Sa-Dui. This was done to make it a little taller so that the four characters could fit in, and then the empty space was filled with a title. The original image can still be seen by searching Sa-Dui on Google and checking their DA profile.**

 **I'm just going to add that I still keep getting "Oh, if he trained, I wonder if he could have beat Cinder." Again, no. The whole point is that he HAS trained like a madman, over and over, hundreds of times. If he'd trained hard from the start, he wouldn't BE here with this team combination, and these circumstances wouldn't be here. He would have run off at the start and left his family, been put on JNPR, not made friends with Weiss, etc…**

 **All of this you read has occurred** _ **because**_ **he didn't train.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Commissioned: Booya93)

 **Chapter 41 - Fragments**

* * *

Another day, another set of fights.

It was hard to get too excited for them since he'd seen just about every iteration and combination a hundred times before. Sometimes they used different tactics, and some fights were more luck-based than many realised, but whatever might happen, Jaune had probably seen once or twice at least. In a way, he supposed that was why he clung to new experiences so much, like he had with his family. They were new and exciting, where this was tedious and old.

He was still here, though, because at the end of the day it wasn't either of those things to his team, nor was it to Team RRNN, who would be competing today and who he was there to cheer on. While it was hard to fake enthusiasm for the fights themselves, it was easier to feel proud of their team and their accomplishments.

Of course, there _was_ a tiny bit of fear when the wheel came up, but Cinder luckily didn't seem interested in smashing Ruby and Pyrrha's team out of the competition. They ended up against BRNZ this time, with the arena being a combination of a city on one side, and a fiery arena on the other. It didn't really fit very well. Some of the arenas clashed like that, and this looked like someone had accidentally dropped a bomb on exactly 50% of an abandoned town.

"Go Ruby!" Yang screamed. Her voice might have been lost to the crowd, but that didn't seem to deter her. She leaned forward and waved one arm in the air, earning a wave back from Ruby down below. Nora waved back as well. "Break some legs, Nora!"

Jaune thought he could actually hear Nora shout `okay` back.

Blake was less excitable about the whole affair, of course. She might have wished she was, since it would have given her an avenue to escape Sun, but that wasn't going to happen. The monkey faunus had slipped close with the timing of a true stalker and asked if the obviously empty seat next to Blake was free.

The look of pure betrayal Blake shot his way when Jaune said it was… well, that was something worth remembering.

"So," Jaune said, eager for some conversation to distract him from another re-run fight. "How do you think Ruby and her team will hold up?" He directed the question towards Weiss beside him, but there was no answer for a good minute or two. "Weiss…?"

"Sorry. What?"

He sighed. "I asked about the fight. Do you think they will do well?"

"Who?" Weiss looked towards the arena. "Oh! Team RRNN? Yes, I think they'll be absolutely fine. They're a skilled and competent team. Why were you asking?"

"Conversation, mostly…" He muttered under his breath. "You've been really distracted all day, Weiss. Is something wrong?"

"No," she said automatically. "And what do you mean all day? It's not even noon."

Like that made a difference. With a roll of his eyes, he held up his hands to placate her – aware that it wasn't a very good gesture since she caught his sarcasm. Normally, she'd have had something to say about that, followed by a pinch to his arm or similar. This time, she simply scoffed and focused her eyes on the fight.

It was clear she wasn't really watching it, however.

"You've been bothered ever since last night," he said. "Did something happen with your sister?"

"Nothing happened between us. I simply… I have something I need to think about. That's all. It's private," she added when he opened his mouth. "I'm sorry, but this is something I have to deal with. It's… personal."

 _Something Schnee related?_ He hummed to himself. _Did I cause problems with the bank account switch? Come to think of it, that was a bit of an overt move, even for someone like me. I wonder if her father found out._

"Well," he said when it was clear she wouldn't talk. "If you need my help for anything…"

Weiss nodded. "Thank you. As I said, however, this is something I need to manage on my own. I appreciate the thought."

But she wouldn't tell him. He sighed and nodded. It wasn't like he could force her, and in terms of stubbornness, only Ruby ranked higher than Weiss – and even then, only when it came to risking her life to save people. For all the Schnee metaphors around ice, she really was more of an immovable mountain.

He'd leave it be, however. It probably wouldn't matter in the end. Whatever issues she had would be forgotten once Cinder enacted her plan. It was kind of the same with Sun and Blake, which was why he was willing to indulge it so easily. As cruel as it sounded, Sun's pursuit of romance wouldn't lead anywhere good. Not now. It was harmless, however, and it would also serve to keep the two busy and amused. With all that was coming, was that such a bad thing?

The fight started with all the fanfare of every fight before it. The clock ticked down, the crowd chanted the numbers, and Port cried out the start even as guns, explosions and dust-based attacks went off. Team Rubine were more cohesive than Indigo had ever been, sticking together and forcing their opponents to do the same. The sniper from Team Bronze went for her usual play, but found trouble in the counter-sniper she was against, one that could move faster than she could track and at speeds that totally threw off her leading of shots. She couldn't ignore Ruby in favour of the others, either, since Ruby would use that time to knock her out the fight.

 _Thanks for showing how much better you are on my team than me,_ Jaune thought sarcastically. It was only a vague memory, faded with time and distance, but although he couldn't make out the details, he knew his first showing against Team BRNZ hadn't been an impressive one.

"Hell yeah," Yang crowed. "That's my sis. Da- Jaune, are you seeing this?"

"I'm watching," he laughed. "They're all doing well."

"Yeah, but Ruby is trouncing that sniper!"

He couldn't help the amusement he felt at Yang's reaction. She practically vibrated in place, eyes sparkling every time her sister drove her opponent back. He chuckled and watched Yang instead of the fight, smiling as she screamed her support.

She was a good sister. Anyone would have been pleased to have her. In the loss of a mother, he wondered if Ruby even knew how lucky she was to have someone like Yang.

The fight wrapped up fairly quickly, and in a victory for Team RRNN. With Ruby keeping her opponent pressured, that freed Ren and Nora up to engage their own. That left Pyrrha in a one on one fight with her foe, about as unbalanced as you could make it, she quickly knocked one out the fight, and the rest tumbled from there. Nora overpowered her own, without the use of her Semblance, and went to help Ren. Ruby kept hers on the run, and took advantage of Pyrrha springing a trap to force the sniper back and into Ruby's sights.

It ended a moment later, with the crowd cheering and clapping – while Port extoled the greatness of Beacon Academy and generally insulted everyone not from Vale.

Even if Jaune found the fights boring, his applause was genuine. He'd known it would happen, but that didn't fail to make his heart soar as he cheered along with Yang, Blake and Sun. Weiss followed with her own applause, along with a small smile.

"Who do you think they'll take through into the doubles?" Yang asked. "Pyrrha, obviously, but do you think it will be Ruby or Nora?"

"Nora has the advantage of explosives," he mused. "That's pretty advantageous, mostly for the terrain damage, smoke-screen and the area she can cover. Ruby's speed is hard to argue against, however, especially when Pyrrha can probably keep both opponents off her." He glanced to the side. "What do you think, Weiss?"

"Huh? Oh… well, I suppose any combination is good. Pyrrha and Ruby could work, I think."

Yang raised an eyebrow towards him, but he could only shrug his shoulders in response. It wasn't anything _he'd_ said or done. She rolled her eyes in response, looked back to the arena to see Team RRNN headed off to the changing rooms, and then sat back down between him and Blake. "Meh, we need to make our own decisions on who fights who," she said. "Might want to wait until we're all here," she added, with a meaningful look toward Weiss.

 _`Be nice`,_ he mouthed back. It could wait until Weiss was feeling better. In fact, maybe getting out of the crowd and the noise would help her a little more. "Why don't we go stretch our legs." he suggested. "It's going to be a while until the next fight."

"Sure." Yang shrugged and stood, tapping Blake on the shoulder. Blake nodded and rose as well, but he caught her sigh when Sun did the same. Well… it looked like they'd have company. At least Neptune had decided to stay with his team. As much as Jaune liked the guy, he wasn't quite so keen on the attention he and his two teammates earned, especially from all the women.

"Are you coming, Weiss?" he asked. "Some fresh air might help your thoughts."

"I suppose it couldn't hur-" Weiss trailed off, eyes fixed behind him. Footsteps reached his ears too, but their measured and even pace told him it wasn't an attack or attempt at sneaking up on them.

It sure felt like it, though. His stomach clenched.

"Hello there," Cinder said, smiling in that alluringly disgusting manner of hers. "We didn't see you over here. Quite the interesting fight, no?" She looked towards Yang. "That was your sister, Ruby, wasn't it?"

His breathing increased, followed by his hands clenching into fists as he tried to control himself. The mention of Ruby's name, not to speak of the attention paid to the fight. It sent alarm bells ringing in his mind. He tried to tell himself that it was normal, that she was watching Pyrrha, the next maiden, but that hardly helped. Before him was the physical reminder of his partner's death – Pyrrha's death. If he wanted to save her, something would have to change, but he couldn't think what.

"It was," Yang grinned, missing his subtle reaction. "She kicked butt _and_ she's two years younger than most people here. More, if they weren't first years. That's just how good she is."

"An even more impressive performance then," Cinder replied. "Of course, the others deserve credit too. We'll have to watch them moving on. They could very well stand in our way of the finals."

"Then you ought to watch us first. I've already scheduled winning this into my diary."

"Well, I'd hate to make you change that. We shall have to see." Cinder smiled. Her eyes slipped over to his. "How are you doing, Jaune? You seem rather quiet."

"Didn't want to interrupt," he grunted. It took him a second to remember the question, and then another to pry his teeth apart. "I'm fine. Thank you for asking."

"Really? You don't sound fine." Her hand reached out towards his face.

It took every ounce of his self-control to not flinch away, to not show some kind of fear or recognition for what that simple gesture could do to him. His toes curled, his heart hammered in his chest, but he forced his eyes to stay open and his mouth to form an innocent smile.

Weiss caught the hand before it could touch him. "Good to see you as well," she said, shaking the hand and stepping in front of him in what even someone as socially awkward as Ruby could see was a defensive manner. "I can assure you my partner is fine. You needn't worry about him."

"So I see…" Cinder retracted her hand with a coy smile. "I apologise if you feel I overstepped myself. I can assure you I meant no harm."

Yeah, right. Jaune had to resist the urge to let out a breath of relief. It had been a long time since he willingly hid behind someone, but he'd take Weiss here any day. Cinder wouldn't be able to do anything in public, and she would likely write this off as some kind of jealousy. Which it was, he supposed. Better she saw that then his aversion of her.

"I never thought it," Weiss said. "Was there a reason you wanted to speak with us?"

"Only to catch up and entertain ourselves. It will be a while until the next fight, and Emerald had such fun cheering on her friend." She nodded to the green-haired girl, who smiled and waved. "She's made quite the firm friendship with Ruby."

He wanted to kill Emerald then and there. _It's fine,_ he thought to himself. _This happens every time. Ruby will be horrified, but she'll live._ In the long run, if he ever let the future go any further, she would probably learn from the experience. You couldn't trust everyone, after all.

Right now, however, such amiable thoughts were absent. He wanted to wring Emerald's lying neck until every last falsehood was choked out of her. How _dare_ she take advantage of his friend?

"I'm afraid we don't really have the time," Weiss said. "We have to discuss our team assignments for which of us will fight going forward. I suppose you will have to do the same, assuming you win yours."

"We've already have," Cinder said. "Did you not see it?"

Weiss refused to answer. She'd probably been too distracted and missed it. Cinder's team won against some team from Vacuo, one he never really paid much attention to. Since they were always the team to face hers, he knew she had orchestrated it that way. The timeline never deviated on that issue.

"I was a little under the weather earlier," Jaune lied. He saw Weiss' shoulders relax and carried on. "Weiss was helping me out. Sorry if we missed your fight."

"Hardly a problem…" She looked him up and down. "You do seem a little worn. Are you recovered now?"

"A little, thank you." He caught Yang and Blake's confused expressions and did his best to convey a request to keep quiet. He wasn't sure if it worked, but neither spoke. "Anyway, like Weiss said, we really need to plan for the doubles rounds. Sorry to run, but…"

"I understand." Cinder crossed her arms but seemed more amused than upset. Her eyes widened. "Ah, but before you go, I forgot to introduce you to the final member of our team. She only arrived from Haven recently." She stepped aside and gestured with one arm. "Come and say hello, Mint."

Jaune felt the crushing atmosphere immediately. Neo stepped forward, hair black and in pigtails. It was not that he noticed, though. It was her eyes. They were filled with pure, unadulterated hatred.

All of it aimed at him.

"She can't speak, I'm afraid," Cinder went on, "an accident when she was a baby, or so we believe."

"Ah, that's terrible." He swallowed and held a hand out towards her. A voice in the back of his mind told him to flee. Why was she so angry? He didn't think he'd ever seen her show such emotion, at least not from what he could recall. She was dangerous, yes, but mostly in how unpredictable and cruel she could be. She was like a child… a dangerous child who enjoyed pulling the legs off an insect to watch them slowly die. Now, all her attention seemed focused on him, and all of it murderous.

She grasped his hand and shook it. He felt his bones squeeze together.

His eyes narrowed in return. She was dangerous. She wanted him dead. He didn't know why, but it was definitely the case. Maybe she blamed him for Roman's demise, and it made sense she might hate his team since they'd been responsible. His eyes slid to Weiss. He couldn't let Neo near her, couldn't let her near any of them.

The girl stepped back, eyes frigid and cold. She moved behind Cinder and out of sight, but that did nothing for his nerves. An out of sight Neo was a dangerous Neo. _She's made her intent clear. I need to do something, but what? If I kill her, I as good as tip Cinder off. That's if I can even kill her. I don't have aura and she's one of the most dangerous opponents I've ever faced._

He needed a plan. He needed a distraction.

Luckily, he got one of them. There was a clatter of feet as a small form approached, slamming into Yang's arms with a delighted cry. "Did you see it?" Ruby cheered. "Did you, did you, did you?"

"Did I!?" Yang laughed. She picked Ruby up and spun her around. "You were amazing! Jaune, tell her how awesome she was!"

Ruby looked to him with wide silver eyes, even as the rest of her team approached at a more sedate pace. The look on Ruby's face seemed to beg him to praise her. The moment also served as a hint for Cinder and hers to leave, and they slipped away during the commotion.

For that alone, Ruby deserved all the praise he could give.

/-/

"Well that was a waste of time," Mercury grumbled.

Cinder spared him a glance, along with an arch look that had him wincing and not meeting her eyes. His time was hers to waste, however she decided to do it. Even so, nothing was wasted. Everything was valuable, if you knew how to make use of it. "Now, now," she cooed, "Don't be like that, Mercury. I know you're impatient, we all are. There are only a few days left."

"You're right, ma'am. I apologise."

"Heh, if you didn't run your mouth so much, you wouldn't get in trouble," Emerald said. "You could learn a few things from Mint. Hmm… maybe we should remove your tongue and see."

"I don't think you'd ever try and get rid of my tongue," Mercury said. "After all, how will your fantasies ever come true if I can't do all those things with it?"

"Those sound suspiciously like _your_ fantasies," Emerald growled. "Also, keep me out of them."

Mercury snorted. "Looks like I'm not the only one having them. That Schnee bitch isn't as frigid as she pretends. Who knew?"

Cinder ignored their banter, even if she agreed with Mercury's assessment. Little Miss Schnee was clearly possessive of her paramour, and there was no secret as to her feelings for the boy. Personally, Cinder wondered what she saw in him, but then she also wondered what he didn't see in her. The girl was wealthy, after all. Well-connected, from a powerful family, and pretty enough, she supposed. His rejection of her – and that was public knowledge – was strange in and of itself. Strange, but of no concern… or at least it wouldn't have been.

"Emerald, Mercury…"

They paused in their prattle, eyes sliding to her.

"The boy, Jaune Arc…" She tasted the word, rolled it in her mouth. "I wish for you to keep an eye on him."

"Why?" Emerald asked, and then recalled who she was questioning, "If I might ask, I mean. Is he someone of interest?"

"He may well be an obstacle."

"Is this about their team and Mountain Glenn?" Emerald spared a glance for their silent teammate. "Or is it about what happened with Roman?"

The mute's shoulders stiffened.

How adorable. She wanted nothing more than to kill Jaune Arc. Well, it was hardly something Cinder had an issue with. Before, she'd been loyal to Roman, and just as flighty. If anything, the boy had done her a favour. Normally, she made sure to return those. "It involves both," she said. "I do not believe those incidents were as independent as we first believed. Tell me, Neo. Did he and yourself have a run in before this?"

The girl nodded. Ah, curious. If only she could speak.

"As I expected… Roman had an interest in him, whatever that might be. Whatever he was, Roman was no fool." What he was, she'd leave absent, since it would just upset her tool. "He had a sense for self-preservation, and certainly believed that boy a threat to it."

"Him? Arc?" Mercury laughed. "No offence, Cinder. It's just… well, he wins his spars but it's not through skill."

"No. It's through something far more dangerous." Her gaze silenced the fool. Skill and power were attributes that could be overcome by a dagger in the dark. From what she'd heard, Arc would be the one to hold that dagger. She'd considered him an interesting one, hence her repeated attempts to approach him. Interesting in the way that he could have become something more, something akin to her. He had the right mind-set. "You would do well to be careful around him. He hides his intentions well." Her eyes narrowed. "He hides his feelings well."

His aversion to her… she'd noted it, of course. He probably thought it subtle, but she was a master and even a single sign was enough. It never made sense, not given what she knew of his behaviour. For all the women he slept around with, he avoided her invitations. She might have taken him too, just to see what all the fuss was about. It had been a long and boring wait until this point. His reluctance had earned her suspicion, but the Schnee's interference had always been an answer. Sickeningly sweet as it was, she could at least understand why he would not want to act that way in front of her after he'd turned her down. That would create a fissure in the team. She had assumed that the reason for his avoidance.

Now, she wasn't so sure.

Now was not a time to take any risks.

"What did he do?" Mercury asked. "I didn't see anything."

Cinder rolled her eyes. It wasn't unexpected, not from him. She brought Mercury along for his combat abilities, not his intellect. Still, it was a subtle thing. Had she not been looking for it, she might have missed it entirely. She had been looking, though, and that was to his detriment. Her eyes narrowed, a cruel smile sliding across her face.

"He reacted to Neo," she said. "He recognised her."

/-/

"You don't want to compete?" Yang asked. She sounded shocked. "Not that I'm complaining. I mean, I'd love to fight in the doubles. I just thought with you being the leader and all…"

"That I'd want to fight?" Jaune raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, when you put it like that it seems stupid. I forgot how lazy you are."

He flicked a seed across the counter, aiming it towards her nose. She opened her mouth and caught it, waggling her eyebrows. She yelped as the second caught her. Yang never noticed the second. That was just the kind of person she was. "I'm not doing it to avoid the effort," he said, "and thanks for assuming that, by the way."

"No probs, dad."

She ducked under the counter to avoid his retaliation, but the chef turning around with the food prevented him following up. They were at a stall in the Colosseum still, Team RRNN off enjoying their own celebration in a more energetic manner than any of them cared to emulate.

"I'm not setting it up like this to be lazy," he said. The fact that both Yang _and_ Blake looked at him like they didn't believe him made his eye twitch. "I'm being serious here!"

"Okay, okay," Yang said.

"We believe you," Blake added.

They totally didn't. What unruly daughters he had. "Ugh, forget it. The reason I chose Yang and Weiss is because they have the best combination of control, power and endurance." And because he knew it would work from all the previous times. "Weiss has her dust, glyphs and ice attacks, while Yang's brute force and Semblance will compliment her. Blake, you're fast and just as skilled, but I think you and Weiss both fulfil the glass cannon criteria. We need someone who can take a hit."

"Heh, you hear that Blake? Guess we both know who the best daughter is."

"Do we?" Blake smirked. "All I heard was him say one of us is good at absorbing damage with our face. I wonder who he meant."

Yang growled and leaned across the table. It was a fairly good Zwei impression, but unlike with the dog, Blake didn't panic and hide. He rolled his eyes, letting it go on for a moment. It wasn't like he could explain the real reason he wanted the fights like this, namely that his aura was out and he didn't want to risk it again. Beating NDGO was a risk that paid off. There was only so many times he could do that before his luck – crappy as it was – ran out.

"Well, I get the layout," Yang finally said, content to ignore Blake. "I know you're not as strong as me in a straight up fight, but I thought your…" she trailed off.

"Strategy?" he offered.

"Cheating," Yang said, snapping a fist into the palm of her hand. "That's the word. Yeah, I thought your absolute cheating would be good for getting us the win."

"Yang, preparation isn't cheating," Blake said.

He decided to keep quiet on that. Preparation might not be, but he had a feeling they wouldn't consider his rigging off the fights and arena to fit within that definition. "I'll still be helping out," he said. "I'll do research on your opponents, offer any plans I have, and generally do what I can to help. See? I'm not being lazy. I'm helping."

"Yeah, yeah… don't pull a muscle, old man." Yang giggled. "Hey Weiss, what do you think? Me and you, you and I, we're going to kick butt!"

"Hm…? Oh yeah. It'll be great."

Weiss hadn't so much as touched her food.

Yang sent him a long look, and when he turned to Blake, it was to find her doing the same. The message was clear. He was the team leader and they expected him to do something about this. Well, that or it was the joke about the two of them being the parents of their team. Why did that always come back to bite him? Touching a prickly Weiss was a dangerous prospect. He glanced to the others for help.

Yang and Blake had moved as far away as they conceivably could.

 _Gee, thanks guys._ Jaune took a deep breath. "Weiss… you're not paying attention."

"What?" Weiss looked up from her food. "I am too. You were talking about the fights and making the teams."

"Yes, and who did I say would fight?"

"Yang and you," she said. "I'm fine with that."

"Weiss, it's _you_ and Yang. Not me. I'm not fighting."

"Oh… well, I'm fine with that too."

"Weiss…" He sighed and leaned on the counter, bringing his eyes down to her level. "What's wrong? You've been off all day – and now it _is_ all day. It's gone noon."

"It's not even two…" she tried. Her defiance wilted under his arch look. "I'm… okay. I'm distracted, I'll admit. It's not something worth being worried about. I'll be fine come the fights. I promise." She sighed and put her cutlery down. "Can't you just leave it alone?"

Could he? Something was bothering her, that was obvious, and he didn't think he'd seen her like this… well, ever. Admittedly, Weiss hadn't ever been as close to him as she was now, but the point remained. With a long sigh, he sent a meaningful look towards his teammates.

"Oh wow," Yang said, standing up. "I just remembered that you said we needed to check that bookstore, right Blake?"

"Yang," Blake sighed. "You're not even _trying_ to be subtle. Ow!" She clutched her leg beneath the counter. "Okay, fine. Sure… book store. I need something from it." She rose and limped off, half-dragged by Yang.

They didn't even offer to cover their half of the bill…

"If you think I'll talk just because we're alone, think again." Weiss said. She crossed her arms over her chest. "I've already told you, this is personal. I don't want a group discussion. Just… leave it alone. I can handle this."

He was sure she could, but that didn't make it okay. Besides, when had _him_ being able to handle something ever stopped the three of them sticking their noses in? He stood up with a sigh, tossing some lien to the man behind the counter. "Let's go for a walk."

"But I'm still eating."

"Weiss, you haven't touched it."

She looked down to her meal, then sighed and pushed it away. "Fine..." She stood up, mouth set in a firm line. "Let's walk, then."

Ugh… did she have to make it sound like it was on sufferance? Jaune shook his head and jogged to catch up with her, stepping in beside as she stomped her way through Amity Colosseum.

No one dared stand in her path.

/-/

"What are they saying?" Yang asked.

"How should I know? Just because I'm a faunus doesn't mean I have super hearing."

"No, just super eyesight…" Yang grinned as her partner snorted, but her vision soon turned back to Weiss and Jaune, walking about fifty or so feet ahead of them. It really was too far to tell what they were saying, but at least they were actually talking. That was an improvement on ten minutes ago. "What do you think's bothering her anyway?"

"No idea. She was fine before she went to meet her sister."

"You think her sister disapproves of Jaune?"

"You think she _doesn't_?"

Yang grimaced. It was a fair point. She wouldn't have approved of him with Ruby either. If she didn't know him as well as she did, that was. On the outside, he looked like a lazy, unmotivated skirt-chaser doomed to bachelordom. He wasn't on the inside, but she doubted Winter Schnee cared to dig deep enough to see that.

"Screw what they think," she said. "I doubt Weiss would give up so easily. It's not in her nature."

"I don't think she would either, Yang. That's what makes me think it's not about that." Blake tapped her shoulder and gestured for them to move. They stepped out from behind a stall and mingled with the crowd, Yang following Blake's lead. While stalking them had been her idea – and something Blake was initially reluctant to do – Yang still knew her partner knew more about being sneaky than she did.

"Can't we get closer?"

"Jaune will sense us," Blake said. Her eyes were locked on his back, her legs bent to jump aside if needs be. "Trust me, Yang. He's more perceptive than you realise. With so many people around, he'll be distracted, but if we get too close, he'll know."

"And how long have you been stalking him to figure _that_ out?"

Blake's cheeks darkened. "It was a while back," she admitted, "and not for whatever twisted reasons are in that head of yours. It was back when I didn't trust him. He was hard to sneak past, and sometimes would catch me even though I tried my best." She frowned. "He kept sneaking up on _me_ too. I don't mind telling you how difficult that is."

Yeah, she could well believe it. Her partner was scary-perceptive at times, and that seemed to be nothing compared to their team leader. Just another reason he was such a mysterious guy, she guessed. Not that it mattered now. She just wanted to make sure he didn't bail on helping Weiss out. She trusted him enough to leave his secrets to him.

Jaune and Weiss meandered slowly around Amity. They started in the fair and trade stand area, but quickly made their way to quieter pastures. That brought more risk for them, and Blake had them move even further back, nearly a hundred feet or so behind. Well, at least Weiss was more likely to talk in a private setting. Heh… maybe he _was_ going to confront her over it. _I suppose we can leave him to it. He's not one to leave her hanging._

Blake grabbed her arm and hissed. It was shock enough to make her jump, and also to look at the two. Had they been seen? No. Weiss and Jaune were still moving forward, as opposed to looming down on them with dark eyes and the threat of punishment. "What is it?" Yang whispered.

"That person," Blake said, lifting Yang's arm in the direction of a tall figure in a dark grey hoodie. They had their hands in the pockets of some black trousers, and their hood drawn up. Yang didn't see anything unusual about them. It wasn't a cold day, but it wasn't hot either.

"What about 'em?"

"He's following Jaune and Weiss."

Yang looked again, this time with a faint scowl. He was headed in the same direction as the two, but she wasn't sure in what way he was following. Still, Blake knew this kind of thing better than she did. "How can you tell?"

"He's taken the same turns they do, and he's remained at least twenty feet back at all times."

"Is that important?"

"I guess you wouldn't know." Blake sighed and tugged her along, this time following the figure instead of their teammates. "It's an old rule about how twenty feet is the optimum range to attack someone with a melee weapon. The idea is that a normal person can't draw a weapon and fire in the time it takes the aggressor to reach them. Within the White Fang, it became standard operating procedure for when you need to tail people. Always stay at twenty feet."

"Does it actually work?"

Blake sighed. "Not really. Maybe against normal people, and assuming a normal attacker, it might. Against a huntsman or huntress, though, you've got to consider that they can draw faster, move away, or that the attacker might be able to close the distance faster than a civilian could. Either way, it's still something a lot of people _believe_ , and that's why he's suspicious." Blake's eyes narrowed. "Well, that and his body language and outfit."

"A hoodie," Yang sighed. "About the only way you could cover your face without looking suspicious. The only way if you're not Ruby, anyway…" She looked him up and down. "Hands concealed, possibly weapon – not a very big one if those pants are any indication. Aw man… I thought we were going to have a peaceful day and now this!?"

"I could be wrong," Blake warned. She didn't sound like she believed it.

"Might not be a threat," Yang agreed. "One of Jaune's paramours, or even someone who likes Weiss… I don't suppose it's Winter Schnee in disguise?" Blake snorted in amusement at the image. The shape was all wrong, not to mention the idea of a Schnee skulking around like that. Yeah, this was something different. "Let's corner our little friend and ask them some questions," she said. "If it's just some weird fan boy, we can scare 'em off."

Blake nodded and moved on, eyes focused on the interloper. Now that he'd been pointed out, Yang started to notice the signs as well. He kept a little too close to the walls, where he could hide if needs be. He also dragged his feet reluctantly, and slowed down whenever Jaune and Weiss stopped.

Her eyes narrowed when he started to speed up. She tensed, expecting an attack, but he turned down a separate corridor and away. Blake cursed.

"He's seen us," she whispered. "Quick, before we lose him."

Yang nodded and rushed after her, sparing a quick glance for Jaune and Weiss as they slipped down the corridor. They didn't react, and probably hadn't even noticed. They were gone entirely as Blake led her through a door marked `employee only` and into a T-junction.

"Left," Blake hissed, leading the way. Up ahead, at least fifty feet or so, Yang could just make out a door swinging shut. Less than five seconds later, her shoulder rectified the situation. It was some kind of cafeteria. She caught the hooded figure in the back, opening a metal door and sliding inside. They were gaining on them.

They darted through the room, Blake hopping over a stainless steel counter and sliding onto the other side. Yang hopped atop an offline cooker, kicked off and landed on a cabinet to cut a few corners. The metal door slid open, slamming behind them as they pushed through and after the figure, who looked back with a panicked expression, darting down another corridor.

"I'm guessing this is a pretty obvious admission of guilt," Yang growled, increasing her pace.

"Seems like it. Should this place be so empty? Where are all the staff?"

"Fights are over. Maybe they took a break."

"It's still too deserted." Blake's eyes narrowed. "Be careful, Yang. I don't like this."

The warning was just serious enough to make her nod and avoid a punned response. She activated Ember Celica, feeling the gauntlets snap into place around her fists. She already had her suspicions. Why wear a hood unless you had something to hide?

The pitch black room they burst into as good as confirmed it.

"White Fang," Yang grunted. She couldn't think of anyone else who'd be able to make it through a dark room with such ease. Damn faunus night vision. Was this how General Lagune felt? "Blake. Is there a light switch around here?"

"Allow us," a voice echoed. There was a loud clapping sound as a switch was pulled, followed by the echoing blink of long, white tubes on the ceiling flickering to life. It didn't take long for the room to be illuminated, to reveal the hooded figure, hands on knees, panting before four others. Each had a white mask on their faces. They were stood at the back of what looked to be a storage facility stacked high with crates.

"Gee, thanks," Yang said. "You know what, as thanks I'll only beat you up a little." She made to take a step forward, but Blake threw an arm across her chest and stopped her. She sent Yang a warning look, and the blonde nodded.

"What are you doing here?" Blake asked. "Why were you following our teammates?"

"Tch, as though we need to answer to you, traitor," one of them spat. "Kill them. We don't need any witnesses." The four White Fang members drew weapons, while the exhausted one they'd been following staggered back and pulled out a knife.

Yang rolled her eyes. "I take it negotiation is over. And hey, look, it went about as well as your last attempt. It's almost like it never works."

"Yang…"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"I'm just saying…"

"How about you don't?"

"Get them!" the apparent leader roared, holding a sword forward. The others surged in. They crossed the room as quick as they could, leaping over discarded boxes and broken crates.

Yang turned to Blake and grinned. "I told you so."

"Damn it, Yang. I told you not to say it." Blake sighed and rolled her eyes. "Two on the left, two on the right and one in the middle catching his breath…"

"Whoever makes it to him last has to interrogate?"

Blake smirked. "You're on."

The White Fang reached them at the same time, but they took the fight elsewhere. Blake leapt over their heads and drew her two away, while Yang slipped under a sword thrust and ploughed a fist into the loud guy's face. The mask cracked, followed by something underneath, and he flew back into a racking system. He landed hard, cracking a crate, but staggered back to his feet with a growl.

Huh… they had aura. Well, that explained a little bit of their sudden bravery. Maybe these were slightly more efficient White Fang. It wouldn't make a difference here… but it didn't bode well.

"Die, human!"

"Nah…" Yang blocked the second one's club with the back of her arm. It sparked once, and then delivered a painful shock through her body. Her nerves flinched and muscles spasmed, but she was able to grit her teeth through the pain and grab the bastard's collar. The current connected, shocking him as well, and he fell back with a yelp.

She followed through, catching his wrist and twisting it so that he dropped the stupid thing. She stepped into his guard and elbowed him in the chest, then swept a leg back and kicked his feet out from under him. As he fell, she caught his face with her knee.

The second came back in with a battle-cry and an overhead swing. It whistled past her face as she stepped aside, clanging loudly against the floor. His eyes widened, one revealed by the broken mask, as she pressed her gauntlet to his chest.

He flew back as she unloaded. "You know, we _do_ take it easier on people without aura," she said. "Suddenly having it doesn't mean we're going to lose."

"D-Damn you," he growled. "You think this will change anything? Your time will come. I swear it!"

"Yeah, yeah," Yang rolled her eyes, more than aware that someone would have heard the noise and raised the alarm. Technically speaking, they weren't doing anything _wrong_ in stopping these guys, but she didn't want to take the risk. This wasn't an area they were meant to be in. She gripped him by the collar and hoisted him up, smacking aside a knife he tried to bring out and stab her with. "Why were you following our teammates?"

"I'd rather _die_ than tell-"

"Boring," Yang sighed. She punched him in the temple and breathed a sigh of relief when he fell unconscious. It wasn't like she was going to get anything out of a fanatic. With more care than he really deserved, she laid him down next to his friend, then turned to the runner.

Blake stood over him, a cocky smile on her face.

"Balls… best two out of three?"

"You took too long."

Yang sighed but stormed forward, leaning over the downed man with a frightful expression. Up close, he appeared to be some kind of mouse faunus, but the angry look in his eyes said he wasn't as cowardly as one. She knelt down and placed a hand on his chest, keeping him down. "What were you doing following our teammates around?"

"Go to hell!"

She pushed on his chest. Just hard enough to make him wince. "Try again."

"Go… Go to hell!"

Great. More martyr-types. It was like Mountain Glenn all over again. If it were Jaune in her shoes, he might have gotten answers from this guy. He wouldn't be afraid to cuff them around the ear, threaten them… maybe even go through with an interrogation. Maybe worse.

She wasn't Jaune, and she couldn't do that. But she could pretend.

"Look, I'm not in a great mood. It's the Vytal Festival, my teammate is in a weird mood, and you're getting in the way of me finding out what's wrong with her." Her hand gripped his neck. "So… tell me why you were following them, or who sent you, before I start squeezing."

"Who sent me?" he laughed. "The White Fang sent me, bitch. Who do you think?"

Damn. That was bad. He clearly thought he was something hot and that he hadn't given anything away, but he had. This wasn't an opportunistic attack. This was pre-meditated. But why? "You were following our teammates," she said. A strange idea came to her mind. "Which one specifically?"

He spat at her, and she winced as it dribbled down her cheek. "Filthy human."

Her fist caught him in the face, and he slumped on the floor.

"Yang!" Blake rolled her eyes. "Nice interrogation. We sure found out a lot."

"Bah. He wasn't going to talk, and I wasn't going to torture him. Could you?" she added, watching as Blake looked away. "Yeah. That's what I thought. Here, help me tie these guys up. We can use their clothing."

"Why are we doing this?" Blake asked, nonetheless helping remove their jackets and tying them together along with Yang. "Shouldn't we just hand them in to the authorities?"

"Someone will be on their way anyway. I'm not sure I want to be found in a restricted area when they do." She leaned back and clapped her hands when the work was done. These guys wouldn't be going anywhere fast, and the people coming to check out the noise would find them all nicely trussed up and ready for prison. "These idiots aside, this is bad news."

"Hm… it's odd that the White Fang are active like this."

"Is it? The Vytal Festival is big. If they did something here, it would make a real statement."

"True, but it would turn everyone against them, human and faunus alike." Blake sighed. "This festival is a celebration of peace, and our ability to defend ourselves against the Grimm. It would be suicidal to attack this, even if they were successful."

"Assuming they're smart enough for that. The White Fang haven't exactly been Class A masterminds lately."

Blake shot her an annoyed look, likely taking that a little personally. "Just because some of the grunts are simple doesn't mean you can assume the same of the rest. The White Fang has existed for some time. If they were incompetent, they'd have been crushed long ago."

"Fine, fine… we'll go with that. You think this is targeted, then?"

"It has to be." Blake looked down at the tied-up faunus. Her eyes narrowed. "I'm not sure who it's against, though. If it's against the team as a whole for what we did at Mountain Glenn, then that's one thing. It could be against Weiss personally as a Schnee, though."

"Or Jaune," Yang added. It drew a sharp look from Blake.

"Why would they target him?"

"He was at the warehouses too, remember. We didn't see him, but the tracker said he was. It's possible they saw him."

Blake growled something under her breath but didn't argue the point. "We should go," she said. "We're risking being caught with these guys if we stay. Are we sure we don't want to? I don't think we'll be in trouble for this."

"I'd rather not deal with it. It'll be more stress for Weiss and Jaune."

"Okay." Blake nodded and followed her out the room, the two of them ducking down a corridor as they heard feet running to their location. At least the White Fang would be picked up without any fuss. As they made their way towards the exit, Blake whispered, "What should we tell the two of them? I take it we _are_ telling them."

"Kinda have to," Yang said. "They'd be in danger if we didn't. Let's leave it until tonight, though. Let him deal with Weiss' problem first."

Blake nodded.

The two slipped back into the crowds soon after.

/-/

Weiss didn't open up to him like he'd hoped, but she did seem to thaw a little. He knew better than to dig, since she'd just get defensive, and so instead they talked about the tournament, Beacon, and also his family – anything so long as it got her talking and not thinking to herself. It worked to a degree, and she did seem to liven up a little as they wandered aimlessly about. He'd half-thought someone was following them before, but he'd rolled his eyes and ignored it. Yang and Blake, most likely. Those two really were nosey.

They'd stopped a while back. Probably bored of their small talk.

"Juniper and the others are enjoying the food more than the fights," he said. "I know they watch whenever our team is in one, but they really don't like seeing kids beat each other up."

"A cultural thing?" Weiss asked.

"More of a family history thing. I could tell you but it's a long story. Short of it is that Mom's had run ins with Grimm before and doesn't see the point of huntsmen fighting each other. Dad came from a controlling family and hates when huntsmen fight for things like glory instead of saving lives."

"That's admirable." Weiss chewed on her lower lip.

"What's wrong?"

"Do they disapprove of us for this?"

"No, no." He laughed and patted her shoulder. "Come on, Weiss. You know my Mom loves you. This is necessary and a scheduled event. Whether we took part or not, it would still happen. I'm just saying they're disinterested in competitions and things. Hell, I didn't even know who Pyrrha was when I first arrived." Not technically a lie, since his arrival in this repeat couldn't be called his _first_ time in Beacon.

"You're right. I'm being silly. Just because someone doesn't enjoy something, doesn't mean they hate it. In truth, my father loves this kind of thing, but only because of the benefits involved with winning it." She sighed and looked away. "I prefer your family's approach."

He waited for her to go on, but as the seconds ticked into minutes he realised she wouldn't. His responsibility again, then. "Are you ready to talk about what's wrong yet?"

"Do you think anything has changed?" Weiss' lip curled into a sneer. She caught herself and looked away a second later. "Sorry. I'm… not myself today."

"I can tell." Damn it. The best thing to do would be to leave it. She didn't want to talk about it. _I've never been one for the easy option, though. Or the smart one._ "Is it something I've done?"

"What? No! It's…" She cut off, then eyed him warily. "I won't fall for that."

Well, it was worth a shot.

"Can we talk about something else?" she asked.

"Sure. Like what?"

"How about… how about us?"

It was so sudden that he almost stumbled, and probably would have if it wasn't for his instincts kicking in. He watched her from the corner of one eye. About them, the two of them? He wanted to delve into this about as much as she did her problem, but wouldn't it be hypocritical of him to say that? "What about us?" he asked.

"Can I ask… a question? Would I receive an actual answer?"

He shrugged. "If I can, I'll answer."

Weiss sighed, took a deep breath, then looked him in the eye. "Why did you turn me down at the dance?"

Ah… _that_ question. Was this what was bothering her? He didn't want to call it silly because it wasn't… matters of the heart always felt more serious than any wound. It just wasn't something he was sure how to go about answering.

"Was it something wrong with me?" she asked. "You can be honest. I won't be offended."

"It's not that there's anything wrong with you…" He hedged the words, unsure where to go with them. "You're not lacking in anything, I can say that. Anyone would be thrilled to have you look at them in such a way."

"Then why not you?"

"It's hard to explain."

"Try."

He sighed. "I can't explain. It's not something I understand either," he quickly added when she opened her mouth to complain. "I'm just not ready for that kind of thing. Not with anyone. There's… there is something stopping me. That's why my relationships with people were always casual."

"That's… not a particularly satisfying answer."

"It's all I have."

"I know." Weiss sighed and ran a hand through her hair. It was beautiful and silken white, as was she in many regards. He _was_ attracted to her, that he knew. He always had been, even when this all began. It wasn't hard to fall for her again. He could vaguely remember her words once-upon-a-time. `Not in a thousand years` she'd proclaimed. Well, she was as good as her word. It had been over a thousand and only now did she consider him worthy.

"I'm sorry I can't say more."

"Hm…" She hummed to herself, eyes shut as she came to a pause. They were in some grassy area, sectioned off by trees and flowers. "Do you think it would ever be possible for you to return my feelings? Not now," she added, "but in time. Is it a `not now` or a `not ever`." She looked up to him. "Please be honest, even if it's not what you think I want to hear."

Her lips were set, eyes hard. She was prepared for his rejection – his terminal one. He couldn't lie, however. "It's a not now," he said. "I think I could fall for you in time." If there was time, that was. If that happened, if it all ended… he'd fall head over heels.

Funnily enough, the answer didn't seem to please her. She muttered a cursed and looked away. "I feel like it would have been easier if you said no. I could have tried to move on."

"I could lie," he offered.

"No!" She glared at him. "Don't do that. Don't lie to me."

He shrugged helplessly. He'd told the truth. How he wished he could give her a better answer, or accept her then and there. He couldn't, though. There was too much risk, too much struggle, and too much to focus on. If he was to beat Cinder, then all his attention needed to be focused there. If it worked out…? Maybe he could revisit this idea then.

"Do you ever think of missed opportunities?" Weiss asked. "Do you ever wonder what might be different, what might have changed, had things only gone a different way? Do you ever regret not being able to change things?"

"All the time." In his lifetimes, especially. "Where's this coming from?"

"I don't know. I keep thinking about the past, about opportunities I might have missed, and then I think of the future." She sighed and looked away. "I don't know what the future holds."

"None of us do," he lied. "That's why it's the future. Is there something you want from it?"

"You."

He felt heat rush to his cheeks. Gods, over a thousand years and she made him blush. Her laughter said she'd noticed, and that she'd found it just as funny.

"Among other things," she laughed. "I want to change the SDC. I want to repair our reputation. I want to make life easier for the faunus… and to disband the White Fang not through force of arms, but through diplomacy."

"Those are good dreams. You could do all of those things."

"Can I? I'm not so sure." She stepped a foot or so away, then sighed and turned back. "I'm being melodramatic. Forgive me. It's what I said about missed opportunities. I'm afraid I'll speed through life too quickly and lose out on them. Can you imagine what life would be like if we had never become partners? If our team didn't exist?"

He could. It was like a slap to his face, more because he knew it would probably happen than anything else. He intended to kill Cinder. He intended to stop this… but what if he couldn't? He'd never succeeded before. _There's no reason to think I'll be successful here either. No reason other than hope._ "I can imagine it," he said. "It's… something I'd miss."

"I feel the same." Weiss held a hand to her chest and looked down at the floor. "That's why I like to think of the things we've done as a team. They help me focus on now, instead of what might be later."

"Weiss, I don't understand." He stepped forward, hesitant to take hold of her. What was she talking about? Where had all this come from? "We're still here. I'm still here." Even if that might soon change. "What is it you want? If I can help, I will."

She smiled coyly. "Will you?"

"If I can. What do you want?"

"A date."

Jaune's eyes widened. "A… date…?"

"Yes." Weiss turned to him. She stepped forward so that she was but a foot or so away, head tilted up so that her eyes met his. "I know you've said you don't feel the same. I respect that. I'd like to have at least one moment, however. I won't ask you to fake anything, only to spend some time with me in a venue of my choosing. It will be a romantic venue, I admit…" She looked aside, then gathered her courage to continue. "I won't push you, though. I have no expectations for afterwards."

It was too surreal. Weiss Schnee, asking him out – essentially giving him the same words he imagined he'd given her back when this all began. If he was the sort to be petty he might have asked her to serenade him. Knowing her musical talents, she would have done it – and better than he ever could.

He wanted to say no. No, that wasn't true. He wanted to say yes, but he knew he should say no. This would invite heartbreak, while also leading Weiss on. Even beyond all that, it was a needless distraction when he should be focused on Cinder.

Could he call his partner a needless distraction, though?

She was important to him.

And in a way, didn't he want something to take away from this too? If he failed here, and in his mind – deep inside – he knew he would, then life would reset. Even if he retraced his steps as best he could, there was no guarantee things would turn out like this again. If they did, then he'd be as doomed come the end as he was now. If this time failed, and he had to try again… then he could never visit this moment again.

Weiss would be there, but she wouldn't be this Weiss. His Weiss. Yang and Blake would be there too, but they wouldn't be his girls. They wouldn't be the team he loved. Their jokes wouldn't be the same, their room wouldn't be the same – nothing would. Yang would never laugh and call him dad, and Blake wouldn't subtly lean in his direction if he touched her hair or ears.

He could relive his life over and over, but it was different each time. Weiss was right, whether she knew it or not. If he said no here, there was a chance he would regret it to the end of his days. Even if nothing came of it – even if he didn't _want_ anything to come of it – he wanted something to remember this life by.

"One date," he said. "I'll agree to that."

Weiss seemed relieved more than she did happy. In fact, it didn't look to have cheered her as much as he hoped. She bowed her head. "Thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

 _Clearly, I don't._

"I'll make arrangements," she went on. "I know it's short notice but would tonight be okay?"

"Tonight?" He winced. "I don't have anything to wear. Plus, what would be open with so little time?"

"I'll handle it. Being a Schnee does have its perks, after all. You could wear your suit from the dance if you still have it." She waited for his nod. She knew full well he had it. They lived in the same room, after all. "Perfect. Thank you." Her smile became a little more honest, and as she moved away it was with more excitement than she'd shown all day. "I'll have everything handled. Could you pick me up at Winter's room, say seven?"

"Sure." That would give him some time to ask Yang for help. She was better at making herself look nice, and him too. Weiss nodded and made to move away, but he called out. "Weiss, wait. Why the rush? In fact, why is all of this so important?"

She hesitated a few feet away from him. Her head turned, but not far enough to face him. White hair covered her eyes. "I want a memory to hold onto," she whispered.

"A memory?"

"Yes. Something… unforgettable."

* * *

 **A weird chapter, but I can assure you it's important. Not much to say here other than that I hope you enjoyed it. Time to hop onto Professor Arc and get to work.**

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 **Next Chapter: 10** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	42. Chapter 42

**Here is another chapter, hope you enjoy.**

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 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Commissioned by Booya93)

 **Chapter 42 - Complications**

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He had a date with Weiss.

The thought didn't bring the excitement it might have been in his original lifetime. Instead, it brought a sense of trepidation. What if he couldn't do another to clear up Weiss' mood? What if this only made things more awkward between them? What if he screwed it up?

Yang slapped a hand against his back. "Sit still," she growled, his hair between her fingers and a brush clenched in her teeth. "Stop panicking as well. Geez, I never thought you'd be one to get antsy over a date."

"Sorry." He took a deep breath and tried to stop fidgeting, aware the whole time of Yang's position behind him as she fought to bring his hair under some sense of control. She'd been insistent on doing it, and of helping in general, the moment he told them he had a date with Weiss. They knew the reason, of course. He'd filled them both in on how she suddenly asked for it. Neither of them knew the reason either, and he felt confident in saying they'd have told him if they did. Either way, making sure the date went well soon became the priority. "Where's Blake?" he asked.

"I sent her off with your suit," Yang said. She ran the brush across his fringe and hummed. "It's not in a bad state. You didn't get it dirty. Still, it'll look nicer if it's freshly pressed and steamed."

Jaune chuckled. "Heh, you're good at this."

"No idea why. Never been on a date myself."

"What?"

"Not a real one," she amended. "I've dated a few guys, and they took me to the movies, the mall, or some dinky fast-food restaurant. I don't really count those as real dates, though. None of them put any effort into it. Just thought they could buy me a soda, then ask to suck face." Yang growled something under her breath. "Anyway, knowing Weiss, this one will be better."

"She does like to excel in everything she does…"

"Even dating." Yang laughed. "Nice. I can buy it. So, she didn't give any answer as to why she's been acting so weird?"

"None at all." Jaune allowed Yang to tilt his head to the side. "I'm hoping this will help."

"And you have no idea what it might be? You're usually pretty perceptive… weirdly so."

More in the know than perceptive. Either way, it didn't help him here. In all honesty, he didn't know if this was normal or not. As cruel as it sounded, Weiss had never been the centre of his attention. He didn't know if this was normal or not, but with the drama between Jacques and her, it made sense that she might be in a foul mood. It had never been important enough for him to pay attention to, though. This was, after all, a time usually reserved for Cinder. "I've got nothing." he said. "The only thing I can think of is something with her family."

"About her bank accounts, you mean?" Yang snorted. "Talk about a controlling parent. Even my Dad wouldn't go that far."

"I wouldn't," Jaune confirmed.

Yang paused, then burst into laughter. "You idiot," she giggled. "I meant my _real_ Dad."

"Oh, yeah. Right." Damn it. Yang's silly joke had become such a staple, he'd actually started to react to the word and assume she meant him. At least he didn't fall for it in public. He wasn't sure his already shaky reputation could handle her calling him Daddy, and him responding.

"It makes sense, though," Yang said, referring to Weiss and her father. "I mean, not how he does things, but that it might cause problems. While it was cool of you to make that second account for her, all it would do is piss off her father." She sighed. "And we both know who he'd take that frustration out on."

Jaune's grimace did little to convey the true depths of his anger. If that ended up being the truth, then he might have to do something about it. He'd comfort Weiss first, of course. She was more important than anything else. If he'd caused something, though, then he was at least partly responsible.

"That's assuming it's the reason at all," Yang warned. "You can't go off and kill Weiss' Dad just because we think he _might_ be a dick."

"Might? The guy cut off Weiss' money."

"Okay, so he's _definitely_ a dick. Either way, you don't know for sure it's him Weiss is upset at. Hold off on the avenger-murderer angle, please. It's bad enough people give me weird looks when I call a guy my age Daddy." Yang grinned. "I don't want to imagine what those looks will turn to if I then admit my `Daddy` is in prison."

"Funny for you of all people to accuse me of being a criminal."

Yang slapped his shoulder from behind. "Meanie. That reminds me actually. Blake and I bumped into some old friends of ours earlier." Yang's tone told a story of what she thought of said _friends_.

"Who?"

"I'll tell you after your date," she said. "I don't want to distract you from it."

He raised an eyebrow at that, but let it be. If it were important, she'd have told him. Well, that or he'd have already known about it thanks to his past lives. As far as he could tell, there was nothing coming up other than the end. Pyrrha would be chosen as the maiden, Cinder would initiate her attack, and Beacon would fall or hold.

Well, that and Mercury's tricking of Yang. _I have to try and stop that. What's the point of trying to save them if I don't spare Yang that misery?_ Luckily, he had a few ideas. It might be enough, if not to put a stop to that plan altogether, then to divert it.

The door to the dorm opened, Blake stepping through with a black bag in hand. "I've got it," she said, laying the long thing on his bed. A coat hanger poked from the top, and the tag on the bag made it clear what was inside. "I had to pay a little extra due to the lack of warning, but the old lady there seemed willing enough once I explained what it was for."

"Aw, how cute." Yang laughed. "Good job, Blake." She tapped his shoulder. "There. I'm done. Get up and put on the suit. I want to make sure you look good."

"Yes, daughter…" Jaune sighed and stood up, moving over to pick it up. He looked to the two of them, only to find that they'd both already turned around to face the wall. What, had they never seen a guy in his underwear before? He rolled his eyes and shucked off his clothing, pulling the suit on and buttoning the white shirt up. It fit as well as it had the last time, tailored to match his form almost exactly.

It looked good… even if it did make him look more a personal bodyguard than a gentleman. The Atlas military design was obvious, but it was still a far cry better than anything else he had. Anything he could get either, since Weiss hadn't exactly given him much time to prepare. "I'm decent," he said. "You can turn around now."

"Hm, I'd say a little more than decent." Yang looked him up and down. "Damn. If you looked like that normally, I think even I might be interested."

"Yang…"

"Oh, come on, Blake. You have to admit he looks good."

"A little too Atlas for my taste." Blake sent him a small smile to say she didn't mean anything by it. "I've had plenty of poor encounters with them. Still, it does bring out your eyes. I don't imagine Weiss will have any room to complain."

As usual, to them, it was all about him dating Weiss – and their excitement for it. He didn't want to rain on their parade by saying otherwise, though. In a way, this was one of the memories he wanted to preserve as well. Blake and Yang were incredible… in a way he'd never experienced before. _Ruby sure is lucky to be on a team with them. At least normally. I thought Pyrrha, Ren, Nora and I were close, but this feels like an actual family._

Or was it that their team was different to how RWBY were? He wasn't sure.

"What time did she want you to meet here?" Blake asked.

"Seven," he said, "as you well know."

"It was a hint." She looked towards the clock. It read 6:30. "You should go now. You don't want to be late."

"Don't I not want to be early, either?"

Yang and Blake crossed their arms, sharing one of those inscrutable looks between them. It didn't take a genius to see they didn't agree, even if he wasn't sure why.

"Okay, okay, I'll go…" He held his arms out, lest they attack. "I'll walk around a little and get there ten minutes early. Is that okay?"

"Don't get lost," Blake growled.

Wow… such faith. Did they really think he'd mess around with something like this? Apparently so. He supposed they were just worried for Weiss' sake. They needn't be. He wouldn't have purposefully done anything to hurt either of them.

A few people gave him odd looks as he walked down the corridors. It wasn't exactly normal to see someone in their best finery, especially so early in the afternoon. He figured a few realised what was going on, for some girls gasped, whispered among themselves, and then giggled as they walked away. Most of the guys just shot him irritated looks.

 _I can't go there early,_ he thought. _Even beyond the whole looking desperate thing, Weiss might not be ready. I don't want to rush her if she's not._ Weiss was one for punctuality, after all. If she wanted to take her time, he didn't see the need to get in the way. Winter was there too, it being her room – and the longer he could put _that_ off, the better. He found a quiet alcove, in between Port's classroom and the public bathrooms. He pulled out his scroll and dialled a number.

"Hel-? Oh, Jaune!" Sable laughed once she saw him. "How are…? Is that a suit?"

"Hi Sable."

"Don't `Hi Sable` me. Answer my question. That's a suit. Where are you going?" His second-oldest sister pushed the screen close to her face. "Are you going on a date!?"

"I suppose you could say that." He winced when she squealed, and then winced again when he saw her cover the receiver and shout something off to the side. Oh dear. Now everyone was going to know. What part of this seemed like a good plan again? Oh right, the part where it helped the time go by. "Sable, please…"

"It's the Weiss girl, isn't it?"

"You can just call her Weiss, you know."

"You're dodging the question!"

He sighed. "Yes. It's her."

"I knew it! Oh, Mom will be so happy. You know, she really likes her."

"I'm aware."

"I think she's pretty nice too." Sable said. "I mean, we haven't really talked all that much. I think I've spoken to Blake and Yang more. Still, they say good things about her, and I can see how close the two of you are."

"Wait, when did you talk to Yang and Blake?"

"Never you mind. Do you know what's going to happen on this date? Do you have something planned?"

"Uh… no?" He winced when her eyes hardened. "But only because Weiss said she wanted to plan it. She's the one organising it."

"Hm, okay… I'll let it go this time, brother. It makes sense she'd be assertive, I guess. I take it she's the one who asked you?" He nodded. "Ah, I thought so. To be honest, I never thought you'd actually end up dating anyone."

"Such faith." He rolled his eyes. "Besides, I'm fairly popular with the women back home."

"Yeah, in an underneath the covers kind of way." Sable snorted. "Also in an `out of sight` kind of way. You're like an illicit secret. The women do it, or you, but they don't admit it. You're more a guilty pleasure than a lover. That's why I didn't think you'd ever actually date someone. Wait a minute…" Sable gasped. "Do you even know _how_ to date someone?"

What kind of question was that? Jaune snorted. Of course he knew. It hadn't been _that_ long since he'd been on a date with someone, had it? The last time had been Pyrrha… or was it Ruby? Blake, maybe?

He paused.

Crap.

When _had_ the last time been? A hundred lifetimes, two? He had a feeling it was longer. _Okay, this is fine. Don't panic. Just try to remember what you and Ruby did…_ He wracked his mind, but all he could bring up was them sitting around and talking, kissing beneath the moonlight – and maybe one or two trips to the comic store and an ice-cream parlour. The idea of taking Weiss to such places was ridiculous.

Okay, what about Pyrrha? He could vaguely remember restaurants in that relationship – but that had to be _five hundred_ or more years ago. Pyrrha was a _terrible_ romantic idea for him – especially with what always happened to her. While he loved his partner, he'd promised to never fall in love with her again. It just hurt too much.

Blake? Nope. Those _dates_ were less dates and something far more intimate. She didn't like to mess around, and hated romantic dates. He doubted re-enacting a scene from one of her books would do much for Weiss.

Actually, it might do too much.

"You've got no idea," Sable sighed. "I knew it."

"W-Well, how hard can it be?"

His rising panic answered that question. Damn it, damn it, damn it. Weiss probably expected him to be a perfect date, especially with his experience. The truth was the exact opposite. Sex, he was proficient at. Romantic overtures? Not so much.

"Calm down… do you have any flowers?"

"I didn't think I should," he said. "She's in her sister's room, not ours. If I give her any, she won't have anywhere to put them. What if she feels she has to carry them all night?"

"Ugh, typical man. You're over-thinking things while trying to be helpful. Go get her some flowers." Sable's voice was firm. "If she wants to keep them, she'll ask her sister for a vase. She can come back for them after the date."

Right… right. That made sense! Why hadn't he thought of that? He didn't have the time to go to Vale, but he could stop by the gardens and steal a few. No one would notice. "I'll get some. Anything else?"

"Have an idea of what you can talk about on the date. There's nothing worse than awkward silence, especially when she's gone out of her way to ask you out. Also, don't go in with the idea that she should be the one to start all the conversations. She's going to be just as nervous as you."

Okay, fine, whatever. They could talk about the festival. Or was that too work-related? Well he couldn't talk about her family, because that really would be a bad idea. His? Possible, but he didn't want to monopolise the conversation.

 _Damn it, man. Pull it together. You're a time traveller. You've suffered loss over a thousand times. You can handle a single date. It doesn't even matter if it's successful, since you're not pursuing her._

Except that, in a way, it did. If something was up with her, then he wanted to fix it. She was his partner. It only made sense.

"There are a few other things," Sable said. "Here, I'll list them for you…"

/-/

"Weiss, are you sure about this?" Winter asked, for what felt like the one hundredth time. "I'm not questioning your taste, but-"

"Then it should be fine," Weiss said. "If you're not questioning my taste, that is."

Winter huffed and looked away, busying herself in some report on the side. It was clear she didn't approve. Well, that had been clear for days now. She didn't understand. Jaune wasn't someone you could judge on first appearances. She'd learned that. Once you dug deeper, once you got to know him, spent time with him, and fought past his attempts to push you away. Well, things changed.

"I have no idea what you see in him."

"Dependability, kindness, loyalty, confidence, determination…"

"Poor reputation, a tendency to sleep with other women, a lack of respect for authority." Winter glared bitterly at the door. "He's not perfect, Weiss. He's filled with flaws. Those are just the outside ones too, what about his mental state? You can't tell me he's normal."

"Oh no." She laughed at the stupidity of it. "I'd never call him normal."

"And you're okay with this!?"

"Have I not made that abundantly clear?" Weiss pulled some white hair before her and brushed at it. Already beautiful, and already brushed to perfection, it was now little more than a nervous habit. She wanted to look her best. She _had_ to look her best.

Everything needed to be perfect.

"Weiss, you're rushing into things," Winter said. "If this is over your meeting with the General, then-"

"I'd rather not talk about that, thank you."

Winter growled and looked away. Although she tried to say it beneath her breath, Weiss caught her words nonetheless. "And you won't even tell me what it was about," Winter muttered.

 _Because I can't, Winter. I'm sorry._

"I've made up my mind, Winter. I know you don't approve, and I've _tried_ to ignore my feelings. I can't. I love him." Whether or not he loved her back. Well, that might not matter soon. She had a date with him. That was enough. She'd make it.

"I'm just worried for you, sister. You're going to get hurt."

"He wouldn't hurt me."

"Not intentionally," Winter argued. "There's no need to look at me so shocked. As much as I disapprove, I know he would rather take a knife to his own throat than knowingly hurt you. It's what he might unintentionally do which concerns me. What he might have unintentionally already done."

"Life hurts," Weiss said. "That's a fact of it. If we let that pain dissuade us from doing things, then nothing would ever be achieved. It is a Schnee's duty to shoulder than burden wherever necessary, to the betterment of the family name."

"Please don't quote father's lessons. It's not like you ever believed in them anyway, Weiss. Don't start giving them now."

"I disagree with him as a person," she said. "His lessons, however? Some have merit, so long as you water down the constant references to profit, reputation and long-term success." It amused her to think that had she taken her father's lessons literally, she would have already hired hit squads to kill every student Jaune had slept with. It would be a bloodbath in Beacon's halls. "The point remains," she said. "If I live in fear of rejection, I'll have no chance of winning him." Weiss checked the clock and placed the brush down. She turned, arms opened wide. "How do I look?"

Winter stared at her. "Radiant…"

Weiss felt more relieved than she did pleased. Thank goodness. She'd wondered a little on what to wear, thinking of how she might stretch a little further than she was comfortable with and go for a plunging dress, something to show off her curves and make her seem a little sexier. In the end, she'd decided against it. She was who she was, and that wasn't her. The pale blue dress reached her knees, with one side that delved a little lower. The Schnee snowflake was etched into it with dust, sparkling lightly as the light caught it. Her top covered very much the same shape as her normal outfit, but was far more intricate. Light blue shoulders and sleeves gave way to a white midriff, with a slightly see-through shawl to cover her bare shoulders. The back was open, revealing skin with criss-crossing straps.

With her white hair, tied up into a single one-sided ponytail, but now with the addition of a jewelled tiara, she certainly stood out. It was also painfully obvious who she was. It couldn't be helped. Everyone knew her name, or rather her family's name. She'd realised early on she couldn't hide that, and then quickly decided she shouldn't hide it. Jaune knew. He didn't care.

"You don't think it's a little too… urban?"

"It's functional and beautiful at the same time," Winter said. "Much like you."

"Yes. You're right. I'm a huntress. Fighting is in my blood." The dress would enable that, as much as she didn't intend to use it in such a manner. The skirt was short enough allow fast movement, and nothing hung too loose from her body.

There was a knock on the door. Short, simple, a single strike.

Weiss' knees weakened. She didn't think she'd ever been so afraid. No, that wasn't quite right. She'd been frightened when he was captured, but that hadn't made her feel this helpless. This… this was a bad idea. He didn't love her, he'd as good as said so. What was she doing forcing him into a date like this? This was going to be the most awkward night ever.

Maybe she should call it off?

"I can tell him you're sick if you want," Winter offered. She sounded all too happy with the idea. It was that which forced her into action.

"No. I'm fine, Winter." She swallowed and took a quick moment to glance in the mirror. Not much makeup. She'd never had a need for it, other than a little colour around her eyes. Should she have gone with more? Her skin looked pale. Too pale?

Jaune knocked again.

Her legs almost gave in several times in the short distance between her and the door. When her hand fell on the handle, she took a second to steady herself. _You can do this,_ she told herself. _You have to do this. It's your only chance._ She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Hey Weiss." Jaune Arc stood before her, dressed in white. His normally wild hair was neat and orderly. Even with that, and with the military outfit, his eyes spoke of someone who wouldn't follow the rules, who would break them at every opportunity. She found herself getting lost in them, a deep blue that contrasted with the white of his suit, and the gold of his hair. "I uh… I got these for you."

He held out some flowers for her.

She took them gently. "Thank you," she whispered. They smelled fresh and were in fact cool to the touch. He must have picked them recently. She could recall the colours from the gardens. That ought to have annoyed her, yet somehow it didn't. It was so very him. "Would you like to come in while I place them?"

"Ah…" Jaune leaned to the side and looked past her. "I probably shouldn't."

Weiss heard a scoff from inside, and felt a small smile slip across her face. It relaxed her, took away that awkward edge. Jaune was scared of her sister. Or wary, at least. Well, she could hardly blame him. "Wait here," she said, "I'll be back in a moment."

It only took her a minute or two to locate a vase to place the flowers in, and although Winter glared at them, they would be safe until she returned. When she came back outside, she had to fight the urge to say or do something as Jaune's eyes roved up and down her body. It wouldn't be the first time a man did that. Why it didn't annoy her like all the other times was a mystery, however. Even if she liked him, did he have to look at her with such interest? Did it have to make her feel so warm?

"You look beautiful."

A weak compliment. Unspecific, vague, overused. Her cheeks flushed and she looked away. From anyone else, she wouldn't have been impressed. From him, it earned a giddy cheer in her mind. "You as well," she said. "You look handsome in a uniform. Are you ready to go?"

He nodded, bowed, and held a hand out for her.

Weiss raised an eyebrow but accepted the gesture, placing her hand in his, and trying not to show her pleasure at the feel of it. His hands were larger than hers, much larger. It felt like he could have gripped both her wrists together in his hand. That thought sent all the wrong images to her mind, along with a question of what they might feel like on her hips. She'd felt them, back at the dance, but her mind hadn't paid attention. There had been too much else to think of back then.

"Where to?" he asked. "I already arranged for a Bullhead to take us to Vale, but I didn't know the destination."

"You have?" She was impressed. "The restaurant is called el'Effestro's."

"I've never heard of it."

She wasn't surprised. The waiting list was weeks in advance, if not months. The prices were equally absurd, even for someone like her. With her family name, however, not to mention the fame her clientele would bring them, they'd been only too eager to go out, purchase a new table, and then restructure the entire restaurant to fit it in. All in under four hours.

It would be worth it. This would be a night to remember.

She was counting on it.

/-/

Although he didn't recognise the restaurant itself, it didn't take Jaune long to realise the kind of place it was. It screamed exclusivity, from the orderly queue of well-dressed men and women outside, to the perfectly shaved and suited man with a clipboard at the entrance. He gave them a calm and polite look, but one that held just a tint of caution. People their age weren't common clientele and he obviously knew that. The man was cautious enough to check their names first, however, which saved them any drama.

"Miss Schnee and Mr Arc," he read, eyes growing wide – and certainly not at the Arc name. "Your table is awaiting you, if you will head inside, one of our waiters will show you to your table."

Weiss nodded, "Thank you."

"Thanks," Jaune echoed, then wondered if that sounded too casual. The man nodded with the grace of someone who would have done it even had he spat in his face, but otherwise said nothing. The interior was just as opulent as the exterior, and many of the people on tables around them paused to look at the new entrants, judging them with haughty eyes. Weiss withstood it with ease, but his instincts flared. It felt like they were in a room of enemies.

He didn't like feeling so watched.

A young woman came up to meet them, a year or two older than them, with long brown hair tied into a neat ponytail. She bowed, wished the two of them welcome, and then showed them to a table off to one side, next to a window. The view was of the rooftops of Vale, on the second floor of the restaurant. No shops or buildings blocked it, and Jaune had a suspicion it was because el'Effrestro's had bought all the surrounding land themselves.

A menu was placed gently into his hands, "I will be your waitress for this evening," the woman said. "I serve only you, so if there is anything you need, or wish to order, you need but raise a hand and I shall appear. Would the couple care for a drink?"

Couple? He wanted to dispel that notion, but hesitated. This was supposed to be a date between them. He supposed that _did_ make them a couple, at least for tonight.

"We shall have a bottle of red," Weiss said, "and also a pitcher of mineral water." The woman nodded and moved away, leaving them alone.

"Alcohol?" he asked. "Is that wise?"

"We don't have to finish it. I, for one, don't intend to drink to excess." Weiss' eyes widened. "Is something wrong? Would you prefer a white? I apologise. It was rude of me to presume…"

"No, no. It's fine. I like red wine." He chuckled, wishing he hadn't opened his mouth. Damn it. There he went, instantly making the mood feel awkward. Weiss smiled and nodded, but with the question answered, and the matter resolved, there was nothing more to talk about. They fell into a deep silence.

It was not a comfortable one. He fidgeted with the menu, while Weiss looked anywhere but at him. Neither of them spoke. _Damn it. Sable warned me about this._

He had no idea how to break it, but wondered if the meal might help. At least with that, they could eat and not have to talk. He cracked open the menu and read the first page, then immediately cringed.

Weiss noticed. "Is something the matter?"

"I don't recognise anything on here."

"What do you mean?"

"Crispy brick dough suffused with Vacuan redback, foraged mushrooms and sautéed cabbage, served with season salad capturing the essence of the Baric."

"Lobster roulade," Weiss said.

He read off another, the name equally incomprehensible.

"Slow-roasted duck," Weiss replied. "I don't see the problem."

Jaune's cheeks flushed. "The problem," he said, "is that I can't understand a damn word on this menu. What on Remnant is a Carpaccio?"

"Raw meat cut into slices."

"Why can't they just say that!?"

"Because it doesn't-" Weiss paused, then sighed. "You're right. I'm sorry. I didn't realise." She put her menu down. "Places like this like to use flowery language and foreign terms where possible, mostly as a way of flattering the clientele. By making it difficult to decipher, it requires a certain upbringing or education, which keeps out… well, I suppose they would call them riff-raff."

"Like me."

"Not you," Weiss whispered. It was weak, however, and they both knew it. He didn't belong here. "Let me order for you," she begged, "I promise it will be something you can eat. Trust me." The look in her eyes was pleading, desperate to not let this end their date before it could even begin.

It was humiliating. Not the part where she had to order for him, but the fact he couldn't understand something that everyone else in the restaurant could. It made him feel uneducated, stupid. Of all the lifetimes he'd been through, he'd never visited a place like this. He was out of his depth. They both knew it.

When the waitress came back with their drinks, Weiss rattled off some foods for them. He listened with only half an ear, but what little he caught made no sense. There were freshly harvested vegetables wrapped in… something. Along with an essence of fish. What was an essence, anyway? He kept a smile on his face, and nodded to the woman when she asked if that was all. He then busied himself in pouring each of them a glass of red wine.

Weiss took it from him with her eyes locked to the table. "I should have thought this through," she said. "I should have realised…"

"That I'm too stupid for a place like this?"

Her head shot up. "No! Jaune, no. You're not stupid. This is… this is just the kind of place you need a degree in language to eat from. I didn't even think about you. I wanted the best place, the best food." Her shoulders fell. "I just wanted this to be a good time for you. I wanted to impress you."

And now he was defecating all over that. He winced as the guilt hit him. He reached across with one hand, touching her wrist, which lay on the table. "Well, we haven't seen the food yet, have we? Maybe it _will_ be the best. Don't worry about me not getting what the menu says. I may not be posh enough to read it, but I can still eat it." At least, he hoped so. He had a feeling this place didn't serve burgers or steak.

Weiss nodded. It was clear she still blamed herself.

Time for a distraction, he supposed. "Have you ever been here before?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh, I've been here once before. I came with my father and sister a long time ago." She hummed. "It must have been five, maybe six years back. It was still owned by the same family back then as it is now."

"What were you in Vale for?"

"I had a music instructor here, one who taught me to sing. It was to be my first performance in public. Not quite the kind of public event _you_ saw me at," she added. "It was a small thing, just for her students and their families. There were maybe fifty people in the audience, but it felt like a lot at the time. I was nervous."

"At least you had your family with you. I bet that made it easier."

Weiss sighed. "Father was called off for a meeting at the last minute. It was only Winter and my personal butler who saw me."

Ouch. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Weiss shook her head and smiled. "It wasn't so bad an experience, and it helped me learn to face my fears, I suppose. Besides, I'm glad Winter stayed. She came to watch all my performances, and even watched them over her scroll when she couldn't make them in person."

"You know, it's odd how close the two of you are. You're not as overt with it as I'd expect."

"What, because we don't hug and tackle one another like Yang and Ruby?" Weiss snorted to show what she thought of that. "Just because we don't feel the need to regularly reassure ourselves of the other's affection doesn't mean we aren't close."

"Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it."

"It's-" Weiss paused. "I'm doing it again," she groaned, hands curling into fists atop the table.

Luckily, the food interrupted them. The waitress came back, smiling happily as she laid it out between them. Weiss had ordered him some kind of meat, beef, he thought. It was fairly unrecognisable, but smelled nice enough, with various sauces over it, and vegetables he didn't recognise in the slightest. She had a fish dish, again with a name and appearance too complicated to describe.

It was decent.

That was all he could really say. It probably was better than what he normally ate, but not twice as good, and not deserving of the price tag on it. Then again, if you had money to burn, maybe you were fine with wasting thousands of lien on something that was above average.

They ate in relative silence, but for the occasional query on how the other's meal was, and him asking whether she wanted some more wine while he was pouring his own. He half-hoped she'd dive into a conversation about something or other, but Weiss never did. Sable had warned him about this, but he wasn't sure what to talk about either.

"Are you looking forward to the next fights?" he asked, a desperation move once the food was finished.

"They should be fun," Weiss said. He had no idea whether it was out of politeness or genuine interest. "I think Yang and I will be a good combination. She's strong in the areas I'm not, and vice versa."

"I'll find out what I can on the competitors. I think you'd be enough on your own, but it doesn't hurt to be careful."

"Absolutely. If you find anything, let me know."

"I will."

More silence. He wanted to take it and break it over his knee. When the waitress came to clean up their plates, she smiled at the two of them. "Would either of you like any dessert?"

He looked to Weiss for an answer.

She sighed. "No. I think we've had enough." She nodded and thanked the woman, then paid the bill – an astronomical figure he couldn't have hoped to cover. Through it all, she kept her eyes off his, and refused to so much as acknowledge his presence. She seemed angry.

He had the sinking suspicion he'd ruined the night.

/-/

Weiss was angry… mostly at herself.

How stupid could she be? How had she managed to ruin this so badly? _I was selfish,_ she realised. _A date is about making sure both sides have a good time, but I chose a restaurant based entirely on what I wanted. I didn't even consider that he wouldn't feel comfortable there._

She spared a glance for Jaune, his eyes ahead of them as they walked through a park in Vale. It had been his idea, a way to prolong the evening, and she'd grasped at it desperately. Yes… anything to make this a little longer, to give her a chance to rescue it.

The restaurant has been a failure… a catastrophic one. It hadn't felt right for her, and clearly hadn't for him. Their conversation… ha, what a joke. There hadn't been any. She'd had meetings with her father's business partners which were more amicable. It hadn't just been awkward. It had been dead on arrival.

 _This isn't going as I imagined it. What's happening? Where is it going wrong?_

Jaune was handsome, she beautiful, the both of them dressed up and looking great. She did care for him, she knew that, but the dinner date fell through the floor. It hadn't been entirely him, either. He'd tried his best. She could tell.

It just hadn't felt right. Something was absent… missing.

"It's a nice night," Jaune said.

Weiss looked up and into the dark trees, with beams of moonlight shining through the cracks in the canopy. The marble path they strolled down was clean, the occasional sigh of other coupes here and there. It was peaceful, relaxing, and the air was just cool enough to feel pleasant without being cold. "It is," she agreed. "It's nice."

That was all it was. Not romantic. Not the best moment of her life. Just nice. She felt it would have been just as nice with Yang or Blake, or even Winter by her side. Her spirits dropped. This was supposed to be special. "Jaune, I-"

There was a click behind her.

Jaune heard it too.

Weiss gasped as she was pushed aside, a second before the gunshot sounded. The dust round whizzed between them, hitting neither. Her shoulder hit the pathway, but honed instincts kicked in and she didn't stay there. The moment she landed, one hand slammed down and flipped her over. She landed on her feet, knees bent, eyes on the foe. Jaune did the same on the other side, one hand at his waist.

Neither of them were armed.

The hooded figure before them was. He had a gun in one hand, which was already tracking towards Jaune's position. She saw it in slow motion, as people around them screamed and turned to run. Several didn't. They were all of them hooded, and they moved closer. "Jaune!" she cried.

She needn't have worried.

He ducked to the side, dodging the second shot and rushing forward towards the attacker. Despite the lack of his weapon, he was able to slip beneath the hand as it fired a third, then grip it at the wrist. He brought it up, pressed it against the shoulder and snapped it. The gun dropped, and Jaune swept the aggressor's legs out from under him.

Weiss didn't get a chance to see any more before the others attacked and she had to defend herself. Myrtenaster was back at Beacon. She could have summoned it with her scroll, but that would have required a second or two to use her scroll, something they didn't give her. She stepped past a fist, diverted it aside with her hands, and slapped the man with the back of her hand. He staggered, and her hands stung as she realised she'd hit something hard instead of soft.

A white mask flashed under the man's hood.

The White Fang! Rage burned up inside her. It wasn't rage at them, at least not entirely. She was furious about the date, her mistake, the stupid restaurant… and now these blasted terrorists wanted to interfere as well? Fine. They'd chosen a convenient time. She had frustration to burn!

"Get him!" one of the faunus roared. Swords, knives and clubs were drawn.

Weiss huffed. "I only count eight of you. Are the White Fang that short of recruits? Or is it that we already dealt with the rest of you?"

They growled and charged in.

Hmph. Amateurs. Unarmed, she met then halfway. They didn't expect that, for their eyes widened and they had no defence prepared when she hit. Her slight frame and weight didn't allow for the power Yang might have, but she made up for it in other ways and her sister had trained her well. Her heel dug into the knee of the first faunus, driving him down onto one knee. Her elbow crashed into the side of his head, her other hand catching his sword by the blade, somewhere near the hilt. Her aura flexed, protecting her skin and allowing her to wrench it out of his grip when he fell to the side. It was a clumsy and pathetic thing, cracked in several places, but it was metal and it would do.

A club came in from behind. She heard the man grunt as he swung it. It slammed into her stolen sword, driving her back a pace from the sheer strength the man had. His second swing sailed above, however, his eyes going wide as it caught nothing but her ponytail, dragging hair out of its binding. She swung up and to the side, catching his wrist and causing him to yelp. They had aura, of course, but undisciplined rabble would still be just that. She caught the club as it fell, swung on the spot, and cracked it against the side of his head. The mask shattered – as did his grasp on consciousness.

She heard a gun click. "Die Schnee!"

Weiss' hand touched the floor as she fell, noting the bullet hit a tree behind her. A white glyph flashed into life beneath her, and when the gun trained back on her, she dashed to the side with Ruby-like speed. Another glyph, this time to reverse her momentum. A bullet struck the pavement, chipping and sparking, but with her erratic approach, it was all but impossible to catch her. She was in the man's guard before he could empty his clip, and she jabbed the cross guard of the sword into his throat. He choked and gasped, reaching up to defend himself.

Her knee buried into his groin.

As he fell, squealing like a pig, he tried to grab and drag her down, but only managed to catch her dress. Just to make sure he didn't try anything else, she picked up his gun and struck him with the grip, knocking him out.

Her eyes flickered to Jaune, concern running through her. A breath of relief escaped her when she saw him. He was fine. What was she even thinking? Of _course_ he was fine. He swerved between two people, using a strange fighting style she'd never seen before. It looked like a cross between Yang and Ren, a mixture of brutal hooks and clever misdirects. How he knew it, since he wasn't trained, she had no idea.

She wasn't surprised though. Knowing some bizarre martial art? Yeah, that was pretty much him to a nutshell. At this point she wouldn't have been surprised if he revealed he was a martial arts master. He finished his two with ease, twisting one around by the arm and using him to block a cleaver from another. Blood flew, the victim apparently being without aura, and Weiss winced as the one who'd done it stepped back in fear. Jaune caught him in the jaw as he dropped the injured one.

Weiss turned around, sword at the ready. There were none left. They were all strewn around in states of unconscious or injured, while sirens blared in the distance. Weiss sighed and threw the blade away.

"White Fang," Jaune said, somewhat needlessly. "I'm guessing this is the thing Yang was trying to warn me about earlier."

"She knew?" Weiss asked. She brushed some dust off her sleeve, then gave up when she realised the state she was now in. The dress was ruined. "Why didn't she tell us?"

"She said she would later. Didn't want to ruin our date."

Weiss' gratitude was quickly tempered by bitterness. "A fine job," she sighed. "What a fantastic way to end the night. I couldn't have planned a worse date if I'd tried. Oh wait, I _did_ plan this one," she added. Damn it all. Damn the White Fang, damn her upbringing, damn those menus and damn her for not thinking any of this through.

"Ruined?" Jaune looked over to her. His hair was a mess now, all of Yang's effort wasted. His suit was ruined too, covered in splatters of blood and grime, and torn in some places. She doubted she looked much better.

"Well, we can hardly go out like this, can we?" She held her arms wide for emphasis, showing the torn cloth where the idiot had grabbed her, along with the grey streaks across her skirt where she'd hit the ground. Her shawl was gone too, ripped in two and discarded somewhere behind them. "We'd be kicked out of anywhere we tried to enter. Not to mention, my hair is a disaster."

"Really?" Jaune reached out and took some of it in his hand. Her ponytail had fallen free, the tiara shattered. It wasn't as strong as the one she normally wore. "I've never seen you with your hair down before. It looks great. I love it."

He was just saying that to cheer her up. She crossed her arms. "And you're about to say I look better with muck and dirt down my face?" she challenged. "Or that my dress is improved with the application of several tears?"

He stepped a little closer. "I think it suits you more."

"Excuse me?" She raised an eyebrow dangerously. "Would you care to rephrase that?"

"No." He looked her up and down. "This feels more like you. The Weiss I know isn't some pampered princess in a perfect dress. She's strong and independent, someone who isn't afraid to get herself dirty if it means killing Grimm or stopping criminals."

Huh? Weiss' cheeks darkened. "What are you even talking about?"

He held a finger to her lips. "The Weiss I know doesn't always look her best. Sometimes she's covered in sweat, because she's training to be the strongest. She isn't calm and serene at a dinner table. She's passionate and full of fire." His smirk took on a roguish quality. "Mostly at me, I'll admit… but I suppose I do enough to deserve it."

She hit his chest. "You do. You're a menace!"

"And you," he whispered, "are a Huntress. You're a _warrior_ , a fighter. You're not afraid to face what comes, you're not afraid to do what you have to do. You're not some demure and quiet girl who won't speak her mind. You're more than that. Here, covered in the rigours of combat, enemies at our feet?" He laughed. "This feels more natural. This feels like you. My partner." He pushed a little closer, and Weiss only then realised how close they were. Her eyes fixed on his chest, heart beating wildly in her own.

Was he… did he…? She wasn't sure what she felt, only that her mind was swimming. The words, they shouldn't have pleased her. Saying she looked good when she was a mess was hardly a compliment! But… it kind of did mean it… for her. She looked up at him too, his roguish smile, the bruises on his face, his wild hair – not to mention the blood and grime that had practically ruined his expensive suit. She wanted to sigh and dab some of it off.

But she didn't feel surprised, nor did she feel put off. This was him. This was more him than a miserable man trapped on the other side of a posh dinner table, unable to read the things on the menu.

 _This_ was what she wanted. This was the man she wanted. Jaune Arc was a huntsman.

This was perfect… as crazy as that sounded.

A park, a rush of adrenaline, and terrorists knocked out around them. Jaune wasn't the perfect man, not in the terms she'd tried to force him into. He wouldn't take her out on dates, and if this one was any indication, then she didn't want him to. Their conversation, though, as little as it had been. It felt more natural. She felt more relaxed. This actually _was_ a better date than a restaurant.

"You're impossible," she complained, chuckling as she rested her forehead on his chest. "You are literally impossible."

"Me!? Take a look at yourself next time. I must have the most demanding partner in Beacon. I'm cursed. I must have pissed someone off in a past life. In all one thousand or more of them." He laughed, and the vibrations of it rocked through his chest and into her. Almost against her will, it made her laugh as well.

It also made her look up into his eyes. Her laughter died off. Most of her thoughts did as well. His cheek was smudged, a mix of dirt and blood, none of it his own. His hair was out of place and sticking up, and his collar button was open. On the last bit, he'd probably done that on purpose, the idiot.

She reached up to it. Her fingers started to tie it shut, but then paused. They spread along the collar, and then around his neck, past it, to link her hands together behind his head.

His laughter stopped as well, and he stared down into her eyes. She thought there should have been some poetry there, but she couldn't even think what colour they were. All she knew was that her heart hammered in her chest, her lips felt dry, and her stomach was tingling. She pushed up onto her tiptoes, then whined in her mind when it wasn't enough.

He came down the rest of the way on his own.

There were no fireworks. There was just her, him, the sweet smell of his sweat, and the feeling of his feverish lips on hers. It was more than enough. Her hands loosened and tangled themselves in his hair, while her toes curled in her boots. She felt his hands come to rest on the back of her waist, and she made an appreciative sound as he pulled her closer. It let her stop stretching, allowed him to support her so she didn't need to stay on the tips of her toes.

Something clenched inside her when his tongue brushed against her lips. She wasn't prepared for it, but she opened her mouth nonetheless, trusting him to know what he was doing. A moment later, she approved of the decision, as the heady sensations he sent through her body had her groaning into his mouth.

She didn't even care what he'd done to learn such skill, only that he used it on her. Her eyes were shut. She wanted to open them, to see and take in everything, but she couldn't. The feelings were too much. Her mind and body weren't her own, and didn't respond to her commands.

It was incredible.

It was unforgettable.

Someone coughed awkwardly.

Jaune made to pull away, but she wouldn't have it. She growled angrily, the hands in his hair gripping tighter. No. Not after she'd waited so long. Not after all the crap that had gone on tonight. This was hers, and no one was interrupting.

"E-Excuse me sir, ma'am? Can we have a few words?"

Weiss pulled back with a snarl. "What?" she snapped. "Can't you see we're busy!?"

The police officer flinched back, around about the same time she realised they were surrounded by uniformed men and women, some dragging the White Fang away. And… oh dear, the police were surrounded by passers-by as well, some taking pictures on their scrolls. Weiss buried her face into Jaune's chest, and whispered her thanks as he raised an arm to hide her face.

"C-Can we just have a statement?" the officer asked, as if he somehow didn't have the right to. "I'm sure we'll be able to let you go afterwards, but it's the law. I have to…"

Jaune was laughing. The absolute bastard! She stamped her foot on his, but that only made him laugh louder.

"It's not funny," she groused.

"It is," he said, unable to control himself. "I-It really is. This is the Weiss I know too. She yells at people who get in her way."

"T-Then maybe I should yell at you," she said, poking his chest. "If you weren't such an uncultured barbarian, you wouldn't have made a fool of yourself at el'Effrestro's. My God, I bet that waitress knew. What do you imagine she thinks of me now?"

"Wouldn't that be your fault for asking an uncultured barbarian out?"

She glared at him.

He laughed again. "Of course not. Sorry for thinking otherwise."

She huffed.

"Let's get this out of the way, Weiss. We'll give them their statement and then continue into Vale."

His words made her heart freeze. She looked up, eyes wide. "Not back to Beacon?"

Jaune smiled. "I don't know about you, but I'm pretty peckish after that fight. I know a decent place. It's not fantastic, but they won't freak out at seeing people roughed up like us. Maybe we could catch a movie afterwards…" he paused, "if you want, that is."

A fast-food joint no doubt, followed by a movie in a cramped cinema filled with other people. If her father heard, he'd be disgusted. Weiss smiled.

"I'd love to…"

"Um… sir? Ma'am?"

/-/

Jaune's legs ached, but it was a good pain. They'd walked for hours, it now being almost midnight and far later than he'd expected they'd come back to Beacon. Hell, at the restaurant, he'd had the sinking suspicion they'd be home before eight. The date had been… good, honestly.

Surprisingly good.

The restaurant notwithstanding, it had been comfortable and close, filled with in-jokes and conversation, some of it whining about Yang's snoring, others talking about Blake, and of course about themselves too. The awkwardness from before was forgotten, replaced with easy smiles and easier touches. Nothing overt. Their legs bumped beneath the table, her hand would touch his when she wanted to say something, or he'd feel her shoulder against his when he laughed.

He'd enjoyed every part of it. _Every part_.

And therein laid the danger.

"Thank you for this," Weiss said, as they arrived back outside their door. It felt strange, escorting a girl to her room, only to have it be his as well. That thought was dispelled by Weiss' wide smile, however. "I really appreciate this, Jaune. You have no idea how much it means to me."

"It's fine," he said. "I enjoyed myself."

That was the problem.

"Even the White Fang?" Weiss asked coyly.

"Especially them. They saved it in my mind. We should pay them back sometime."

"Oh, I intend to." Weiss looked at him, and they both quickly descended into giggles once more. He hoped they didn't wake anyone up. Once they'd gotten under control, Weiss stepped closer once more.

His nerves tingled as she reached out to take both his hands in hers. She had the softest skin, smooth and pale. A dark part of his mind wondered what her skin would taste like if he kissed it.

Again… problem and danger.

His eyes closed as she pressed her lips to his in a kiss once more. It was soft and sweet, and far too short. He found himself disappointed when she moved away before he could deepen it. She smiled, a beautiful and happy thing. "Thank you," she whispered, and then slipped into the room.

He let her go. Mostly, so that he could sigh and lean on the door.

Partly because he was smarter than her, and knew what would come to the first who entered. True to expectation, he heard Yang squeal and demand answers – followed by Weiss' panicked attempts to dissuade, and likely dislodge, the blonde.

Weiss and him…

It wasn't good.

He'd made it a habit of turning her down, and for good reason. It was too much heartache for him. It was a distraction. He wouldn't be able to give her what she wanted. He was too messed up. There were a hundred other reasons as well, but noticeably, none of them were that he didn't return her feelings.

He did love her. It was obvious, really.

His Mother and teammates might act like he was an idiot for not realising, but that wasn't the case. He'd known it was possible, since she was the girl he fell for her originally, and he was still the same guy on the inside. More than that, he was someone who loved all too easily. He fell in love hard and often.

And Weiss didn't exactly give him much room to manoeuvre. If she'd taken his rejection hard and backed off, he might have been able to resist. Instead, she pressed. His defences were weak to her enough as it was. She'd toppled those walls with ease. _I can't fall in love with her,_ he told himself, not for the first time. _It won't end well._

Problem was… he was starting to think he'd already fallen.

And that wasn't even the worst part. The White Fang… to her, it might be acceptable. They hated her, and both she and the team had caused them enough trouble to warrant an attack. He knew that wasn't the case, however. Ruby caused just as much trouble and she wasn't attacked. In fact, the White Fang were practically silent until the final attack. Their words had been telling too, although Weiss likely didn't catch onto it. `Get him` had been the exact words. Not `Get them`. They had been there for him.

It could mean only one thing...

Cinder knew. She knew he was acting against her, or at least suspected it. The White Fang wouldn't have been enough to stop him, not if he had aura like she no doubt assumed. This night had been a lucky break for him. Weiss had taken out one of the gunmen. Cinder was testing him. She wanted to see how he would react, because even if she suspected he was interfering, she likely didn't realise he knew she was allied to the White Fang. Why would he suspect it, when they were a terrorist faction who hated humans? To her, this was a no-risk scenario. It worked and he was removed, or it failed, and he was left none the wiser – but also potentially distracted by them.

 _I'm running out of time. Cinder won't sit still once she realises this failed. She'll make another move, and it could get worse. If I want to save them and make this life the one that counts, I need to stop Cinder and her plan now._

Jaune's eyes hardened. Cinder wanted war.

He'd give her one.

* * *

 **A very Weiss and Jaune centric chapter. There were several key things I needed this chapter for, many of which likely won't become too obvious until later. Writing the dinner scene was hard, mostly because I wanted to avoid French, since France and the language shouldn't actually exist in Remnant, and most menu foods have French in them.**

 **I tried to write it awkward too, in a weird meta way of accentuating the awkwardness. Not sure if it worked, or if I just made it awkward to read. Ah well.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 17** **th** **June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	43. Chapter 43

**On and on we go, approaching the end of the story. It's been a long ride and I've enjoyed it "most of the time". If I'm honest, this fic was one of the harder ones to write, likely because of its gargantuan word count early on.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Commissioned by Booya93)

 **Chapter 43 - Careless Words**

* * *

Weiss and Yang ended up against Flynt Coal and Neon Katt. It was a fight he'd seen a hundred times before, and he could recite how it would go verbatim. That was his excuse for not being there to watch it, not that Weiss or Yang would have accepted it. Luckily, he'd fed Blake a story about how his family had asked him to sit with them, which gave him a chance to slip away. As his partner and teammate fought for victory on the main stage, he walked confidently through the restricted section, in yet another uniform purloined from the lockers nearby.

 _I'd best make it up to them for missing their match,_ he thought. Even if he knew they'd win, it was the spirit of the thought that counted. His eyes glimpsed a screen as he walked past a group of workers, many of them having paused to watch it.

"Heh, look at them go," one said.

"Not sure why you're so excited. We'll only be cleaning up their mess afterwards."

"Live a little, man. If you can't appreciate them for what they do, you can at least do it for their bodies, right?"

"Dude, they're seventeen…"

"And I'm nineteen. Cut me some slack."

 _I'll cut something if you keep going with that._ Jaune scowled and looked up to the screen, his anger dwindling away when he saw Weiss nod to Yang, and the two cover one another as they approached their foes. Their teamwork was better than it ever had been before, and he'd made sure to give them what information he had about the two. They wouldn't be caught off guard by Flynt's Semblance, and that was his only real ace.

Tearing himself away from the monitor, Jaune made his way deeper into the complex. No one questioned his presence, and few could see his face past the cap he'd dragged down over his eyes. When he approached the server rooms once more, the man there spared him a brief glance but relaxed when he entered the key code without incident. Jaune nodded to him and stepped inside, letting the door swish shut behind.

"Good to see they didn't change the code," he said, putting his toolbox down on a nearby table. The room hadn't changed much since his last visit, though it looked like someone had cleaned the place for there wasn't as much dust. He pulled back the chair before one of the screens and sat down, entering the account he'd formed before.

Nothing popped up to stop him. It looked like his previous entry had gone unnoticed. To be fair, anyone in charge of security was probably looking for more malicious forms of tampering. Frankly, if Vale hadn't been able to notice and deal with the virus on the CCT, then he could have done just about anything. The tower was attacked for crying out loud, _and_ Cinder left huge chess pieces on all the screens. Who was in charge of Beacon's IT anyway, Port!?

 _With Atlas losing the right to handle the security, this only gets easier. Then again, this is the Amity systems, so maybe it would have been the same either way._ It didn't really matter. He entered the system and brought up the code, fingers typing in new lines and editing existing ones. It would have taken hours, maybe even days, to find what he was looking for. Luckily, he knew where to look – _exactly_ where to look.

"There you are…"

Well, it looked like Cinder had pre-empted him. She usually did. It wasn't like she expected anything to go wrong at this point. No one knew who she was, after all. She had no reason to doubt that, especially since those attacks on Weiss and he had been perpetrated by the White Fang, who had reason enough to hate the Schnee family.

No reason for that to come back to haunt her. It wasn't like she was dealing with a time travelling obsessive who remembered every little thing and knew exactly how out of place the attack was. Not at all…

"Bad luck, Cindy," Jaune said, entering the final line. He leaned back and smiled, saving the changes and uploading them once more. The servers blinked and hummed, but it went up without any problems.

Really, she should have known better than to attack someone like that. If you did, you had to make sure you dealt with them thoroughly, otherwise people had a habit of coming back to haunt you. He'd learned that the hard way. Maybe she would here.

Loud cheers came from above, filtering through the walls. It sounded like the fight was coming to its climax, and he'd best be there to congratulate the winners. Jaune stood and pushed the chair back, opening the door and slipping out with a small nod to the guard there. They didn't question him. Anyone who had the code had the right to be there, or so they thought.

It was only once he was in the staff changing rooms that he allowed himself to relax.

Another success, though only time would tell if it made a difference. He tossed the clothing into a locker, sealing it and entering some random numbers. It would take a few days for someone to break in, if they even felt it worth the effort. They'd just assume it someone who'd forgotten the code, and he doubted anyone would think to analyse the clothing, let alone test it. He ducked out of the room soon after, and then out of the restricted area entirely.

He had a team who needed him.

"You came back," Blake said, looking his way with a curious expression. She was sat beside Ruby, but stood and moved over to him. "Weiss and Yang won."

"I saw. That's why I came over."

"Figured you'd do your fatherly duties for a change?"

"Be nice," he teased, reaching up to rub her ears. Blake stepped away before he could, and almost tripped over a chair in her haste. He laughed, earning a glare from her. "Oh, calm down, sweet daughter. I won't pet you if it embarrasses you do. I came over because I knew Yang and Weiss would want me to celebrate with them."

"I didn't expect you to show at all."

"I told you, my family wanted to spend a little time with me. They came all this way for me. I don't want to neglect them." That was something he needed to address as well. With what was coming, it was easy to focus on Cinder and forget them. He didn't want to do that, however. They were his family. For now, there wasn't much he could do. "I'll probably be spending some time with them tomorrow as well. Yang and Weiss are through to the singles anyway."

That was a few days away yet, since they would only get through half of the doubles fights today. The other half would take place tomorrow. The singles had been split up too, though not by design. Yang's incident made Beacon postpone the fights.

And then, Beacon fell…

"Well, at least you're here now," Blake said. A disturbance interrupted her, and they looked over to see Weiss and Yang barrelling towards them. Yang barrelled, that was. Weiss walked behind her at a more sedate pace. "Here it comes," Blake sighed.

"We won!" Yang yelled, clearing the last few feet with a mighty jump. To her credit, Blake tried to escape, but to Yang's credit, she didn't have a chance. She gasped as Yang's arms wrapped around her, crushing the faunus. "Did you _see_ that!? We were awesome!"

"We saw," Jaune said, relieved to see Blake had taken the brunt of it. He caught her eye and saw the pleading in it, her begging him to help pry Yang off her. "Blake was so pleased. She said she wanted to give you a big hug for it."

"She did?" Yang asked, looking down at the betrayed girl. "Aw, Blake~ That's so sweet!" He didn't think Yang believed him for a second, but she knew how to join in on a joke, and quickly smothered Blake's face into her bosom. "My partner has finally shown her love. I'll never let her go!"

Blake's arms flailed angrily.

"This is your fault, isn't it?" Weiss asked as she arrived. Her face held a frown, but it was weak. There was a crack behind it, not to mention how her eyes sparkled with a mix of adrenaline and hard-won elation. "I shouldn't be surprised. You always cause problems like this."

He grinned and crossed his arms. "I saw your fight," he said. "You were in control from start to finish. Good work."

"We were, weren't we?" Weiss' smile broke through. She gave up the attempt at hiding it entirely, shaking on the spot. "It was a hard fight. Even with what you were able to find out, that man's Semblance was tricky." She looked at him from the corner of one eye. "We tried out best, however."

Jaune had to hide his own amusement. The way she stood not to mention her not-so-subtle gaze. Weiss always acted the mature and serene one, but sometimes she showed a little bit of Ruby deep inside. Right now, the look on her face said she was fishing for praise, but didn't want to admit that. Well, it was his duty as her team leader, was it not?

"You were fantastic," he said, delighting in the beautiful smile that blossomed. "Your strategy was sound. I knew putting you in control would work."

"Well, it's as you say, I suppose…" Weiss' cheeks darkened, but it was more from being the honest praise than anything else. She probably got a lot of fake kudos from people trying to get into her good books. "It wouldn't have been possible without Yang, however. I only came up with the plan. It was she who made it work."

The old Weiss would have taken her victory as a personal one. To him, the fact she continued to say `we` instead of `I`, was the real victory. It also showed how much she'd grown. "You were both incredible," he praised. "Well done, Weiss."

He opened his arms with a smile.

Weiss dithered for a second, and looked around to see if anyone was watching, but quickly leaned in to hug him when the coast was clear. He didn't miss how her hands settled around his waist, or how she breathed deeply of him. He wouldn't comment on it. There was no need to complicate things here. After their date, things had become easier, happier. Nothing was official, nor would it ever be, but it seemed to have taken a weight off her shoulders. For that alone he was happy to have helped.

"Are we about to have a re-enactment of your date?" Yang asked.

Weiss practically threw herself out of his arms. Her cheeks were red, but she still managed to snarl and manage a passable impression of anger. "Must you always be so frustrating, Yang? Is it hardwired into your genetics?"

Yang nodded, "You know, I think it might be… huh, well, I guess that means you can't blame me for it then. It's not my fault, Yang. Blame my parents! My real ones that is," she added, looking to both of them suggestively. "I've not yet received the mail about you two trying to adopt me."

"Oh my, it must have gotten lost," he said. "Where did you put it again, Weiss?"

"The shredder," Weiss snapped. "Where it belongs…"

"Ouch," Yang winced. "You know, I could have been pretty offended there, since I was abandoned by my first mother and all."

"Are you offended?"

"Well, no…"

"Then don't bring it up," Weiss snapped, slapping Yang around the back of the head. "Are you trying to panic me?"

"Ow, ow, child abuse!"

"This isn't child abuse. This is discipline!"

Jaune rolled his eyes at the familiar fight, trusting Blake would break it up once she'd recovered her breath. He looked to the arena instead, where the roulette wheel was spinning for the next combatants. It was a familiar presence, and one his team didn't need to pay attention to since they were already through to the next round.

The first wheel stopped, and Emerald and Mercury's faces flashed up on the large display screens on each wall of the arena. They stood from their seats, making their way out of the arena and down to the changing rooms. Cinder remained behind, feet propped up on the chair in front of her. She fiddled with her scroll, a faintly amused smile on her face.

Good for her.

The second wheel slowed. It spun for a while, the rapid pace becoming an inching crawl, and then a slow tick. It came to land on Coco and Yatsu's team, and Cinder's smile grew. The wheel came to a slow stop.

And then ticked one last time…

The crowd cheered, others whooped – and Penny and Ciel's faces appeared on the big screen, signalling their inclusion in the match. Jaune clapped along with the crowd, his face set in a perfectly neutral smile.

Cinder's was not. She was on her feet, hands on the back of the seat in front of her, eyes locked onto the screen. She recovered quickly, sitting down, but her eyes roved left and right.

He looked away before she could bring them to him. Penny Polendina, the perfect counter to little miss illusion. Or hypnosis, he'd never found out which it was. Either way, he doubted it would have much of an effect on a robot. Penny didn't have a brain, nor eyes, at least in the human sense of the term. Whatever Emerald's Semblance worked on, he doubted very much that it would be receptors and diodes.

 _Let's see how your little minions work their way out of this one,_ he thought, and laughed under his breath. If they lost, they were out of the tournament – and thus wouldn't be able to ruin Yang's day. If they won, then it would only be after a brutal fight, one he doubted Penny would lose without some kind of reveal as to her nature. That would save Pyrrha killing her on stage, and Cinder being able to use that to stir up hatred against Atlas.

Two potential outcomes, both of which would be a win for him. That was how he liked to take his bets. Right now, it was time to slip away before Cinder thought to pin the blame on him. He doubted he could hide his smug smile.

"Ladies, ladies…" Jaune slipped between Yang and Weiss, sliding an arm around the latter's waist. "You've just won your fight. You've just proven that Team Jazzberry isn't a team to be taken lightly. This isn't a time for arguing. It's a time for celebration."

Yang hummed, not at all concerned with Blake's hands under her shoulders, holding her back. "Celebration, huh? I could get behind that. What do you have in mind?"

"Nothing fancy. How about we all grab a bite to eat at one of the stalls? If we go now, they won't be busy. We'll have it all to ourselves."

Weiss and Yang paused to think about it, but agreed after a few moments. He led them away, hand still wrapped around Weiss' waist, heedless of the head she laid on the side of his chest. All he could think about was the look on Cinder's face, and how much he hoped Emerald and Mercury got their heads torn off.

They deserved nothing less.

/-/

It was toward the evening when Jaune slipped away from his team. They'd stopped for lunch after their fight, then met up with RRNN once the matches were all over. He'd even had a chance to spend a little time with his family, which equal parts fun and embarrassing, mostly because Sable had definitely welched on his date with Weiss. His mother's face had been nothing short of smug.

Now, with the sun set and them back in Beacon, things had calmed down. The crowds of spectators went back to Vale, Amity a floating ghost town but for those who worked there. In Beacon, things were sleepier even still, the students exhausted both physically and mentally.

He was too, even if he hadn't fought. It was from the plans and schemes that rolled around in his mind. Things had changed, as they had a tendency to, and he needed to adapt.

Mercury and Emerald lost their fight.

His eyes lit up, a wide smirk coming out as he basked in the pleasure of that fact. They were out of the tournament, done. It wouldn't make a huge difference since victory in it had never been a prerequisite for Cinder's plan, but it changed some things. Had to, really. Mercury wouldn't be able to cause Yang grief via the use of his legs and the illusions from Emerald. It was a small win, and one that might not mean anything in the long run, but if it meant that Yang wouldn't beat herself up and cry, then it was a victory he'd have taken each and every time.

It also meant he didn't need to expose Mercury's legs, which had been his fall-back plan had they won. That was lucky since he wasn't sure how to achieve it other than going for the old tripping excuse and dragging the bastard's pants down. Well, that or _accidentally_ causing something heavy to fall on and crush his prosthetics. Both were so obvious Cinder would have likely roasted him on the spot. Skipping the need for it was a lucky break.

 _On the other hand, Penny is still in the competition, and that puts her at risk of going up against Pyrrha still. Should I do something to prevent that?_

His heart said yes, but his mind said no. Penny was a great girl, and she _was_ a girl, no matter her internal systems. The thing was… Cinder needed _some_ grief and rage to motivate the people, and there were any number of places she could get it. If he took Penny out of the equation, then what was to say she wouldn't have Emerald use an illusion that would force Pyrrha to kill someone else?

What if it was Weiss that Pyrrha carved into ten or more pieces?

Well, without Penny's wires, that wouldn't happen – but Emerald would change her illusions to suit. It might be that she could convince Pyrrha to hit a little too hard, a little too high, and maybe take out an eye, or kill Weiss altogether.

Penny didn't deserve what happened to her… but she was the best suited to taking it. He felt horrible for thinking it, but she _was_ a robot. She could be rebuilt, remade. Other people couldn't.

 _Either way, I've put a spanner in Cinder's plan, but that's all. She'll find a way to fix this. She always does._

If he could throw enough spanners though…? Could he clog the machine her plan was if he gave it too many problems for her to fix? If she was constantly busy making adjustments, would that be enough to force her to delay – or even postpone – her plan?

He didn't think so… but it was the only idea he had. Killing her would change nothing. He'd done that before. Adam would step in, or someone else. Everything was already in position. For better or worse, and mostly worse, this was going to happen. He just needed to try and limit the damage. If that was possible.

It was that which he was doing now, as he picked his way out of the campus and into the gardens. His quarry sat ahead, on a low-laying wall looking out at the sunset. She often did, although for the longest time that had been a backdrop to their spars atop the school. It took him a long time to realise Pyrrha loved watching the sun come down.

Heh… it took him a long time to realise Pyrrha loved his doofus ass too. In a past life anyway. Here, things were different.

"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, confusion in her voice as he walked over and took a seat on the same wall as her. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to watch the sun set. It's been a long day. You?"

"The same." She chuckled and looked back to it. "I didn't realise you enjoyed it. I used to watch this back in Mistral. It's different here, the view," she added. "It's nice."

He hummed an agreement, watching his old friend from the corner of one eye. Pyrrha wore a small smile, hands in her lap as she sat with knees together and tilted to one side. He knew that posture. It was her relaxed, if a little nervous, one. His eyes narrowed. Shouldn't she be more upset?

"Why did you come out to watch it?" he asked. "Is something bothering you?"

"Hm? No. Why?"

No? Ah, she didn't trust him. That made sense, he supposed, even if it hurt a little. He had to remind himself that in this life, their relationship wasn't close at all. "I just figured you might have been here to get away from your team," he explained. "I thought something might be bothering you. Wondered if I could help."

Pyrrha stared at him for a moment, and then turned away to giggle into one hand. "Is this the fabled Jaune Arc concern I keep hearing so much about? I'm flattered!"

"Fabled what?"

Pyrrha laughed. "Ruby always used to tell me how deep underneath that rude and uncaring exterior, there's someone who can't stop caring about other people hiding. She said she could see it whenever you looked at her, and that it reminded her of her sister." She looked away, back to the sunset. "I didn't believe it at first, but it's hard to argue with how you and your team act. I was proven wrong. I was happy to be." She glanced back to him. "I didn't ever expect it to be aimed at me, however. That's why I was so amused."

"Ruby talks about me?"

"Quite often, yes. I'd have been afraid she had a crush on you if it wasn't for how much she hopes you and Weiss get together."

"That sounds like her, sheesh." Jaune rolled his eyes. It also sounded like his team to go around telling everyone about how he was with them in private. Nothing was sacred in Beacon. Nothing at all. "Why would you be so surprised I'd show concern to you though?"

Pyrrha shifted awkwardly. "It's not like we're particularly close, is it?"

Jaune's smile fell. "I guess not."

"I didn't mean it like that. I don't… well, I _used_ to have a low opinion of you. That was only because of how you always acted. It felt like you didn't care about your team, and you put so little effort into befriending Ruby. She had to do everything."

"I didn't want her friendship at first."

"I could tell," Pyrrha said. "It… it made me angry." She sighed, looking away and gripping at the fabric of her skirt. "I came to Beacon hoping against all hope that I'd be able to make real friends, and then I saw someone who seemed determined to do the exact opposite. That would have been fine, but for the fact people were trying to befriend you. I guess I felt jealous. Why did this person get so many people wanting to be his friend when he wasn't even trying? Why was it that I had to work as hard as I could for the same?"

"Ruby wouldn't ever leave you," he said.

"I know. Or rather, I know that now. I was still afraid at the time. I guess I thought you were a threat, or that you'd take her away. I learned what friendship was, and that my team were my friends." She sighed. "I also learned how many mistakes I made based on first impressions. You weren't as bad as I thought, nor was Weiss. It… I'm ashamed of how quickly I judged people."

It was just like her to be so contrite, and to feel so bad about it. No one was harder on Pyrrha than herself, probably the reason she'd achieved so much. Another thing he'd gotten used to helping her fix. With a little laugh, he nudged his arm against hers. "I don't think there's anything wrong with that, Pyrrha. First impressions exist for a reason and everyone judges others based on them. For someone like you, who didn't have many real friends before, you'd have even more reason to."

Pyrrha stared at him. "How did you know I've never had friends? I only told you I came here hoping to make some…"

Whoops. Jaune shrugged. "I guess I figured it out from what you said."

"You do that a lot," she said.

"What, analyse things?"

"No. You know things before others do." She eyed him curiously. "I'm not sure what it is, but it often feels like you know everyone's darkest secrets. You have this… aura around you, not like normal aura. It's more like you feel akin to an old friend… one I've not seen for a long time."

His eyes widened. Did she… was she remembering his past lives? No, that was foolish.

"It's not a bad thing," she said. "I think it's what makes Ren and Nora so relaxed around you, and Ruby too. You don't feel like a stranger. You treat us as though we've always been there. There's never any doubt you accept us, even if there is doubt as to whether you consider us friends."

"I consider you a friend, Pyrrha."

Her lips twisted up a little. "Thank you," she whispered. "I think I feel the same."

Jaune felt a little comfort of his own at that. It wasn't what they normally had, but knowing she didn't dislike him anymore filled his heart with joy nonetheless. He couldn't blame her for it. Her reasons made sense. For someone who'd tried so hard to win real friends, seeing him lackadaisically throw his way must have hurt.

Now that he had her trust, however, he could move onto the real reason for all of this. _I'm sorry Pyrrha. I didn't come here just to watch the sunset._

"When I came by earlier, it did look like something was bothering you," he said. He kept his voice even, calming. This was a delicate topic and he didn't want to frighten her away. "Has something happened recently?"

"No. Not at all. I'm fine."

The usual denials. No one with a problem wanted to burden others, least of all Pyrrha. "Whenever something is bothering me, I usually don't want to tell people," he said. "It's my problem, not theirs. My team and my family showed me how silly that is though. Sometimes other people can help, even if it's hard to talk to them."

"I suppose so…" Pyrrha looked to him. "Is there something wrong with you?" she asked. "I'll listen as well if something is wrong, Jaune. I promise I won't tell Weiss or Ruby if that's what you're worried about."

Not quite what he meant. Jaune smothered his irritation. Couldn't she grasp his meaning already? He was surprised she was faking her emotions so well. Normally, the maiden business left her shaken to her very core. Was this the invincible girl façade? She normally didn't bother with it around him.

Maybe he needed a less subtle approach.

"I was talking with Weiss the other day about memories," he said. "That's why she asked me out on that date, because she was afraid of looking back on this and not having any memories of it. I felt the same, I guess." He tried not to look at her. "What do you think life would be like if you might end up losing all of those?"

"Losing your memories?" Pyrrha sounded surprised and a little confused.

That was all.

No pain. No anger. No grief.

"I think it would be terrible," she said. "I'd hate to lose the memories I've made with my team. I've come to treasure them."

"I guess so." Jaune's brow furrowed. Why wasn't she showing any reaction to that? It was her biggest fear, the thing which held her back. His heart beat a little faster in his chest. This was important. He needed to head off her fear of the maiden, her hesitation. It was something he did every lifetime, just to help his first friend, the one woman who'd given him the chance to be the man he was today, as opposed to a smear on the Emerald Forest's floor.

A leaf fell down from a tree between them, quickly blown away.

"Autumn is coming," he said, watching her. "Or fall. Whichever season you prefer to call it. Do you like fall?"

"Huh? I suppose." Pyrrha tilted her head. "I've never really thought about it. I like it because it's cooler than summer, but also warmer than winter." She laughed. "That makes me sound really high maintenance."

"Don't worry. I'm partnered with Weiss."

Pyrrha looked shocked for a second, then descended into a fit of giggles. "I won't tell her you said that!"

"Meh, she knows it." He waited for her to calm down, swallowing as he prepared to go for the kill. This was getting out of hand. There was a fear starting to gnaw away inside of him. "You like the autumn then," he said. "I guess that makes you a bit of a fall maiden."

Pyrrha blinked and turned to look him in the eye.

"A fall maiden?" she asked. "I've never heard someone call it that before."

/-/

"Typical of Jaune to abandon us again, eh?" Yang asked, tossing a pillow her way.

Weiss caught it with a huff, rolling her eyes at the childishness, before putting it down on the edge of her bed. Yang could come collect it if she wanted it. "I doubt that going for a walk counts as abandonment, Yang. He probably just wanted to escape your insufferable attitude."

" _My_ attitude?" Yang asked, sitting up. "That's rich coming from the girl who practically glowed every time a compliment came her way. What's wrong, Weiss? Did Jaune's words send a little flutter through your heart?"

Weiss couldn't be blamed for the pillow that slammed into Yang's face. Anyone would have done it.

Blake sighed. "Please don't start another fight. I don't have Jaune here to calm you both down, so I'd rather you not bother."

"Meh, spoilsport," Yang said, but did refrain from retaliating. "Why does he need a late night walk anyway? Don't tell me this is another booty call."

"Yang!" Blake hissed.

Weiss didn't miss how the faunus' eyes flicked in her direction. She sighed. "It's fine. I'm not upset. He isn't beholden to me and we're not together, even if we did go on one date. If he wanted to do something like that, it would be arrogant of me to try and stop him."

"I doubt he's doing that anyway," Blake said, still glaring at her partner. "Jaune hasn't slept with anyone for weeks. Trust me."

"You'd know?" Yang teased. "Nah, but seriously Weiss-cream, Blake is right. I wouldn't have joked about it if I thought it was possible. I've kept my ears open for rumours, but all I've got is that some people have been disappointed for a while that the Jaune of Arc is off the menu." She grinned. "Or a certain part of him at least."

"I didn't need the added information, Yang." Weiss sighed. "Thank you nonetheless. I suppose it's just me taking things personally."

"Can't say I blame you, girl." Yang stood and moved over to her bed, sitting down next to Weiss. She didn't put an arm around her shoulder, but she let their arms touch. A subtle, appreciated gesture of support. "If I liked someone as much as you liked him, I'd be upset too. Still, he hasn't been with anyone for ages. I'm not even sure when he stopped, but he hasn't so much as looked at a piece of tail in weeks."

"It was since the dance," Blake said. "He stopped after that."

Weiss' breathing stilled. After he rejected her? She looked toward the door, but he obviously wasn't there. She wasn't sure if she believed her own mind. Had he really stopped sleeping around because of her?

"That's ridiculous. You're suggesting he's done all of that so as to not hurt my feelings?"

"It's possible," Blake said. "I can't think of any other answer."

"Not unless he suddenly got bored of sex." Yang added. "Like, instantly. He didn't even react to that Fall girl, and she was practically throwing herself at him. If I were in his shoes, even I'd have tapped that."

"If you were in his shoes, I'd poison myself," Weiss said automatically, earning a laugh. "Either way, it doesn't prove anything. It just wouldn't make sense for him to go that far for me. He turned me down. It's not like that means he can't ever love someone else. Who would go that far?"

"Jaune," Blake answered.

"Jaune," Yang agreed. "Come on Weiss, we both know he's not exactly the most reasonable of guys. You can't apply the normal rules to him. Inconsistent is his middle name."

Blake nodded. "Yang is right. If you think back on how he used to act and how he does now, there have been all sorts of changes. He's practically a different person."

Weiss couldn't find it in herself to disagree. He wasn't different, at least not in terms of the person he was, but the way he acted certainly changed. When they'd first met, he'd been lazy and unmotivated, a person who had no interest in running the team he'd been selected to lead. That had changed. "People change," Weiss said. "When I look back on how I was at the start of the year, I can't help but be appalled at the person I see."

"Myself as well," Blake sighed.

"Eh, I was perfect." Yang copped one of Blake's pillows this time.

"Jaune's changes were a little more dramatic, though," Blake said, ignoring her partner's cries. "Haven't you noticed all the little inconsistencies? His ability to fight is a clear example."

Yang snorted. "You mean how he went from weak and ineffectual to Mr I can clear a train of terrorists in ten minutes? While off my head on drugs?"

"That was hardly the first time," Blake argued. "Don't tell me you've forgotten those `I tripped` moments early on?"

Weiss hadn't, and the reminder made her roll her eyes. The first time in initiation, she might have believed it. She was still too shocked, and also appalled at who her partner was. The second time, however, after Cardin launched his locker into the forest? "He was definitely able to fight off the Grimm around his locker," she said. "I don't care what he said, there were clear signs of combat."

"You didn't question him at the time," Yang pointed out.

"I'd been afraid my partner was killed," she countered. "Excuse me for not initiating an interrogation. Besides, did you think he would answer any questions?" Weiss raised an eyebrow, but smirked when Yang shrugged. "Precisely... Either way, it's not like we're not aware there's some hidden aspect to his past. While his claims of never having trained to be a huntsman might be true, he's never directly said he wasn't trained to fight."

"He knows how to fight in a way most people don't," Blake said. "When a huntsman fights, there's always a certain aspect to it. Long sweeping cuts, heavy blows, increased momentum… our attacks are designed to take down Grimm, to cut through large amounts of muscle and bone. Jaune fights in a different way. He fights to take down _people_."

Weiss didn't reply, but she felt Yang cringe next to her. "Geez, Blake. Do you have to make it sound so bad?"

Blake shrugged.

Weiss sighed. "He's filled with inconsistencies," she said. "He told us he wasn't trained to fight, but he's honestly better than most of the other students. All he lacks is conditioning. He told us he didn't want to become a huntsman, but he's here in Beacon. He told us he doesn't know anything about the White Fang, but he clearly despises them."

"He told you he didn't love you," Yang interrupted, "but he clearly does."

Weiss' heart clenched. "Yang…"

"I'm serious here. Hear me out." She silenced Weiss with a finger to her lips. "I'm not saying he's in love with you, or that he's about to whisk you off your feet. I'm saying he loves you. There's something stopping him, which is why he said no, but as for his old ways of sleeping around? Yeah, they're gone now. Gone because he knows you'd be upset, and he cares enough to not want that. Now, it _could_ be that he's just a great guy and a girl's best friend, but that rings a little hollow." Yang smirked. "I mean, it would be _nice_ , but who would expect someone to go that far? Harsh or not, it's _your_ fault for falling for him. He shouldn't have to change the way he lives his life because of that."

"I know," Weiss said, "That's what I'm trying to sa-"

"But he chose to anyway," Yang talked over her. "He chose to because to him, it's more important than you're happy, then it is for him to get some. People are selfish, Weiss. They don't sacrifice something unless they think it's worth it. Some people sacrifice their lives for those they love. As for Jaune, he's willing to sacrifice the way he lives his life for you." She cocked her head to the side. "I don't think that's any less meaningful. Do you?"

She wasn't sure. She couldn't find the right answer. Weiss bit her lip and looked away. "Maybe," she whispered. "I don't know. It doesn't matter either way. How did we even get here?"

"We were talking about his inconsistency," Blake said, "Well, that and how many women he used to sleep with."

"And how he never asked us," Yang realised, suddenly offended.

"No," Blake sighed. "We weren't talking about that at all."

"Don't you think it's odd though?"

"Yang… your ego is showing."

"Yeah, but was my body not? I mean come on, I'm not trying to be arrogant here, but I'm _not_ someone to just be looked over."

Weiss sighed and reached for the pillow Yang threw at her earlier. She stuffed it into the taller girl's face and turned to Blake. "Ignoring this idiot for a moment, are you saying there's something deeper to all of this?"

"There almost has to be. I think it's a bit much to claim all of this is a coincidence by now. The docks, his ability to fight, the way he refused to be a part of the team, how that changed, his reluctance to properly fight in class…" Blake shrugged. "The nightmares, the over-sleeping, the malnutrition…"

"Zwei is a service dog," Yang said, pulling the cushion away. She looked at corgi, asleep on Jaune's bed. "Uncle Qrow got him for Dad because of his depression, but they also work for huntsmen who have seen bad things they can't forget."

"PTSD?" Weiss asked. "You're suggesting Jaune has PTSD?"

"I'm not suggesting it. I'm just raising the point."

Weiss shook her head, "And I'm not disputing it. Is that even possible though? I was under the impression it was something soldiers went through, those or huntsmen who have experienced terrible things."

"It's not that simple," Blake said. "We had a few people in the White Fang who showed signs of it, and I personally met children who were orphaned who might have had it too. It's hard to diagnose. As for who gets it, you need to remember that it's a subjective thing." She shrugged. "A soldier who lost his squad might get it, or might not. Someone who loses their home to debt and has to live on the streets might get it as well. While you can say the soldier's been through worse, it doesn't matter. It's all in the individual's mind."

"Trauma is trauma," Yang agreed. "Some people go through worse than others, but people still get it. I guess it's the same with stress. Dad always said it was ironic when Ruby or I talked about stress when we had homework, like we even knew what the word meant. It was stressful to _us_ though. I mean, looking back on it, it really wasn't, but we felt stressed at the time."

"Exactly. It's the nature of people to say `someone's had it harder than you`, but that doesn't change what the person who has it feels or experiences." Blake looked toward Weiss. "All that's required is a situation the person feels is traumatic. The worst part is that what counts as that depends on the person. Someone who's lived an easy life can feel that losing their money is trauma. We can say it isn't, but it doesn't matter. They can still suffer."

Weiss wasn't an idiot. She got the message. It was just that she didn't want to believe it. She'd never met someone with PTSD, but she knew about it in the same way most people did, from rumour and hearsay. It always sounded bad. "But we've no idea if anything did happen in Jaune's past," Weiss argued. "We could be jumping to conclusions here."

"We know he hates the White Fang," Yang pointed out. "We know he hates them almost as much as you do, maybe even more. We also know _you_ lost family members and friends to them. Do you think he'd be that angry if he lost anything less?"

No… she didn't. It would explain how he treat them too, both the White Fang and their team. He fought with reckless abandon against the terrorists, with no concern for their lives. On the reverse, he treated the three of them like they were made of glass.

Like they might shatter and break at any moment.

Weiss' good spirits fell. They'd guessed at depression before, but this felt more accurate. They were similar in places, and one probably came along with the other, but his night terrors seemed too aggressive. His behaviour felt too self-destructive.

"At least it's over now," she said.

"I'm not sure it is."

Weiss' heart fell. She turned to Blake, along with Yang. "What do you mean?" Yang asked. Her tone was ice cold.

"I don't think his history with the White Fang is as over as we think." Blake sighed and crossed her legs, sitting atop her sheets. "You saw how he acted with them before. Don't forget what we discovered in Ozpin's office. He went out to investigate their warehouses."

"Yeah, because you asked him…"

"Then why go without me?" Blake asked.

They had no answer.

"It's easy to think he did all of those things to protect one us," she continued. "The docks might have been to protect me, the train to protect himself, last night to protect Weiss. You're focusing on those things and forgetting others though. What about Mountain Glenn?"

"What about it?" Weiss asked. "He was under the influence of drugs. Even if we assume his past made him more aggressive, it wasn't like he was there by choice."

"Actually, he was. He was there entirely by his own choice." Blake didn't wait for them to argue, and instead pushed on. "Don't you remember that both he and I were missing when you woke up? I followed him, but that was only because he left the camp in the middle of the night to try and find them. We never did figure out why."

Weiss struggled to hide her shock. Blake was right. They'd forgotten in the drama, all the fear and worry for their teammate as he suffered from Torchwick's brutal treatment. She didn't think Yang's Uncle had even remembered to ask him about it. There'd been too much going on. His actions were suspicious though. There was no denying that.

"Blake has a point," Yang whispered. "It definitely feels like there's unresolved business there."

"There's more." Blake's words drew all eyes to her. "I didn't know how to say it but this is as good a time as any. Earlier, your fight..." She sighed. "Jaune didn't watch it."

Weiss stood up. "What!?"

"He didn't watch the fight. He wasn't in the stands."

"He had to be," she said. "He quoted details of the fight. He literally ran through the moves we used."

"Weiss is right," Yang said. "He gave a pretty detailed rundown of it when we were eating lunch at that stall."

Blake shook her head. "I know what he did, but he wasn't there."

"He said he was with his family…"

"He lied! He wasn't with them." Blake took a deep breath and let it go. "I thought something was up when he said he would be. I decided to follow him. I guess I could say I was worried the White Fang would do something, but that would be a lie. Something about it just felt wrong."

"And what did you find?" Weiss asked.

"He didn't go and watch the fight with his family. He went that way initially, but that was only to throw me off. He changed directions and went into the stands. Not into the spectator areas," she added when Yang opened her mouth. "He went into the restricted areas. He went under the stands; inside them."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

Yang was incredulous. "You didn't follow him!?"

"I couldn't! He went in, but then went into the men's changing area. If I'd followed he'd have seen me, and I heard people coming so I couldn't wait outside. I couldn't risk being caught, so I had to leave." She waved a hand. "I went back to Team Rubine. It was all I could do."

Weiss sighed. Great, just what she needed – more confusion. Couldn't her partner be easy to understand for once in his life?

"Why would he go in there?" Yang asked. "What reason would there be?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Blake, I wouldn't ask if it were. Stop beating around the bush and tell me."

"Where did we encounter the White Fang?"

Yang blinked. It didn't take her long to catch on. "Crap."

"That's one way of putting it. We chased that White Fang member into that area, and were ambushed by a few others. If Jaune really _is_ still involved with them, and now has reason to believe they're hiding on Amity Colosseum…"

"Then he would go after them," Yang finished for her partner. "The fact they attacked him and Weiss only makes it worse." Yang looked her way and winced. "He's probably on the warpath. What if he's in trouble?"

"He isn't," Weiss said, interrupting the conversation.

"Weiss?"

"This was hours ago, Yang. He's fine, which means whatever happened, he wasn't hurt." Her head rose, however, eyes hard. "We'll just need to keep an eye on him moving onwards. We can't let him go off on his own like this, not when we know there's a chance the White Fang are active."

"Should we tell the teachers?"

"They already know," Blake said. She shrugged. "We left those ones tied up, Jaune and Weiss were attacked, and Ozpin is in charge of Vale's security. There's no way they don't know."

Yang relaxed. "True… I guess we just need to keep an eye on Jaune. That and make sure we're nearby if the shit hits the fan." She looked at each of them. "Whatever's going on, the White Fang are involved, and Jaune knows it. He isn't going to let them get away with it. Whatever his past is, his beef with them… it's going to force his hand."

"We'll stand beside him," Blake said.

"He won't let us."

"Then we do it anyway! If he won't tell us where he's going or what he's doing, we'll find the fight ourselves." Blame slammed a hand down on her bed. "Jaune isn't a one man army, even if he acts like it. We saw from Torchwick that he can be captured, he can be hurt. What if he's killed next time?"

Weiss' heart froze.

"This is dangerous, Yang!"

"I know!" Yang snapped back. "We'll do what we can, I promise. We'll keep an eye on him. Now that the doubles are over, we can have two people with him at all times. Hell, we'll bring Sun in again too. He can watch Jaune in areas we can't."

"You're right." Blake deflated. "I'm just worried. You don't know the White Fang like I do, Yang. They wouldn't spare a thought to killing him, not after what he- what we've done - to their operations."

Weiss agreed.

She knew what the White Fang were capable of.

She'd seen family, business partners and loved ones be torn away. Executed.

Would she be made to watch as that happened to Jaune too? Could she do anything to stop it? Yang and Blake's plan was good, but Jaune would never stop on his quest. She could just tell. If they ever faced enemies beyond them, beyond him, then he would be killed. Her hands tightened into fists in her lap. The White Fang; it was always them. They took her family away, took her father away – changed him – and now they wanted to do the same to the man she loved?

No. She wouldn't allow it. She'd been too young before, but she wasn't now. She was stronger, older, and able to make her own decisions. If Jaune wanted to risk his life to protect them, then he'd best be prepared for them to risk their lives in turn. But what if there was a way she could do it on her own? What if there was a way to protect not only Jaune, but her team as well?

Protect them all...

Weiss moved away from Yang, toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Blake asked.

"Out," Weiss said, pausing at the door. "There's something I need to do."

/-/

Their talk continued for another thirty minutes or so, about random topics, anything to take his mind off her last words. Pyrrha excused herself with a smile and a thank you for his company before the clock struck eight. He'd let her go, taking the time to sit in the garden along with his thoughts. His hands rested between his knees as he sat on a low wall.

Pyrrha hadn't been afraid.

She hadn't been upset. He was no master of human emotion, he knew that, but if there was one person he understood more than any other, then it was the girl – the woman – who had been his partner more times than any other. She'd been the first woman he kissed, the first woman he dated, the first woman he'd made love to. In all the repeats and all the attempts, no one had been his partner, his rock, more than her.

And he knew how her mind worked. The pain over the maiden, the fear and the uncertainty, it always ate away at her. Always. After so long living a life where no one looked at her as anything other than the face of a celebrity, she'd fallen in love with their team. Some might have called it an obsession, but there were worse things to be obsessed with.

Pyrrha never took the news of the maiden well.

He'd become adept at seeing that, and at offering her whatever comfort he could. Jaune sighed. He liked to think he'd become good at it, to the point where he was normally able to cut off the tears before they ever appeared. He knew what to say, what to do…

What to look for.

None of the signs were there. Possibilities swam through his mind, but none made sense. Had his absence from the team made her more blasé about the possibility of losing herself? No, that was madness. Pyrrha loved Ruby. Maybe not in the same way she'd loved him, but as a close friend and almost a sister nonetheless. She also loved Ren and Nora, and wouldn't ever give them up. There was no way Pyrrha would have acted any different to losing Team RRNN than she did to losing Team JNPR.

Had Ruby granted Pyrrha more confidence, or perhaps noticed and dealt with the problem already? Despite her age, Ruby could be frighteningly perceptive at times, and he doubted there was anyone who could remain miserable in her presence. Ruby wouldn't allow it. She was stubborn enough to not take `no` for an answer, and innocent enough that you just couldn't bring yourself to scream at her to leave you alone.

It didn't feel right, however. Pyrrha would have still shown some signs of sorrow, or even recollection. He'd taken to using terms and words that would have made her suspicious if she knew anything of the maiden, or at least they should have caught her off-guard, made her stumble. She hadn't. She'd been perfectly calm, if faintly bemused at his sudden concern for her.

Jaune knew Pyrrha. He knew her inside and out.

He knew she wasn't lying to him.

It was just that the consequences of what that meant were too difficult to accept. It couldn't be possible. It just couldn't. Time after time, it was her. It was _always_ her, and with good reason. This was about the time it happened. Ozpin couldn't afford to wait any longer. He _must_ have chosen by now. He should have approached Pyrrha by now.

Why was Pyrrha not reacting as she always had before? Why had Pyrrha not been selected as the recipient of the Fall Maiden's powers?

A pit opened up in Jaune's stomach.

/-/

Weiss' feet felt heavy as she approached her destination. Her entire body did. It felt as though her stomach, her heart, every organ inside of her, was tied to ten tonne weights. Her mouth was dry. Her mind buzzed with thoughts of fear. She wanted to step back and run, to hide away.

But she couldn't. She was a huntress. She was a warrior.

A fighter…

The figured waited patiently for her, perhaps understanding her hesitation. That or they simply knew that pushing her would be the wrong choice. Weiss struggled to meet their eyes. She couldn't breathe. She was afraid.

" _The Weiss I know isn't some pampered princess in a perfect dress. She's strong and independent."_

She would be strong. She had to be strong. Taking a deep breath, Weiss stepped forward, her heels echoing across the floor. The room was silent but for her approach, and she took what strength she could in keeping it even and measured.

"Miss Schnee," General Ironwood greeted. He stood to the left of a desk, Miss Goodwitch on the other side. In the middle, the headmaster sat. "Thank you for coming Miss Schnee," Ironwood continued. "I know this can't have been easy for you."

" _You're not some demure and quiet girl who won't speak her mind."_

"It wasn't," Weiss said, looking him in the eye. She allowed her gaze to shift to Miss Goodwitch too, the older woman being the one to look away. Finally, she looked to the headmaster. He was calm, but there was a hint of something behind those eyes. Pity, perhaps… or was that sorrow? "It wasn't easy," she repeated. "I'm here though."

The headmaster spoke, "I take it that your presence here means you have come to a decision, Miss Schnee. Is that correct?"

Weiss' hands curled into fists. Her heart beat faster, and she dreamed to imagine that sweat ran down her brow. The fear was natural, she told herself. There was nothing wrong with it. She took a deep breath, and thought of Jaune.

" _The Weiss I know doesn't always look her best. This feels more natural. This feels like you. My partner…"_

Her body relaxed. That was who she was. That was who she would always be. Weiss looked to the people before her and nodded. "It is." she said. "I've made my decision."

"And what," Ozpin asked, hands steepled before his face, "is your decision?

Weiss closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Jaune's face flashed in her mind

" _You're not afraid to face what comes, you're not afraid to do what you have to do."_

It would let her keep him safe.

* * *

 **So, a chapter out. I hope you enjoyed it. I'm sure some saw the ending of this one coming, but I'd like to say that while there are many theories as to why it's Weiss, and some saying they don't make sense, etc, please reserve any final judgment until the reasons are revealed. I've seen some good arguments for and against, but none that take into account all the facts.**

 **On another note, and as a bit of a disclaimer, I am aware that PTSD is a very serious and trying thing. I know it's not something to be taken lightly. With Jaune's past, we can all see why he might have it, but as for the girl's conversation, their points were not incorrect either. While we can all agree that a veteran has more reason to have PTSD than say a normal person going through a tough point in their life, the simple fact is that the human mind doesn't always work that way. It's how kids can get depression, even though "objectively" there are people with far worse lives out there. It's that old "someone else has it worse" and yeah, that's true, but it won't stop whatever you're going through being the worst in YOUR life, and it's your life and your depiction of trauma which determines whether you suffer from PTSD, depression, or any other mental illness.**

 **I'm putting this here because the last time I used the depression word, I got a lot of hate from people who said I don't understand, etc, etc… and I'm a monster, etc, etc… The truth of the matter is I too have had depression, and been on medication for it, and also that depression hits a LOT of people in their lives. It's not nearly as rare as some people like to pretend – and it disappoints me when people try to wear it like some kind of badge, like it makes them special or unique.**

 **Again, I did my research. I read about it, I have a psychology A-level anyway (college grade equivalent for the US out there), and I also watched some documentaries on it. It can happen to anyone who goes through a shocking and traumatic moment in their life, from veterans, to traffic accident victims, to those who have been taken advantage of, or even someone who has lost a close friend – which is what his team believe happened to Jaune, likely in a White Fang attack that was brutally orchestrated.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 24th June**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	44. Chapter 44

**College Fool is busy this week, as discussed before. As such, this chapter is all me with any mistakes being as such. I'll thank people for the patience in waiting to see the "reasons" why Weiss, and not judging too soon.**

 **This chapter was almost hit by disaster. I had it saved and stored on a PC at work, and the entire building – and the street nearby – were hit by a power-cut after some builders broke a wire doing some repairs on pipes in the area. I stayed at work FOUR hours after closing, just to wait for it to come back on so I could get this.**

 **The whole thing was very nearly delayed until Monday but for my belligerence. It might mean I had less time to write as a result, sadly. I lost most of Friday night, after all. Ugh. Damn repair crews…**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Commissioned by Booya93)

 **Chapter 44 – Cards on the Table**

* * *

The elevator beeped as it reached its destination, the door opening with a silent swish. Ozpin and Glynda stepped out, their feet echoing in unison. Ozpin reached out one hand, clicking his fingers together to activate the lights to his office. Their faces were bowed, shoulders slumped, but there was also a sense of relief to their posture.

"Do you think she will be okay?" Glynda asked. "The procedure… it seemed to go without incident."

"It was a success, Glynda. All that is left now is to monitor Miss Schnee and see how she adapts."

"Do you expect side effects?"

"At this point, I'm not sure what to expect," Ozpin said. "This is new technology after all. James wasn't able to test this on people. He wasn't willing to take that risk."

"With good reason, Ozpin…"

"I know. It was not a criticism." He sighed. "Miss Schnee is alive and well. For now, all we can do is return her to her team and hope for the best. This must be done quickly, however. I'm already surprised her absence hasn't aroused suspic-"

Ozpin froze. His hand shot out, cutting the woman beside him off before she could take another step. His eyes, narrowed and hard, were focused on his desk, and the chair sat behind it.

"Ozpin…?" Glynda asked.

Ozpin ignored her. His eyes remained focused on the chair as it turned, slowly revealing the sole occupant. Glynda gasped, reaching for her weapon, but he levelled a hand over hers before she could. This was not a moment for rash decisions.

"Did I interrupt your conversation?" Jaune Arc asked. He sat in the chair, and leaned forward to rest his elbows on Ozpin's desk. "I do apologise. Please continue."

His face was cold, calculated… furious.

"Mr Arc," Ozpin said. "I must admit, I did not expect to see you here. Were you looking for me, perhaps? I do apologise. I was out of my office and failed to leave a note."

"Where is my partner, Ozpin?"

"Jaune Arc!" Glynda roared, unhappy with being ignored. She took a step forward, pushing past Ozpin's hand. "I would have an explanation for why you are here, young man. You cannot break into the headmaster's office, nor make demands of him."

Jaune's eyes didn't leave Ozpin's. "Where," he repeated, "is my partner?"

"Miss Schnee is recovering in the infirmary," he said. "She had a minor incident, but looks fit to make a full recovery. I was about to send a message to your scrolls explaining what had happened."

"Oh? And would you care to explain what happened?"

"As I said, it was a small accident."

"How clumsy of her," Jaune whispered. "Did she trip? Maybe she fell into the basement as well. Perhaps she slipped into a strange machine that played games with her soul. Is this ringing any bells, Ozpin?"

Ozpin's eyes widened.

Glynda moved.

She crossed the distance between them and Jaune in an instant, intent on apprehending the student who knew too much. While she would not kill, interrogation was not beyond expectation, and her weapon was already half-drawn before she arrived.

Jaune's was fully drawn, and tickled the underside of her chin. Ozpin's lips tightened, and he realised the boy had kept it hidden beneath the desk, already unsheathed and ready for combat. Somehow, that didn't surprise him. Those dark blue eyes were like pools of black now, and his arms didn't waver. There was no doubt, no hesitation, not a single shred of mercy.

In that moment, Ozpin knew full well he would kill Glynda if she pushed forward. Whether he _could_ would be another matter, but as for the intent? It was there in full.

"There is no need for this," Ozpin said, taking a step forward but making sure to not make any aggressive motions. "Glynda, please sheathe your weapon. There will be no violence in my office."

Her eyes flashed. "But headmaster. He knows-"

"That is not a suggestion. Sheathe your weapon and step back."

Glynda looked like she would do nothing of the sort, and for a moment he feared blood might yet be shed. She looked down into Mr Arc's eyes, however. Whatever she saw there, it confirmed what he too believed. She grunted and stepped back, slamming her crop back into its holster. "There," she said, eyes fixed on her student. "You may relax now, Mr Arc."

"Funny," he said. "I don't think I can. Where is my partner? Where is Weiss?"

"Mr-"

"Now Glynda," Ozpin said. "You can't ask a huntsman to put away their weapon when they are surrounded by enemies."

"We are his teachers!" she hissed. "We are not enemies!"

"Right now, he believes we are." Ozpin stepped forward, making sure his hands were both empty and visible. He pulled out a seat and sat down, opposite his own chair at his own desk. The Arc family blade remained atop the woodwork, but didn't seem likely to strike him anytime soon. He looked the student in the eye, and then turned to Glynda. "I believe your work is done for the night, Glynda. Why don't you get some rest? There will be work enough for all of us tomorrow."

"What!? Ozpin, you must be joking."

"Glynda…" He made sure to meet her eyes, stressing her name for emphasis. The stern woman stared back, defiant and proud. She clenched her teeth and looked to Jaune, and then looked back to him. It took a few moments, but eventually she growled and spun on the spot. Her heels clicked angrily on the tiles as she stormed off to the elevator.

He had a feeling he'd pay for that later…

"There," Ozpin said, smiling at Jaune. "We have some privacy now, which is what I believe you wished. I'll mention again, Miss Schnee is fine and safe. She is recovering in the infirmary as we speak."

"You don't know that she's fine," the boy, no, the man, said. "You won't know until she wakes up, and even then you won't know until time proves it. There's a good chance she might never wake up or that when she does she will no longer be Weiss Schnee." Jaune's eyes narrowed. "But then, you knew that, didn't you?"

Well, it seemed lying was out of the question. "I was aware of the risk, yes."

A hand slammed down on the table. "That was a rhetorical question, you… you _fuck_!" Jaune Arc stood, eyes blazing. He practically spat his words. Any and all trace of the calm, collected and sarcastic man he knew were gone. "I know that you know, even as I know you wouldn't give a damn so long as it serves your purposes!" Both his fists crashed down on the desk. "Damn you," he howled. "What were you thinking!?"

"Of the protection of the people of Vale and Beacon," Ozpin said. "I'd explain why… but I have a feeling you already know. Isn't that right, Jaune?"

"You don't seem surprised." Jaune snarled and sat down. "You are though. You just hide it well."

"And you hide this side of you well, too," Ozpin complimented. "Had someone told when you joined Beacon how furious you could be, how dangerous you might appear, then I might have called them a fool." He leaned forward. "You are angry, Mr Arc. I can understand this…"

"Oh, you can?" Jaune laughed, leaning back in his chair. "Oh, that's great. I'm angry and you can understand, well fan-flipping-tastic. I guess all my problems are solved now." The laughter cut off as quickly as it had come. "I'm beyond angry, Ozpin," Jaune hissed. "This is not my angry face. This is my murder face. I am two seconds away from not being responsible for my actions."

"It's a face that has seen use," Ozpin remarked politely. "I can tell. I wonder if it's the face you wore when you murdered Roman?" Ozpin's eyes widened when he caught the honest surprise on the young man's face. "You didn't know? Ah, I suppose that actually was an accident then. Forgive me. Even you can be susceptible to drugs, I suppose."

"Huh. So I did kill him. I guess that explains things."

Ozpin didn't fail to notice how Jaune wasn't at all bothered by the revelation. He seemed more surprised than shocked, but only in the way one might be if they suddenly realised they'd put three spoons of sugar in their coffee instead of two.

Jaune Arc was dangerous. But then again, he'd known that for a while, hadn't he?

"I'll admit that I didn't expect you to know about the maiden," Ozpin admitted. "I apologise for my deceit earlier. Consider it a polite attempt not to frighten you. I can assure you that Miss Schnee chose this of her own accord. She accepted the offer I made. I did not deceive her as to the risks."

"Of course she did. She's always been like that… too willing to sacrifice." He growled under his breath. "Why, though? What was she thinking?"

"If I may, I believe she was thinking that she wished to protect you and your team."

Jaune looked horrified. He shook his head as though to deny it, but stopped himself. He knew as much as anyone how far his partner would have gone for him. It was the kind of dedication they encouraged in their students. Admittedly, even he had never thought it might go so far, or that such terrible means might be necessary in the first place.

Life made a fool of all of them.

"Damn her," Jaune whispered. "I can't… no, I _can_ believe she'd do it and that's the problem. Why on her own though? Why couldn't she talk to us - to me?" The young man's eyes sharpened, locking back onto him. "It doesn't matter. I want to know why Weiss, why her."

"She was the best candidate."

"You're lying."

Ozpin hesitated. "How so?"

"Pyrrha was the best candidate. She's the obvious choice. If you think I'll fall for that ridiculous story, you've got another thing coming." Jaune's eyes hardened. "Don't play games with me, Ozpin. I am _not_ in the mood."

The two of them stared at one another, an odd air in the room. With him on the wrong side of the desk, and potentially on the wrong end of the student's ire, it was an unusual experience. Ozpin couldn't say he liked it, but he wasn't willing to make matters worse. "Miss Nikos would have been the first choice," he admitted. "She was also the one that… a colleague of mine suggested."

"Ironwood," Jaune waved a hand. "He chose Pyrrha. I know."

"You certainly know some interesting things, Mr Arc. Yes, General Ironwood was all for Miss Nikos, as was I at first." Ozpin tested the words in his mind, wondering how they would be taken. Jaune gave nothing away. His eyes were not those of a young and innocent student who would be cowed or convinced easily. In the end, he just went with it. "Our choice changed, however. Miss Schnee was chosen instead."

"That doesn't make sense. Pyrrha is the strongest, she's a championship fighter. Why would you choose Weiss?" Jaune shook his head. "It doesn't make sense. You're lying."

"Why would I lie?"

"Why would you choose Weiss over Pyrrha?"

"That isn't information for you, Mr Arc," he warned.

"The hell it isn't!" Jaune yelled. "Tell me."

"Or you'll do what?"

Jaune allowed his sword to clink against the table.

Ozpin was not intimidated.

"You are a powerful young man, Mr Arc. Of that there can be no doubt." He allowed a little of his aura to show. "I, however, am beyond you. Do not make the mistake of thinking otherwise." His hands crackled with energy, the force of which could have eradicated the office if he so chose. He expected Jaune to back down. He expected him to become angry.

He did not expect him to smile.

"Then you'll have to kill me," he said. "I won't stop until I'm dead or you are. I wonder what Weiss would think of that? I wonder how much loyalty she would have to you after she finds out you killed the man she loves. I wonder what she would do with all this newfound power of hers." Jaune Arc leaned forward, eyes blazing. "Shall we find out?"

Ah, a threat. Now they were in more familiar territory. Ozpin allowed himself to smile, relaxing. Like it or not, the young man had a fair point – and killing him would defeat the purpose he could serve anyway. "Well said, Mr Arc. Well said. Tell me then, if you are to hold this over my head. What is it you truly wish to know?"

"I want to know why you chose Weiss to be the Fall Maiden."

"Not what the Fall Maiden is, or why someone needed to be chosen, or why we were the ones to do so in the first place?"

Jaune glared at him.

So, he already knew? Interesting. Disturbing too, but for some reason he didn't believe the man before him capable of harming the new maiden. "Very well," Ozpin said. "I shall explain." He laid his arms on the table, smiling genially. "On first appearances, Miss Nikos is indeed the better candidate for the maiden. She is individually strong and skilled, with a Semblance that lends itself well to a combat role. On the other hand, Miss Schnee was a risk of her own. The Schnee family have made it no secret of how much they desire power and influence, and granting that to someone of unknown loyalties was always a danger. Jacques Schnee would love for his daughter to have such a power, I'm sure. He would use it for the betterment of his family first, Atlas second, and then his allies third. Somewhere far down the list, the innocent might feature. On first appearances, you would be correct. Miss Nikos is the best choice. Do you know what changed?"

Jaune didn't respond to the bait, or to Ozpin's question. As the seconds ticked by in silence, Ozpin realised he wouldn't speak at all. He was too angry for it. Ozpin coughed into his hand and continued.

"Individual strength can falter. The last maiden was strong, stronger than Miss Nikos is now, and she also knew how to use her power to great effect. That didn't stop her from being defeated, and we expect that the same people who did that have come for her again. I doubt they will be any weaker. As strong as she is, Miss Nikos would not be able to hold up to them if Amber could not already. Individual strength is worthless here."

"And Weiss would be different?"

"Not alone, no." he admitted. "If the previous maiden couldn't fight alone, then I wouldn't expect any new candidate to do the same. Her teamwork, your teamwork, might give her the edge she needs, should it ever come to defending herself."

"It will come to it, Ozpin. You know it will. Still, that's not everything. It's not like Pyrrha doesn't fight well with her team. You're hiding something."

"Am I?" he asked. "I'm not sure why you're so keen on Miss Nikos being the Maiden, Mr Arc. The only thing holding Miss- holding Weiss back was her name. We feared her loyalty might be called into question or that she might act in the best interests of the SDC and not Vale. You have had an effect on her, however. I don't believe any could question her resolve now. I certainly don't. You and your team have been a powerful influence on her. She would do anything to protect you all."

"Which makes her easy to manipulate, huh?"

"I did not say that."

"You don't have to." Jaune scowled at him. "Even if it's for the right reasons, it doesn't change what you're doing to her. Treat me like a fool again and I'll be out the door. Weiss will come with me."

"I apologise if I offended you," Ozpin said quickly. "You think rather poorly of me, I see. I'll do my best to be more forthright. While Team RRNN has an admirable record when it comes to teamwork, they are not quite as tested as yours. You have fought against the White Fang on numerous occasions, and even defeated Torchwick. You are best suited to fighting enemies who are not mindless Grimm. Surely even you can see that in terms of tactical ability, versatility and flexibility, your team is better suited to this task than your Miss Nikos' is?" There was no argument there, and Ozpin found himself nodding to the man opposite him. "In truth, _you_ were also one of the reasons we chose her, Mr Arc."

Jaune's hands tightened into fists.

"While your skills may have been in question once, they're not now," Ozpin went on. "The way you approach problems is different, your mind sharper than any other student's. I believe that if anyone were to have designs on her life, you would do everything in your power – and everything beyond – to stop them."

Such attributes were rare, and although his method for achieving them was a mystery to him, and a concern to Glynda, there could be no faulting their effects. The body could be strengthened, but it was difficult to hone a mind so sharp. Once again, he wondered just what had forged a young man into such a ruthless individual.

"You have a willingness to kill if necessary, which it might very much be in her defence." Ozpin went on. "Compare that to Miss Rose, who I cannot see making such a difficult decision even if it were to save her partner's life." Ozpin smiled. "You, however, are different. You have the potential to be something more, to defend her from harm. With you by her side, Weiss Schnee could become a maiden more than capable of exceeding."

Ozpin flinched as the desk cracked. He hadn't realised, but Jaune's hands had moved to the edge, and there was now a thin crack running through the wood. "Are you done?" he snarled. "Do you think I don't see what you're doing? You don't need to manipulate me into protecting her. I intended to do that from the start." He took a deep breath. "I'll make one thing clear though, Ozpin. My loyalty is to Weiss. It is not to you. It is not to Ironwood. It is not to whatever petty schemes you have going on. I'll look after her for as long as I can, but it will _not_ be so that she can become your weapon. Am I understood?"

"Of course..." Ozpin waved the issue away. "I meant no offence, nor to suggest you might abandon Miss Schnee in her hour of need. I was only sharing my point that you are also an aspect we considered when it came to whom we might select."

"I don't believe that," Jaune said. "At least, I don't believe that's the full reason. Even if I'd been on a different team, it wouldn't matter. You always- you would always choose Pyrrha. Something changed. Something is different… it's made you change your mind."

"Mr Arc, I can assure you that-"

"Ruby…"

It was whispered softly, yet it cut through Ozpin's words like a hot knife through butter.

Well, well, well… yet another surprise. Curious how Ozpin found himself… unsurprised.

"It's Ruby, isn't it?" Jaune said. "You wanted her in Beacon two years early. That's already a ridiculous decision, but I always assumed it was just a whim. That's not the case though, is it? You wanted her for what she has, and then when she ended up on the same team as Pyrrha…" His eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't put all your eggs in one basket. The maiden powers and Ruby's eyes… it's too much power concentrated in one place. You couldn't risk both of those things if something happened to the team. You had to spread them out. You had to put it on a different team." Jaune stood up. "Weiss wasn't your first choice at all. She was second best, but you didn't dare risk going with your first choice."

Ozpin released a long breath. He remained seated, even though he wished to do anything but. "Impressive," he said, holding back a sigh. "Very impressive… I suppose this is just another example of what I mean when I said you would be a good protector for Miss Schnee. You see things where others do not. You read into things people take for granted. I did not fully lie, however. Even beyond that point, I would remind you that Miss Nikos and Rose recently fought against a suspect in the CCT Tower. They suspect escaped after defeating them in combat."

That couldn't go ignored… especially if it was the same person who had attacked Amber. From the description he received from the two girls, it was similar enough that he didn't dare take the risk. If she had already bested Miss Nikos once, she could do so again. Worse, she had revealed her Semblance to the enemy. Her greatest asset had been spent.

"Your team, on the other hand, remain an unknown. Your accomplishments speak for themselves, and whether or not she is weaker as an individual, I do not believe Team RRNN could defeat the four of you in combat." Ozpin smiled. "Not if you were serious about it. I dare say you would be the deciding factor… intelligent and cunning strategy often prevails over raw ability."

"I only rely on that because I'm not strong enough to do anything else."

"The previous Fall Maiden was strong, Mr Arc. Now, she is dead." Ozpin said. He released a long, sad sigh. Another mistake. Another regret. "She was defeated not through ability, but by an ambush, a planned attack. Forgive me if I have come to the conclusion that strength is not enough. I must fight fire with fire."

"Well, you're certainly playing with it now, so I guess you're on the right track. Give me one good reason I should help you."

"Weiss Schnee."

Jaune scowled. "Give me two…"

"I don't need to." Ozpin rose from his seat, walking past the young man and to the windows overlooking Beacon. He didn't fear an attack from behind. He didn't think Jaune capable of such. "I won't threaten your partner, Mr Arc. No, allow me to call you Jaune. I would never go that far. Whatever you think of me, trust that I have the best interests of the majority in mind. I understand that is never a comfort to the minority…"

"My team is not another Mountain Glenn waiting to happen. I won't let it be."

"And I won't make that mistake again. I've made so many in my life already. More than you can imagine."

Jaune Arc laughed. "Somehow, I think I've made more."

There was a certainty in his voice that Ozpin found he was unable to call into question. He didn't try to, pushing on instead. "You're not a fool, Jaune. I believe you're more than aware that the people who went after Amber's life will do the same for your partner. While you are here in Beacon, you will have everything I am capable of providing to assist you in defending her. I will do all I can to keep her safe. Do you believe me on this?"

"I believe you," he growled. "That doesn't mean I agree with you. It doesn't mean I'm on your side."

"No. I suppose it does not." Ozpin sighed and adjusted his glasses. "Either way, what is done is done. Miss Schnee is now the fall maiden, albeit she only has half of the power. The procedure was a success, but as you've already said, we won't know until she wakes up what the side effects might be." Ozpin looked for Jaune's reflection in the glass. "You know an awful lot more than you should, Jaune. Since we are both being candid with one another, would you care to tell me how?"

He snorted. "Would you believe me if I said I know the future?"

"No," Ozpin said, a little disappointed. Well, he supposed he couldn't expect any trust after what he'd done. "I would, however, believe you if it were to do with a certain White Fang traitor providing information for us."

"I'm sure I've no idea what you mean."

"I'm sure you don't," Ozpin said with a little chuckle. "I suppose I should thank Silver for what he did, should I ever meet him. He saved many lives."

Jaune rolled his eyes. "I'll be sure to pass it on if I ever meet him."

"Could you also warn him that my good friend, James, has shown a personal interest in capturing him? I wouldn't want him to succeed."

"Whatever." Jaune shrugged. "Your _good friend_ is pretty much useless anyway. He won't find him."

Quite the callous denouncement. Was there something more there that even he didn't know? It seemed the young man was involved with more than he'd expected. The safest option would have been to get rid of him, expel and remove him from Beacon.

It wasn't possible, however. As Jaune well knew, Weiss Schnee would not allow it. She would follow him, and thus walk out the door, holding the maiden's powers to ransom.

Jaune Arc was untouchable.

And he knew it.

"I think we're done here," Jaune said, standing up. The chair fell over, and he didn't bother to pick it up. "I'm going to go see to my partner. I'm going to sit by her side and make sure she isn't harmed. By you, or by the people who did this."

"I am not your enemy, Jaune. I hope you will come to see this."

The young man snorted. He sheathed his sword with a click, keeping his narrowed eyes on Ozpin's as he moved toward the elevator. As the door opened, he paused. "If she wakes up and isn't the same person she was this morning, then I'll be _your_ enemy."

The door began to close.

"And believe me, Ozpin. You do not want that."

/-/

He was angry.

It seemed an understatement but it was all he could think. Thoughts swirled in his mind as he desperately tried to understand why, how or what he was supposed to do. Nothing would stick, however. All that did was his rage. At Ozpin, at Weiss, at himself. A part of him wondered if he was lucky. Confronting Ozpin head on hadn't just been a bad idea, it had been foolish in the extreme. At the end of the day though, his first point was correct. Ozpin needed him. He couldn't do anything to him out of fear of what Weiss' reaction would be. He couldn't even remove him from Beacon temporarily.

Weiss would want to know why. The new Fall Maiden would follow him.

Weiss… Weiss was the new Fall Maiden. It felt like a fist striking his gut. How had he not read the signs? Weiss' desperation for the date made sense now, a painful amount of sense. She'd met with Ozpin and learned of the risks, and no doubt wanted a memory to hold onto.

Or to not have any regrets if she died…

No! Jaune shook his head, taking deep breaths. He couldn't think like that. Not here. Not now. He had to think of how he was going to help. What he was going to do. Weiss had been chosen as the maiden… she'd gone and accepted it long in advance of when Pyrrha might have as well, which was par for the course with his frustrating partner. That she hadn't told him was expected. She always did things on her own. She was headstrong and brave.

He wasn't sure whether he hated Ozpin or himself more. Ozpin, the bastard, had been the one to do this, but he always did. This was necessary lest they wanted Cinder to just walk in and kill Amber. This had to happen and it always did. What didn't always happen was Pyrrha being passed over as the maiden. In fact, it had _never_ happened.

And that was where he came into fault.

 _Even ignoring the fact that I should have been aware of the possibility, I was the one who pushed Weiss into it. She accepted this because she wanted to look after me and the others._ He growled under his breath and ran a hand down his face. _I was too focused on believing things would go the way they always do. That things would be the same._

Just because they had been every other time before.

It was easy to fall into that trap, but in his defence, there had _never_ been a case where Pyrrha wasn't the maiden. Other than those times where Beacon fell before the festival ever happened, in which case it didn't matter anyway.

The line of thought was pointless. He was distracting himself from what lay ahead, what lay in the infirmary he now stood outside of. Weiss was inside.

But would she be Weiss anymore?

He clenched his eyes shut and entered.

Tsune looked up from the bed she stood behind, "Oh, Jaune? I wondered whether you would arrive. Your teammates were asking after you."

Weiss was on the bed. She was unconscious. Peaceful. His rage and anger fled in an instant, replaced instead with a sense of worry and grief. He only had eyes for her, and it took a few seconds of him checking her for injuries before he even recognised he'd been addressed. "They were here?" he asked.

"They received a message from the headmaster saying your partner had been hurt. They arrived quickly, but I sent them off once I'd done an initial check." The faunus tapped Weiss' forehead. "She will be fine. Her aura was low. Almost… disturbed. I've managed to calm it and give her some boosters to help it recover."

Jaune nodded, watching the doctor with a wary eye. Tsune didn't seem to know the truth, which made sense from Ozpin's point of view. After a few seconds, he nodded, willing to accept that she was innocent in this. "Thank you, Tsune. I appreciate it." He glanced to the door. "I'll be staying here with her."

"I don't have any spare beds."

There were several empty ones nearby, but he couldn't be bothered to challenge her. "I only need a chair. I'll be staying awake."

The two stared at one another.

Tsune sighed. "I can't be bothered to argue with you. I know full well how that will go." She waved a hand. "Fine. Do what you will. If you disturb any of my patients, however, then I'll tie you to my bed… and we will pointedly _not_ be joined at the hip." She narrowed her eyes. "You will be filled with needles."

"I won't cause a scene," he said, drawing a chair up to Weiss' bed and sitting down.

Tsune watched him for a few moments, but eventually sighed and shook her head. She left them with a huff, though not before warning him to let his team know. "I don't need them breaking down my door asking where _you_ are."

"I'll tell them. I promise."

She nodded and left, leaving him alone with his injured partner. Jaune stood from his seat, padding over to her side. His hand fell onto the metal bar around the bed, before it reached up to gently brush some white hair from her forehead.

Weiss didn't stir.

She was vulnerable like this. Very vulnerable. If Cinder found out what happened, she'd come and kill Weiss herself. He had to stay for that very reason, stay and protect her. He'd considered telling Ozpin about Cinder in their meeting. He could have passed it off as Silver's knowledge. In the end, he'd decided against it.

And it wasn't just because he was angry enough to want Ozpin dead.

Cinder wasn't necessary for the attack on Beacon to happen, but he knew what would take place if she was still in charge. If she wasn't, then things could go in any direction. Worse, and far more likely, she would smell Ozpin's attack coming and flee. Without the Paladins here, it would only be students and teachers she would need to break her way past, and break out she would. It would cause untold death and destruction, and wouldn't even stop her.

She would still come back for Weiss. She would still orchestrate the fall of Beacon, but he would have no idea where she was. He would never be able to find or stop her if she skulked away into the shadows.

It was better Cinder remained here. In the open. Where he could watch her…

His eyes fell back to Weiss. "You're such an idiot," he whispered. "Why would you be willing to risk your life like this? I'm the only one who should. It doesn't matter if I live or die. You… it would matter."

She couldn't answer, even if he'd known what it would be. Weiss' face would contort in anger, her lips drawing thin. `What is that supposed to mean` she would growl, and then poke him in the chest angrily until he explained. She wouldn't accept it, wouldn't believe it. She certainly wouldn't put up with it.

Jaune's chest ached. His forehead came down to rest on the cool metal. "Please be you when you wake up," he begged. "Please. I can't… I won't accept it being someone else."

This was uncharted territory.

He had no idea if she would survive this, or if she would still be herself if she did. With a mind filled with doubt and fear, Jaune sat down and drew Crocea Mors. He leaned back, placing one foot on the door so that he would awake if it opened.

If Cinder Fall came, he would be ready.

In the end… Ozpin had won, hadn't he? He'd secured his Knight. The Maiden would have her protector.

Damn Ozpin.

Damn Weiss.

Damn himself…

/-/

She awoke to pain.

It slammed into her mind the moment consciousness was regained, and her groan was cut off by an immediate gasp as it washed over her. Blue eyes snapped open, and then winced against bright light that glared down on her. She moved one hand over them, and the sudden change from light to shadow also sent pain rocketing through her skull.

Nausea pooled in her stomach too. She wanted to be sick.

But she also recalled what had happened. The basement, the machine, the comatose woman, the lightning, the pain, the aura – the power. Her teeth clenched together, a sharp whine escaping her. Whatever she'd imagined, this pain was ten times worse.

 _Focus,_ she told herself. _I need to focus. Who am I? I'm… I'm Weiss._ The answer was immediate, obvious.

She didn't think she'd ever felt so relieved.

 _That's right. I'm Weiss. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the SDC. I have a father, a mother, a brother and a sister. I'm in Beacon, and Winter is here as well. I… I accepted Ozpin's offer. I have the maiden's powers._ _I'm… about to throw up._

Her eyes sought for a bucket, or anything she could use. There was nothing in sight, but once she started to retch, she realised there was nothing inside her either. The vomit never came, both a blessing and a curse. There was no mess, but she also still felt terrible.

That stopped as her eyes fell on the figure beside her bed.

She wasn't even surprised, even if she _was_ secretly a little pleased. He was asleep, one foot on the door, leaning on her bed, his sword in his lap. He must have stayed for her. Weiss felt a warm sensation pool in her stomach. A smile spread across her face.

How typical of… of…

The smile fell.

Fear replaced it. A name. Why couldn't she remember a name? Her eyes widened, chest rising and falling as she hyperventilated. No, no, no. This wasn't possible. She knew him. She loved him. She was certain! His name. She had to have his name. She couldn't forget his name. He'd done things for her. He'd nearly died for her…

Hadn't he?

Who was he anyway?

Was he someone important?

Weiss' eyes were opened as wide as they could. They ached, almost bloodshot as she bit down on her lip, drawing blood. Both hands came up to grip her head, fingers and nails digging deep into her scalp. A scream almost escaped her, but she was breathing too hard to put anything into it. This couldn't be happening.

She had to… she _had_ to. Nothing would make sense if she couldn't. All of this would have been for nothing. He was her partner, he was important. This was all for him. Name, name, name, name, name-

Her mouth snapped open. "JAUNE!"

The desperate scream woke him.

His sword came up, aimed towards the door – but it bounced off the woodwork there, surprising him. He fell back, his hips banging against the bed, and it was that which seemed to remind him where he was. Wide eyes turned to her. "Weiss?"

Her arms wrapped around his waist. "Jaune," she whispered. "It's you. Jaune!" She tested the word, forced it into her mind.

Remembered it.

Yes, he was Jaune. Her partner, the man she loved. She couldn't believe that for a moment she'd almost forgotten. The transfer… it hadn't been as safe as they'd hoped. It was every fear confirmed. She'd almost forgotten him, because to the last Fall Maiden, he was nothing but a stranger. _Not to me,_ she hissed. _He's not a stranger to me. Get out of my mind. You're not welcome here!_

It took her a second to realise she'd wrapped herself around Jaune's waist, or that she had her face pressed into the small of his back.

"Weiss?"

Uh-oh. How was she supposed to explain this?

"I… uh…"

Fortunately, he saved her the effort. He broke out of her hold, his sword going down at the side of the bed as his hands cupped hers. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Weiss, are you alright?"

Oh, thank god. He'd saved her the need to come up with an excuse. Weiss smiled, fighting past the nausea she felt. "I'm- I'm fine." She noticed his less than believing expression. "I'm sick," she amended, "I feel bad because of a headache and nausea. I'm okay though."

"Do you…" he hesitated. His expression tightened. "Do you remember why you're here?"

Remember. What a curiously terrifying word. Her breath caught for a moment but he didn't, couldn't, know the truth. This was too dangerous for that. "I remember," she said carefully. "You went out for a walk and left us three in our room."

His eyes relaxed. It looked as though a weight had been removed from his shoulders. "That's right," he said. "We won the fight in the tournament."

"We?" she teased, earning a smile from him. "I won the fight. Yang deigned to help."

"Of course. I'll be sure to tell her that." His smile slipped away. "What happened after? What caused this, Weiss?"

"It was an accident."

His lips tightened. "What kind of accident?"

"A training accident," she lied. "I went to Winter to try and train in my family's Semblance. I've never had good control over it, and I wore myself out." She refused to meet his eyes. "I guess I passed out from the strain. My aura must have been low."

"Tsune said your aura was disturbed…"

"That would explain it."

"Would it?"

She swallowed and look up at him. "What do you mean with that? It's what happened. Don't you believe me?"

The door slammed open before he could reply. Yang stormed in. Blake was close behind her. It both relieved and upset her that she remembered their names so easily where she'd nearly forgotten Jaune's. What else would have changed? She'd need to keep an eye out.

"What happened?" Yang growled. "We got a text from Ozpin last night saying you were hurt, then another from Jaune saying he was going to keep an eye on you."

"Both were low on detail," Blake added, sending a less-than-impressed look toward their leader.

"It wasn't his fault," Weiss defended. "He only just found out himself. I was training with my sister on my Semblance. I lost control and… well, this was the result. I'll be fine."

"Your Semblance?" Yang looked like she wanted to ask more, but didn't. She shook her head instead. "Are you really _that_ eager to win the tournament? I mean, it's just like you, I know, but couldn't you have warned us so we didn't spend all night worrying?"

"I'm sorry…"

"You better be." Yang smiled and punched her arm. It was barely a tap. She must have looked awful for Yang to treat her so gently. "Zwei was worried sick as well. You owe him an apology too. He looked like he thought the two of you had died when you didn't come back."

Weiss laughed. "I'll say sorry to him as well. I promise."

"You can't compete in the tournament," Jaune said. His voice was flat, his face even flatter. Why did he look at her so?

Yang balked. "What? It's that bad!?"

"I… I guess it is," Weiss said. In truth, she knew she wouldn't have been able to compete anyway. The power she had might manifest, and it wouldn't be safe for her to reveal that on the most televised event across all of Remnant. She bowed her head, guilt rising up inside of her. "I'm sorry. I was reckless and I've let you all down."

"It was. It was reckless and stupid."

Her eyes widened.

"Jaune!" Yang hissed, and this time gave him a punch that neither looked nor sounded gentle. "Ignore him," she said to Weiss. "He's just worried about you and is showing it in his usual stupid way. Don't sweat it. I'll go into the singles and I'll bring back victory for the Jazziest team in Beacon." Yang grinned. "Well, second jazziest. I think those guys we smashed claimed that title."

Weiss managed a small smile, but wasn't quite able to take her eyes off Jaune. Why had he been so quick to condemn her? He wasn't normally like that, not when one of them was hurt. Even now, he refused to look at her, and she couldn't miss how tense his shoulders were. How white his knuckles were as his hands clenched into tight fists.

Had she done something wrong?

Blake and Yang didn't look pleased at the idea. She didn't miss how Blake's eyes narrowed, nor how Yang mouthed something. Jaune shook his head and sighed. "It's fine," he said. "We'll sort something out."

It wasn't very convincing.

The door opened again before she could think more on it. This time it wasn't her friends which entered, but rather the one responsible for her current situation. Weiss tried to sit a little taller as Ozpin entered, but Jaune's hand touched her shoulder, pushing her back down. She didn't appreciate that, but felt too weak to argue.

"Miss Schnee," the headmaster greeted, "and her team. Good morning to you all. I trust you are all well today?"

"Better than I was before, sir," Weiss said, hoping to make it clear her mind was still her own. Ozpin nodded, not showing any overt signs of relief. She assumed there was some, however. She bit her lip. "Thank you for letting my team know about my training accident with Winter. It was silly of me to take risks with my Semblance."

If the headmaster was surprised by her excuse, he didn't show it. "Not a problem," he said. "Your sister alerted me, and I thought it only fair to let your team know. I wouldn't want them to worry."

Jaune snorted. "How considerate of you."

Weiss tapped his arm in warning. "Don't be rude," she whispered. What was up with him?

If Ozpin was offended, he didn't show it. "It is of no concern. Tell me, Miss Schnee. How do you feel? Are there any complications you've noticed? Anything that is perhaps wrong?"

Weiss opened her mouth to speak, but Jaune beat her to it.

"Are you a doctor now, sir?" he asked, voice overly polite. "Shouldn't she be having this conversation with Tsune, or perhaps Doctor Oobleck? I'm not sure why you're here at all unless you intend to offer medical advice. Are you licensed for that?"

Yang and Blake's mouths were open, but neither of them were as horrified as she. "Jaune!" she hissed, tugging his arm with one hand. "I'm sorry, sir. Please forgive him. He's… he stayed up waiting for me to recover. He's tired!"

"There's no reason to apologise," the headmaster chuckled. "I can understand Mr Arc's feelings at the moment. This is the kind of teamwork we hope to foster in all our teams. Besides, he is not wrong. I am not qualified to offer you medical advice."

Weiss had no idea how they'd dodged that bullet, but she'd take it. Her fingers tightened around Jaune's wrist, and even though she felt weaker than before, it was enough to stop him. "Thank you, sir. I feel sick, but I don't think there have been any side effects. Of my Semblance training," she added with a wince, noticing the looks she received from her team.

Ozpin just wanted to know if her mind was still her own, she supposed. It was, but things weren't quite yet perfect. Did he want to speak with her alone? It made sense. Weiss sighed and looked to her team.

Jaune's eyes met hers. They seemed to know exactly what she was about to suggest. "I'm not going anywhere," he said.

Ugh. Why did he suddenly have to be so stubborn!?

"Not a problem," Ozpin said. "In truth, I'd just spoken to Miss Tsune. She says you will be free to leave today if you wish. You may feel a little weak at first, but so long as you don't fight, it won't be a problem."

Weiss nodded, a little relieved. There hadn't been any physical problems then. That was good.

"I'll excuse myself for now," he went on, adjusting his glasses and taking a sip from his mug. "Should anything occur that appears alarming, I trust you'll let someone know."

"She will," Jaune answered. "Trust me. Someone will let you know in person."

That… That sounded like a threat. Weiss' skin paled, eyes darting between the two men. Although no overt emotion appeared on either's face, it felt like they might attack one another at any given moment. It was the headmaster who looked away, speaking no words but turning for the door. It was only when it closed that her partner relaxed.

Weiss did not. "What was that?" she asked, voice a sibilant hiss. "Are you insane? You can't just speak to the headmaster of Beacon academy like that! I can't believe you. What were you thinking!?"

Jaune rounded on her. His eyes looked like twin storms. His teeth were bared. "Me?" he growled. "What was _I_ thinking? No, Weiss. What were _you_ thinking!?"

"That he's the headmaster! That you were acting out!"

"That's not-" Jaune cut off and shook his head. "No. You know what, forget it. This is just you being you."

"I don't know what you mean."

"Oh, I'm sure you don't," he drawled sarcastically. "I'm sure you have no idea at all."

Yang coughed loudly, taking a step forward to put herself between them. "Yeah well, two people who _don't_ is me and Blake. If there's something going on here, I think we deserve to know."

Jaune looked to her. "I don't know. Ask Weiss."

Weiss quailed between the combined looks from three concerned teammates. She felt her stomach roll, not to mention her pulse quicken. This wasn't how she'd expected the day to go. To be fair, she hadn't thought much of what would come _after_ the transfer process. To her, all that had filled her mind was fear. "I-It's nothing," she lied. "I don't know why you're so insistent." She shook her head. "Why are you so angry with me!?"

"Why?" Jaune scowled. "Why!? I-" He sighed. "I'm not angry, Weiss. I'm worried. Concerned." He muttered something under his breath. Something about things being… different? Weiss tried to understand, but as ever, it was Jaune. It was hard to understand what he meant.

"Well, that's fine if you're worried, but I feel terrible," she said. "Can't we save the arguments until later? Maybe when the room isn't spinning quite so badly?"

"Fine. I… I guess that might be for the best." His frown softened, eyes roving over her face. "I'm glad you're okay, Weiss. I was worried."

Damn it. Did he have to say something like that so suddenly? There wasn't a person in the room who didn't know her feelings for him, yet she _still_ felt like hiding her blush. Why couldn't she stay angry at him? Maybe it would have been best if he'd stayed angry with her!

"Oh, she liked that~"

"Yang, I _will_ kill you."

"Weiss, you don't even look like you could stand straight, let alone do damage. Here, let me help you up."

"I've got her," Jaune interrupted. She felt one of his hands touch her back, helping her up into a sitting position. The covers fell, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she realised she still had her normal outfit on underneath. There probably hadn't been the time to change it, nor that she would have appreciated any of her teachers doing that.

"Thank you," she whispered, as he gently lowered her feet to the floor. She wondered if they would be strong enough to support her. She stumbled for a moment, but quickly caught herself on his sleeve. Tired muscles kicked in soon after and she was able to move, albeit with his support. "My legs are just tired," she said, more to explain away the worry than anything else. "I'll be okay once I get some fresh air and activity."

"And food," he warned. "You're not skipping a meal."

"That's ironic coming from you…"

He chuckled and might have said something, but her mind swam before she could catch it. Something felt awkward, wrong. The world was different. Was she shorter than normal? No. She was being foolish. Her mind was playing tricks on her. That was all.

Jaune helped her out of the room, Blake holding the door open for them both while Yang brought up the rear. Thankfully, the corridors were clear, and Weiss stepped off to the left. She didn't get any further, however, as Jaune's arm tugged her to a halt.

"What?" she asked. "If you're thinking food now, then I really need to wash my face and get changed. Can't we go back to the dorm first?"

"We are. You're headed the wrong way."

Weiss blinked. "Don't be silly. Room 114 is this way. It's on the west wing."

"Weiss…" Jaune's face was almost distressed. "Our dorm is 209."

What?

"Yeah Weiss," Yang laughed. "Did you hit your head when you fell or something?"

Ah… oh God.

"S-Something like that," she laughed, accepting defeat and allowing Jaune to lead her. The halls were familiar, but a part of her screamed that this wasn't right. She'd been in room 114, she was sure. That was… that was where their dorm had always been.

Hadn't it…?

/-/

Cinder had noticed something was wrong from the moment she awoke that morning. There had been a difference inside of her, something that originated in her stomach, and spread throughout her as the hours ticked by. Her team noticed, of course. None of them had dared raise the issue, however. Too afraid that it might attract her ire.

They were wise to do so. The unsettling feeling had left her anxious, and their inability to continue in the tournament, while not devastating, was an annoyance. Mercury and Emerald were already on thin ice.

This only made things worse. Her eyes narrowed, an angry sigh escaping her. So, Ozpin had made his move, had he? How interesting.

The Maiden, Amber, had died. She felt it happen.

There was a new Fall Maiden. Some other fool who had chosen to take on a power that didn't belong to them, a power promised to _her_. That was fine. It was no problem whatsoever. Cinder smiled and stored her scroll away, beckoning for her team to follow her to the Colosseum for the day.

Whomever this new Maiden was would simply have to die.

* * *

 **So, Weiss is the maiden now, and yes, I didn't backtrack or throw it in as a red herring. It was a thing. Ozpin had multiple reasons for it, some as simple as Pyrrha having already lost against Cinder in this story. My thoughts on the Silver Eyes is my own, but Ozpin certainly knows of their abilities, and clearly did want them in his school.**

 **While having both that and the maiden on one team** _ **would**_ **have made them strong, I figure that he might have wished to avoid such power-stacking. Especially when both of them would have limited control over said powers, and Ruby hadn't even shown signs of activating her own.**

 **Oh, and Weiss is suffering for it. Jaune's less than sympathetic response is… dickish, I admit. But fuelled mostly from fear and anguish.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 1** **st** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	45. Chapter 45

**Hey all, just a quick note here. I've had confusion from one or two people, so I thought it would be an idea to clarify it here. In the last chapter, when Ozpin was giving his reasons for why he chose Weiss, Jaune called "bullshit" on them all, and came to the conclusion that the reason was because of Ruby. Now, this was meant to be important – especially when Ozpin then praised Jaune's intelligence. He was basically admitting – to Jaune and the readers – that many of the reasons he gave Jaune were indeed lies.**

 **He also basically admitted the** _ **real**_ **reason was Ruby, and I did mention Silver eyes. Now, in the show, I believe there is a quote from Salem where she basically says the Maiden Powers have a crippling weakness to those with silver eyes. THIS was the reason Ozpin decided not to pick Pyrrha, because no matter what happened, Pyrrha would be helpless so long as her partner was basically her kryptonite. I thought it was obvious from how Jaune claimed the rest were lies, and Ozpin pretty much agreed, but maybe it wasn't. I hope this makes it clear now for those who have said "but Ozpin's reasons are bad or don't make sense".**

 **Yes… yes they are. That was the point – that was why Jaune called BS on them, and why Ozpin quickly backtracked. If you were in Oz's shoes, would** _ **you**_ **suddenly have given Jaune all the real reasons? That's not to say they weren't things he** _ **considered**_ **or benefits he** _ **did**_ **like about Weiss, but the ultimate reason was Ruby, not Jaune. Simply put, Ruby couldn't be on the same team as the maiden.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Commissioned: Booya93)

 **Chapter 45**

* * *

"You don't have to watch over me all day," Weiss said. "I'm not made of glass."

"Who says I'm watching you specifically?"

"I do. Or your eyes do. Or maybe it's the fact you've dogged my every step, to the point that I'm worried what will happen if I try to take a shower."

He'd send Yang in to keep an eye on her. Jaune doubted she'd appreciate that answer however, so he kept it to himself. In truth, he could understand why Weiss was annoyed, but if she thought he was going to leave her to her own devices now, she had another thing coming.

It was less than six hours since she'd woken up, and that marked midday on what was the second day of the doubles rounds. The tournament was in full flow, but thanks to Weiss and Yang having their fight yesterday, there was no expectation for their team to be present. Yang and Blake had run off to do their thing. Neither of them truly understood the risks Weiss was under, even if he thought they could understand a little if only from seeing how focused he was. Either way, Weiss was problematic enough with just him following her. He didn't want to throw those two into the mix as well.

"I'm not sure what you're complaining about," he said. "You don't normally have a problem when we hang out together."

"That's because we're doing things together. Right now, it feels like you're my shadow." She turned and narrowed her eyes at him. "At least walk beside me and not a pace or two behind. I feel like I'm being stalked."

Jaune glanced down at his feet and saw what she meant. He'd been so focused on keeping an eye on her that he'd fallen back, the better to see if anyone came at her from behind. Even though they'd been speaking, it did look like he was some kind of stalker. That or a servant, someone who didn't have the same status and so couldn't walk alongside her. "Sorry," he mumbled, rushing to catch up. "I guess you were walking too fast."

"Oh yes, it's my fault." Weiss rolled her eyes. "Nothing to do with the glares you send everyone who approaches me or how your hands land on my shoulders if I so much as waver."

Weiss stopped moving and let out a long sigh.

"Jaune, what's wrong?" she asked, turning to him. "You're acting strange. Well, stranger than you normally do. No one could accuse you of being normal, but this is beyond ridiculous."

"Could you have fit any more insults in there?"

Weiss didn't seem appreciative of his joke and crossed her arms.

"You're hurt, Weiss. I'm just keeping an eye on you. Is that so bad?"

"No." Her eyes softened, even if her posture didn't. "I'd feel the same if it were one of you in my shoes, but not to this degree. It was just a training accident, Jaune. I struggled earlier because I'd just woken up. I'm not about to fall to pieces now."

He mumbled an apology and an offer to go and check out the stalls, and Weiss agreed readily enough, the two moving off in a more natural manner. Even so, his eyes still watched her every movement, while his mind analysed every word.

Weiss was still herself… at least for now.

The maiden transfer was a common occurrence, but it being someone other than Pyrrha was not. She always made it out mostly unchanged, but there was always the question of whether it would have lasted. He never got a chance to see, since Cinder always killed her. Most of the time, that happened before Pyrrha even got a chance to gain the maiden's powers, but there'd been times where he had influenced her to accept the offer early. The same result came to pass, either way, except that he suffered the horrifying guilt of knowing he was pushing his partner to do something she didn't want for his own benefit.

After a while, he'd stopped trying. Of all the things that changed events and might influence the future, the maiden didn't seem it.

As such, he had no idea how it might affect Weiss and what he was supposed to look for. Her fumble earlier with the room number was definitely something. It was hard to ignore that. What did it mean, though? Was it important in some way? He didn't recall the number, so he doubted it was any place in Beacon he needed to know. _I'll check it out later just in case._

Weiss _seemed_ fine, however. The one lapse aside, she'd not had any problems that he could obviously see, and the dizziness and difficulty moving about had faded within an hour. For all intents and purposes, she was fine.

Not that it made a difference. If Cinder found out she was the new maiden, then she could expect a knife in the back. It was his responsibility to make sure that didn't happen, even if Ozpin's little titbit about him being her knight was just a load of bull. The danger was still real. He had to keep his eyes open.

 _I could tell her about Cinder…_

The thought was a tempting one. He'd been thinking it all morning, and even trying to find the right way to broach the topic. The "hey, I'm a time traveller" excuse would get him about as far as it normally did, but if he revealed that he knew about her being the maiden, then she'd at least realise he knew _something_. It might be enough to convince her to listen, and she _did_ know that someone had attacked Amber. He could have convinced her if he tried his hardest.

 _I'm just not sure it's a good idea. Weiss can be cynical at times, but she's more like Ruby than she realises. If she knew Cinder was responsible, she'd likely confront her – or tell Ozpin._ Both eventualities would lead to problems, the former than she'd die, and the latter that Cinder would likely escape and strike from the shadows when Weiss least expected it. _Right now, Cinder might still go for the basement, and that's an advantage I don't want to lose. Weiss usually survives the Fall, so if she does the same here, there's a good chance Cinder won't gain the full maiden's powers._

It was a long shot, he knew. It was all he had, however.

"What do you think?" Weiss asked.

Jaune's instincts kicked in. Think? He didn't even know what she was looking at, but he glanced down to a book Weiss had picked up from a stand and was showing to him. "The History of Dust?" he read. "It sounds interesting. Wouldn't the SDC know more about that, though?"

"Father doesn't really care for things like this." She opened it up and flicked through some pages. "As far as he's concerned, the SDC are the origin of all dust, and the rest of the world would do well to understand that."

"You can grab it if you want it. Or are you waiting for me to offer?"

Weiss rolled her eyes and fished out her purse. "Since when do I wait for you to do anything?"

"Well, I had to wait for you last night," he countered. "My back still hurts from sitting in that hospital chair."

"That's hardly my fault! I didn't ask you to do that."

"Wouldn't you have done the same?"

"No." Weiss smirked victoriously. "When we got back from Mountain Glenn, I made sure to have balanced meals and plenty of rest while you were unconscious. I didn't change my patterns in the slightest."

Jaune's eyes were flat. "Wow… such concern."

"Well, I was only thinking that you wouldn't want me to worry." Weiss smiled prettily, and adopted a pose more suitable to Yang. "You wouldn't have wanted me to lose sleep and make myself ill with worry now, would you?"

She had him there. He rolled his eyes and gave in with a sigh. "No, dear…"

"That's what I thought," Weiss patted his arm. "See? You _can_ be trained." Weiss accepted the book back with a smile, handing out some lien for the man on the other side of the counter. She tucked it under her elbow, and he knew she would neither appreciate nor accept an offer for him to carry it. "It's nice to see so many people here," she said. "It's like a village carnival."

"You've been to one?"

"Yes, a few months ago. It was in a small village between…" She trailed off. Her eyes widened for a second, but before he could ask if she was okay, she swallowed and shook her head. "It was on television," she said. "I saw it back in Atlas. That's how I know what it's like."

He watched her worriedly, catching the lie easily. Had that been one of Amber's memories? From what little he knew, she'd spent much of her time wandering around Vale, so it would make sense if she'd seen some little things like that. He wanted to point out the inconsistency, but Weiss looked terrified and he didn't dare make things worse. "Makes sense," he said instead. "We'd have some small ones in Ansel every now and then. Maybe you'll come and visit it one day."

Her head shot up, "Is that an offer?"

"Sure. If you want it to be…" He shrugged his shoulders. "It's not like the whole team wouldn't be welcome to visit. My Mom would love to put you all up."

"Ah, the whole team…" Weiss' smile fell. "Yes. That sounds nice."

An idiot might have missed it. He wasn't an idiot. Jaune scratched the back of his head and smiled. "Or, it could just be the two of us… if that's what you want."

"What makes you think that? I never said anything like that."

"Hmm… my mistake, I guess." He grinned, and it only grew wider when she glared at him. She looked like she would argue for a moment, but huffed and looked away. That was Weiss language for her knowing she'd been caught, and refusing to acknowledge it. He chuckled. "We'll check it out one day. I promise."

 _I wonder if that's another promise I'll have to break. I should really stop making them._

"I'll hold you to it." Weiss whispered.

"You seem distracted. Is something wrong?"

"No. Nothing."

Another lie...

She seemed determined to keep that one going and not tell them about the maiden. Was that the instructions she'd received from Ozpin, or something of her own making? It irritated him. _Well, it's not like I'm any better. How many lies have I told them this repeat alone?_

It was clear she wasn't going to tell him the truth about the maiden.

So, did he make it a moot point? If he pressed her, revealing what he knew, then she'd have no choice but to give in. It would be dangerous, but he had to know how this was affecting her. He took a quick look around to make sure no one was listening. "Weiss, I think we need to-"

"Weiss, Jaune!"

 _Damn it._ Jaune bit down on his frustration, scowling as Weiss spun on the spot to see who was calling their name.

"Ruby," she greeted. "And Ren… where are the rest of your team? I wouldn't have imagined Nora would leave the two of you alone."

"What? It's not like that!" Ruby's face turned red and she waved her arms. "Weiss! You're not allowed to tease me. Not when Yang already does it." She huffed, but a smile quickly came back. "Anyway, Nora and Pyrrha are getting ready for their fight. We chose them to be our duo."

"You didn't want to fight yourself?"

"I thought about it, but Nora fit better. I'm fast, but Pyrrha's already fast, and the arena isn't really big enough for my sniper to make a difference." Ruby shrugged. "Nora's explosives fit better. Plus, Pyrrha can use them as a smokescreen."

"Should you really be telling us your secrets? We might use them against you."

"Meh, Pyrrha would only fight your team in the singles. She'd win anyway."

"Confident, aren't you?"

"What can I say? My partner's awesome."

Jaune watched the two ex-partners (though they didn't know it) butt heads. He nodded his own greeting to Ren, who nodded back. Neither of them spoke. Neither of them would have been heard over the showdown their teammates were having.

Honestly, they were drawing a crowd now.

"Okay, okay," he said, wading in. "Break it up, you two. How about we let the actual fight decide who's team is better?"

"A fine idea," Weiss said. "I can't wait for Team Jazzberry to be declared the victor."

"You'll be waiting a while," Ruby mumbled.

Gods, he was glad Yang wasn't around to make the situation worse. "What were you shouting us over for anyway?" he asked. "Is there something you wanted?"

"We wanted to ask if you were going to watch the fights with us."

Watch their team knock around some random people? It wasn't really important since it wouldn't matter. He needed to get Weiss alone and corner her over the maiden anyway. "No, that's-"

"We'd love to," Weiss said. She paused and realised she'd interrupted him. "You don't want to? I'll be fine on my own if you're busy. Like I said, you don't need to watch my every step. I can look after myself."

Not when she would be in the same stands as Cinder, she couldn't. He bit back a sigh. "No. It's fine. Lead on, Ruby…"

He'd have to corner her later.

/-/

"-and that's why he hasn't had much time to visit with you all lately." Yang finished the explanation with an apologetic smile. "Sorry about that. I guess he's been worried about her."

"It's understandable," Sapphire said, walking alongside her and Blake, along with two others of Jaune's family – Lavender and Sable. "Thanks for letting us know. I'll pass the message onto Mom and Dad. I think they were getting worried."

Yang nodded, looking ahead as they weaved their ways through the gardens around Amity. It hadn't been a planned thing, meeting up with his sisters, but she'd gotten a message on her scroll earlier from Sapphire asking if Jaune was okay. Apparently, she'd messaged him about him not visiting for a day or two, and he hadn't replied. To be fair, he'd probably not noticed it in his panic over Weiss. Since he'd slept in the infirmary with her, his scroll was probably low on battery, too.

"Weiss is the girl who likes him, isn't she?" Lavender asked.

"Yep. The jury's out on what he feels in return, but he's been watching her like a hawk ever since she got out of the infirmary. That's why I figured I'd be best to meet up with you today. I didn't want to split him in two directions since he wants to keep an eye on her." Yang grinned. "Blake came along because she didn't want to be a third wheel."

"That's not the reason at all, and you know it."

"Third wheel~"

"Big brother's never really shown that kind of interest in girls before," Lavender said. "He doesn't normally spend that much time with them."

"Or he doesn't wait for them to wake up, anyway." Sable added.

"Sable!"

"Oh, Lavi. You're so cute when you're embarrassed."

Yang watched the two sisters with an impish grin. It seemed she wasn't the only one who took inordinate pleasure in teasing her little sister. Ah, the joys of having a cute sibling, Really, it would have been a crime not to tease Ruby. She didn't quite get as many opportunities now, mostly because Ruby was on her own team, making her own friends and her own way in the world.

A part of her thought that should have upset her, but it didn't. For as long as she could remember, it had always been the two of them against the world. Now, both were stretching out in their own directions. They were each of them growing, and Ruby had all but lost her social awkwardness. At least around her team, anyway. She was still an absolute dork with strangers.

"Is Big Brother going to be fighting in the single's round?" Lavender asked. "I know he said it was Miss Weiss before, but with her injured…"

"It's going to be me," Yang replied, smiling. "I don't think Jaune really cares all that much about the tournament."

"It does seem like a lot of effort for him…"

"And no real reward," Sapphire added. "If there's no benefit to him investing energy in something, then he isn't interested. I suppose that's what makes you and your team so interesting to us."

"Because he actually tries?"

"Because he cares. It's like seeing him with an extension of the family. I think that's why Mom and Dad are so easy around Weiss, even if she has the potential to hurt him the most." The older girl shrugged. "It just feels like if Jaune trusts you, we would be stupid not to."

"He's that good a judge of character?"

"Oh god, no." Sapphire laughed. "Considering some of the absolute battle-axes he slept with back home, I'd say he's a terrible judge. It's just that he wouldn't let anyone near us unless he trusted them implicitly. He's protective to the point of paranoia."

Blake looked her way with a grin. "Overprotective, huh? Sounds like someone else I know."

"I'm sure I've got no idea what you mean, partner."

There was a loud noise from the main arena, followed by raucous cheers that washed over them. Yang raised her head towards it, and could just spy the huge screens active over the top.

"I guess the next fights are happening," Sapphire said. "That would explain why there's no one else out here."

"You don't want to go watch them?"

Sable answered for her older sister. "We're not really interested in that kind of thing. The whole family isn't. I guess that since we grew up with a huntsman for a father, we never saw other ones as cool. Watching them fighting wouldn't be either. We're only here to see Jaune."

"Though we'll still cheer you on," Lavender added.

Yang grinned and waved it off. Her Dad was a huntsman too, but that hadn't stopped her enjoying the fights. She supposed it was deeper than that, probably in how they were raised. She could recall Jaune at one point or another saying his Dad didn't like the job. Maybe his children had picked up on that, or tournaments had been banned from the TV or something.

Whatever the case, it was none of her business, and she didn't mind missing a few fights either. She'd trust Jaune and Weiss to fill her in on what her potential opponents fought like. Even if she watched, she wasn't as good at analysing other people as those two were. She'd always been more of an instinctual fighter. Well, that was what she liked to tell herself. Everyone else called it reckless, but everyone else sucked. "How are you girls liking Vale anyway?"

"It's nice." Sable looked around with a smile. "Amity is interesting, but I was surprised by Beacon. I thought it would be like Vale, with too many people crowded together and everything being in a rush. It's surprisingly peaceful."

"From the outside," Blake muttered. "Not in our dorm…"

Yang smothered a laugh, but answered Sable. "There's less people around, and I guess it's probably next to a Grimm-infested forest on purpose. You can't even get to Beacon without a Bullhead. Well, you _could_ , but you wouldn't want to trek there."

"We were worried Jaune would struggle at first. He's gotten on well, though."

"What made you think he'd have problems?" Blake asked. "His condition?"

"Among a thousand other things. I mean, you can't exactly say he's the most personable of people. I wasn't sure what would do him in first; falling asleep when a Grimm attacked, pissing off everyone within a ten-mile radius or trying to sleep with someone who wasn't amused and had a Semblance capable of killing him."

"Has he done any of those?" Yang wondered out loud.

"Well, he _did_ flirt with Miss Goodwitch once or twice. I can't say he ever fell asleep around Grimm, but as for pissing everyone off…"

Yang laughed. That went without saying. She didn't think anyone had been more despised in Beacon's history. Gods, he'd been an absolute _dick_ at first. If it wasn't ignoring Ruby, it was shagging someone in their room, and if it wasn't that it was getting her detention in their fight. At least he'd never taken a Tazer to her like he had Cardin, or teammate or not, she _would_ have killed him.

"That's our brother," Sable laughed.

Sapphire sighed. "Where did I go wrong raising him?"

Lavender smiled as well, but her eyes trailed to the side, looking off into the distance. Suddenly, she gasped – drawing everyone's attention. "Mom!" she cried. She held a hand out, and her eyes grew wide.

Yang looked ahead but saw nothing.

"Lav?" Sapphire whispered. "What is it?"

"I saw Mom," the younger girl hissed. "She looked sick and she was holding her stomach. She went around that corner." Lavender pointed. "She looked like she was in pain!"

Yang and Blake shared a wide-eyed look. "Isn't she pregnant?" Blake asked.

"Yes." Sable bit her lip. "Seven and a half months, if I recall. She's had dangerous births before." Her eyes slid to Lavender. "Are you sure it was her, Lav?"

The sickly girl nodded.

"Why wouldn't she be with Dad?"

"I didn't see him. Maybe he _is_ with her."

Oh Gods, if Jaune's mom was about to give birth, then this was going to be complicated. Messy, too. Blake looked even less excited than her, but it wasn't like they could ignore something like this. "Let's go check it out," she said. "If your mom went into labour, then they might be looking for someone to help them. It's not like they'd know their way around here."

The other girls nodded, and the group of five rushed over to the point where Lavender saw her. Yang crested the corner first thanks to her speed, but paused when she didn't see a blonde woman at all, nor the rest of Jaune's family, who would have surely been with her.

Lavender rounded the corner a few moments later, her pace far slower. The moment she did, her eyes widened. "MOM!"

What? Yang looked head again, but there was nothing – only an empty patch of grass with some trees around it. The entire area was devoid of life, the crowds all being in the main stadium. "I don't see anything- whoah!"

"I'm coming, Mom!" Lavender cried, pushing Yang aside. She rushed ahead, stumbling once or twice.

"Lavender, wait!" Sapphire called and chased after her. "I don't see anything. What are you talking about?"

"Yang…?" Blake whispered.

"I don't know. There's nothing here. You?"

"Nothing."

Lavender paused as she reached some unknown destination. She fell to her knees and reached down, as though to check on someone. When her hands hit cool grass, however, she froze. "Mom?" Her hands spread out, eyes growing wider as she felt around. "She was here, I swear. She was right here – unconscious on the floor!"

"Lav, there wasn't anything here," Sable whispered. "Are you okay?"

"But Mom… she was right here. I heard her call out for help." The girl began to breathe heavily. "She was _right_ here. She vanished when I touched her."

Yang strolled up behind the three, eyes fixed on the grass. There hadn't been anything there. Never had been… but she could _see_ the honesty on the younger girl's face. She believed it. She really did. And she had no reason to lie. "I think we should move on," she whispered. "Something isn't right here. There's something going-"

"Yang! Move!"

Blake's warning was followed by the sound of breaking glass. Yang's instincts kicked in, but not fast enough for her to get out the way. She'd only half-turned when she saw the danger – a silvery blade that rushed for her throat.

A black shadow cut in front of her, steel ringing against steel and then grating as Blake pushed the attack aside.

"Get down!" Yang roared, and shoved Sapphire and Sable on top of their sister. Ember Celica slotted into place. Her eyes roved over the immediate area, looking for additional threats. Only once she was sure there wasn't, did she turn back to her partner.

Blake's weapon was locked with that of a small girl. It only took a second to recognise her, and that was all the warning Yang needed to know Blake needed her help. It was the girl from Mountain Glenn, the one her uncle had faced. The one working with Torchwick, who they had inadvertently had a hand in killing. The girl's face was twisted into a snarl.

Revenge…

The girl turned and pulled Blake's weapon to the side, stepped in and drove her elbow into the faunus' face. Blake staggered back but managed to squeeze off a shot in the opponent's direction, preventing her following up.

Yang took the chance to dash in and thrust a fist toward her face. It missed, but she fired off a blast anyway, hoping the loud noise above the girl's ears would deafen, or at least disrupt her balance.

It didn't. The girl lunged up with her sword – and Yang only just caught it on her knee. She winced at the pain, but it was better than the gut or anywhere infinitely more important. She lashed out with a haymaker, and almost caught the girl's shoulder. At the very least, it forced her back.

She circled them with a vicious sneer. Gone was the cocky smile she'd worn atop the train, the almost taunting visage as she duelled with Uncle Qrow. Now, there was nothing but hared. This girl wanted them dead. Nothing else would suffice.

As though to mock them, the crowd cheered in the background.

"Keep an eye on the Arcs," Yang whispered.

"We could use some kind of signal," Blake replied. "There are huntsmen in charge of security, right? Isn't there some way we can draw their attention?"

Not unless the girl gave them time to use their scrolls, but that wasn't likely to happen. With all the noise from the stadium, the sounds of combat were unlikely to be enough, and all eyes would be focused on the festivities. Even if she fired a shotgun blast into the air, it was unlikely anyone would be paying attention.

"It's just one person…"

"Who could fight your uncle on equal grounds, Yang. We can't be stupid here." Blake's eyes flickered to the side. "Not with lives in the balance."

Yeah, that was a nice idea, but what option did they have? Call Jaune? She'd never let them manage that, and there was a good chance he either wouldn't hear it, or wouldn't be able to find them. Even if he did, what was he going to do? They couldn't run… not with three people who wouldn't be as fast. Lavender suffered from whatever condition she had, so it wasn't like she'd be able to keep up a good pace for any length of time. Couldn't carry them, or they'd be defenceless and the girl would kill them. Yang sighed, shook her head – then charged in.

The only choice was to take her out as quickly as possible.

The girl's eyes flared. She ducked under Yang's fist, cutting a path toward her face, but changing it at the last second when Yang tried to block. The sharp point scored a line against her ribs, stinging but not cutting through aura. Her left arm slammed down, trapping the blade against her side. Yang's head stung as she slammed it into the girl's face. Spots danced before her vision but she tried again, only to stagger forward as the girl let go of her weapon entirely and slipped past her. An elbow hit the small of her back, knocking her forward and down onto the ground.

"Cover the girls!" Yang warned. From the corner of her eye, she caught Blake moving to do just that, but her foe didn't take the chance. Instead, she drove a heel down onto the back of Yang's arm, sending waves of excruciating pain through her shoulder. Her arm spasmed and let go of the blade, which the girl kicked up and caught with one hand.

She also caught a blast to the stomach courtesy of Ember Celica, Yang having spun over on the ground and fired up. It was so close that it sent her flying back, but also splashed dust and fire over her, too. Her eyes stung, but she forced herself to stand and rubbed one arm across her face.

Vision cleared, she was just in time to see Blake engage the foe, Gambol Shroud spinning through the air as she tried to use the ribbon to trap their slippery foe. The girl was worse than Ruby, and about ten times more vicious. Her speed was annoying, but it was the flexibility which was the problem. Blake took a blow to the cheek, but managed to draw Gambol Shroud back behind the girl – in a move that _had_ to hit the back of her head.

Would have, if she hadn't somehow bent-double backwards, ducking beneath the blade and kicking up with both feet into Blake's jaw. The faunus' head snapped back, and then she flew back when her own weapon slammed into her chest. The girl surged forward, sword raised.

Yang caught it as it came down to finish her friend off.

"Not today," she growled. The girl was fast, but there was no way she was going to win in a battle of raw strength. Yang wrenched the blade to the side and tore it from her grip. She flicked it into the air, then shot a blast directly into it – sending the weapon flying away.

The moment's distraction was enough to cost her. A heel slammed into her stomach, driving the air from her, and although she was able to bring her arm up to block the next kick, she had to gasp as tiny hands grabbed her hair, dragging her face down into a hard knee. Pain flared across her face, and then again as she was brought back out and in. Her hands settled on the girl's hips, but she didn't have the strength to stop her from hitting a third time.

Yang sagged to the ground, clutching her nose, which ran red with blood. She glared up into murderous eyes. The girl snarled back and raised one hand, but her mismatched eyes flickered to the side.

A gunshot forced her back. She back-flipped away from the first, then swayed and ducked the second. Blake strode forward, eyes focused as she fired shot after shot. Each was on target. Each was dodged with ease.

Damn it. This girl was strong.

"Attack together," Blake whispered.

Yang nodded. It was as good an idea as any. She rushed in first, knowing she was the most able to take the hits dished back. The opponent ducked the first and swayed out of the way of the second. Blake charged in from the left, cutting down.

The girl exploded into shards of glass.

Yang covered her eyes instinctively, but the glass wasn't real and did nothing. Semblance? She snapped back to reality and looked around. The girl was gone. Where? How? Had she fled? Yang's senses flared, warning her of danger behind. She spun on the spot, only just seeing Blake's blade as it came down on top of her. Her palms slapped on each side of it, catching it still. "Blake!? What the hell!?"

Golden eyes widened. "Yang? But you… I saw the girl…"

Yang looked over Blake's shoulder and gasped.

Their attacker dashed forward, stooping low to grab her sword as she charged toward the three defenceless girls. Sapphire stood and pushed her sisters down, unarmed but in a vague combat stance that definitely wasn't going to hold up. Yang tossed Blake aside and charged after her – but the distance was too great.

The girl wanted revenge on them.

What better way than to repay them in kind? By killing the people they cared for… that Jaune cared for. "NO!" Yang screamed.

Yang saw the attack arch towards Sapphire's head. She was unable to move, shielding her younger sisters. The girl's eyes clenched shut, unwilling to see her death come as the blade scythed down on her.

A heavier one blocked it.

It carried on, too. There was no fighter on the other end, but the thrown blade slammed into the girl's sword and knocked it away, carving solid marble where it came to a stop. The girl staggered and regained her balance – but a fist slammed into her face before she could kill any of the civilians.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Qrow rasped, one hand on the hilt of his weapon, the other clenched before him.

Yang gasped in relief. "Uncle Qrow!"

He looked at her and nodded. "Yang. Good job on keeping these three safe. Saw the fight on the cameras. I was sent to take care of it." He tore his sword from the ground and balanced it over one shoulder. His red eyes bore into pink and brown. "I remember you. Not going to run away this time? I got flack for not kicking your ass. This seems a good time to fix that."

The girl snarled. She flashed forward and slashed at his face, but pulled back at the last second and tried to slip under his arm – to get at the girls behind. Qrow spun and flicked out, catching her in the stomach with his pommel. He reversed and brought his blade around in a horizontal slash, but she backflipped away, dodging it by mere inches.

Yang roared as she charged in from behind, her fist causing the ground to explode as the girl dodged to the side.

Blake fired off two shots after her.

The multi-coloured attacker scowled. She looked at each of them, as though she were honestly considering her chances of victory. With Qrow with them, it seemed impossible. Would her revenge go so far that she'd willingly throw away her life? There was no way she was going to win this.

Her eyes bore into Yang's as she shook her head. She pierced her blade back down into its sheathe, which happened to be an umbrella. The girl twirled and brought it to rest on her shoulder. She shattered into a thousand pieces a second later.

"It might still be a trap," Blake warned. "Don't let your guard down."

"No. They're gone," Qrow said. He put his weapon away, turning to the three girls behind him. "You safe?"

Sapphire nodded. She was the only one who seemed capable of speech. They were each of them terrified. Not that Yang blamed them. First, a White Fang attack on their team, and now this? The last they seen, the girl had been working with them. Was this a continuation, or a separate incident? Did it matter? Either way, they had people gunning for their team. Gunning for Jaune's family as well.

Oh gods… he was going to shit bricks when he heard about this. It would be open warfare on the White Fang. It hardly helped that Blake would totally egg him on, so long as he agreed to take her with him.

This day had just gone from bad to worse.

"This is the second attack on us," Yang said, allowing Ember Celica to fold back into its disarmed state. "What's going on with your security, Uncle Qrow? I kinda hoped people like this would be kept out. Isn't this place meant to be safe?"

"Hey, we saw it straight away and came to help." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "We never saw her in the crowds. Trust me, she doesn't exactly blend in. I'd have noticed. Whatever method she used to get in, it was probably how she got out, too. I'll pass the message on… at the very least, we can make sure someone stays focused on these girls for the rest of the festival." He nodded to the Arc sisters. "Not that your old man will agree, but I'll assign someone to keep an eye out for you."

"T-Thank you, sir."

Yang cut him off before he could say anything more, mostly because it would doubtless be flirtatious, and doubtless put Jaune on an even bigger warpath. "What do we do now?" she asked. "These guys have targeted me and Blake once, then Jaune and Weiss on their night out. This is the third time. I'm pretty sure that throws all ideas of this being an `accident` out the window."

Qrow nodded and crossed his arms. "Ozpin already increased security. We've checked each and every person who entered the colosseum and run background checks. That was probably why it was _her_ and not another White Fang attack. They've had to step up their game."

"Who is they?" Blake asked. Her eyes were narrowed. "When she fled, you said they as well. There was only one person there."

"Nope."

"Uncle Qrow…" Yang growled. She wasn't in the mood for his games.

"You probably didn't see," he said. "You were focused on the dangerous one, but there was a second in the trees." He nodded over to their left, where there was obviously nothing now. "I couldn't see her face. It was shrouded somehow." His face darkened. "I've seen her before, though. I'd recognise that Semblance… one that hides a face from view. Either way, she fled when I arrived, and it wasn't like I could chase after and leave these three to die."

Yang scowled. Well, he'd made the right choice from her point of view, but that still didn't mean she was happy. Damn it. A second attacker, and they hadn't even noticed?

"Lavender saw something which wasn't there," Blake said. "At the end, I attacked Yang because I saw the girl in her place. I know what I saw. It was real to me."

"I… I saw my Mom injured and hurt," Lavender whispered.

"Illusions," Qrow said, rubbing his face. "Something related to them anyway. I'll pass that on, but if we have someone who can hide their identity at will, then finding them is going to be all but impossible." He sighed. "Alright. Yang, I want you and your partner to stick with your team at all times. No more going around as a one or a two, understood? Not when you're outside of Beacon."

"Got it."

"You three," he said to the sisters. "I think it'd be best if you stuck with your old man for now. Whoever did this, they clearly wanted to draw you out into a secluded area. That illusion was the bait. If you're always with crowds, you should be fine. I'll station someone to keep an eye on you like I promised, just in case." His face softened as he looked at the three frightened girls. "I'll personally escort you back to your family. You two should come with. I wouldn't put it past that girl to hang around and see if you let your guards down."

Yang nodded along with Blake, the two of them falling into formation behind the three civilians. Her eyes remained fixed on the area surrounding them, but there was no movement at all. The enemies were gone, and the crowd continued to roar and cheer, oblivious of what had just taken place. Jaune was likely oblivious too… of just how close his sisters had come to being killed.

She didn't relish telling him.

/-/

Sweat beaded on Weiss' brow. Her teeth were clenched together, eyes narrowed to tiny slits as she concentrated on the palm of her hand. It shook, more from how tense her muscles were than any fear. She felt something shift inside of her, just the smallest thing.

"Concentrate," Glynda said.

"I am!" Weiss snapped back. Her temper burned hotter than any fire, but hardly helped. She felt that thing she'd had slip out of her control, and the small amount of hear that had been building up was snuffed away. "Damn it!"

"You mustn't let your anger control you," the teacher advised. "Not here."

Weiss' eyes widened a second later, and she whirled on the older woman and bowed her head low. "I apologise for snapping at you, ma'am. I-"

"Was angry, I know." Glynda Goodwitch stepped forward, and although she looked as stern as she always did, there was a hint of warmth there. "I'm not upset, Weiss. You don't need to worry. This is a new thing for you. It makes sense that you might struggle, and I can understand why that might… frustrate you."

"It's not my pride," she whispered. "If that's what you're thinking, you're wrong."

"Hm?"

"I don't mind not being the best. It used to be important, but it's not anymore." Weiss took a deep breath and let it go. Things had changed since coming to Beacon. Changed for the better. "I need to master this," she said. "With what's happened lately…"

"The White Fang?" Glynda asked. She adjusted her glasses and sighed. "That, and the girl who attacked your teammates. I'd heard about this latest ambush from Ozpin. He has called for more huntsmen and huntresses to defend the festival, though it's hardly prevented James from complaining how he could have done it better."

Weiss blinked. "Um…?"

"Ignore me. I was talking to myself." Glynda sighed and stood up, moving over. "Try again if you will. This time, I want you to try and mix your new powers with your control over ice. Perhaps starting with fire was a bad idea. It's not as opposed to ice as movies would have people believe, but you're likely more comfortable with what you're used to."

"Okay."

Weiss took a deep breath and stepped back. Myrtenaster rose before her, the chamber clicking into place as dust infused the blade. Focus on pushing the maiden's power into the ice. Focus on that. It sounded so simple. It wasn't. How was she meant to push power around? What did it even mean to do that? She could feel _something_ within her, but it wasn't so easily grasped, nor directed. Her brow furrowed as she bit down.

"Be calm, Weiss," Glynda said, spotting it immediately. "Nothing is going to happen if you allow yourself to become upset. This power is within you. It _will_ come."

Right… she was allowing herself to get worked up. Weiss closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, an age-old technique her instructors had focused on in her early training. It was to calm the body and mind, or so she'd been told. At the time, she'd been impatient and had no time for it. She'd been a brat back then.

The power tingled beneath her skin. She hadn't expected it to. A part of her had thought this would be subtler, somehow unimpressive – but it wasn't and that was the problem. She'd felt it all day, kind of like having insects under her skin. It rolled and boiled about, yearning for release. She felt powerful in a way she never had before, but instead of that pleasing her, it made her feel sick.

This was the power someone had killed the last maiden for. This was the power someone would try and kill her for.

Once she felt it begin to calm, Weiss traced her rapier forward, allowing ice dust to sprinkle from it. She focused on creating a small wall before her. Just a semi-circle of ice, perhaps a foot or two tall. She opened her eyes as it began to form, but something wanted to push through. "It… it wants to come out," she whispered. "It hurts to keep it in."

Glynda nodded. She drew her crop and waved it before her, creating a purple seal in the air. "Let it out, Weiss. It won't harm you, and I am well-protected. Don't concern yourself over any damage. Learning to understand this new power is worth it."

Okay… if she asked for it. Weiss bit her lip and tried her hardest to release the power within. It wasn't like that came with any instructions, however, and the word release hardly helped. Was she meant to relax? Was she meant to tense up?

Why was this so complicated?

 _Why won't you help me out a little?_ Weiss asked inside her mind. There was no answer and she wasn't even sure having the maiden's aura transferred to her came with anything like that, but it helped her mood to blame it on someone else. This wouldn't have even been necessary if it wasn't for everyone interfering with her and her team. If it wasn't for the White Fang attacking them on her date, or trying so hard for revenge.

Now, they'd attacked Jaune's family too, and she dreaded to imagine her accursed name might bring ruin to such kind people. Her hand clenched into a fist, eyes scrunched shut as her body shivered. She hated the White Fang. She hated what they kept doing.

She wished they would all die!

"WEISS!"

The shout brought her back to reality, and when her eyes opened, she gasped in horror. Miss Goodwitch was backed against the far wall, her seal before her – but a look of strain on her face. That made sense since a gargantuan ice spike was pushed against her. Several more pierced towards the walls around her, filling that half of the room.

"I'm so sorry!" she gasped, waving her hand and causing the ice to shatter. "Please, I-"

"It's _fine_!" Glynda pushed off with a sigh. "I've already told you there's nothing to worry about. This is what we're here for. You need to understand what causes the power to manifest, and also how to control it. Tell me, what were you thinking when you caused that?"

"I…" Weiss looked away. "I was thinking of the White Fang."

"Didn't I already tell you to stay calm?"

"I'm sorry…"

Glynda sighed. She took one look at the younger girl, then walked over to her desk and sat behind it. She motioned for Weiss to take the other seat.

"Shouldn't we still practice?" Weiss asked.

"I don't believe that would serve a purpose now. You're distracted."

"No, please. I won't be the next time. I can do better!"

"I'm not sure you can, Weiss." Glynda said. "That is not your fault. You are human. It's normal to feel emotional, especially after what just happened. We'll consider the training over for tonight. If nothing else, we know you can use it when angry. That is enough to speak of its benefit in self-defence."

"I suppose…" Weiss moved over to take a seat. "Wouldn't it be better to have Ozpin train me in this? I mean no offence, but he seemed to know more about the maiden's powers."

"He is also the headmaster, and not a figure a simple student should be regularly visiting," the teacher pointed out. "A degree of discretion is required. Besides, Ozpin has told me himself that he knows no more on how to control the power than I do. In the end, we felt my experience as a combat tutor might be better. I've assisted in helping students control newly awakened Semblances. This is not so much different."

That wasn't a bad analogy. Weiss nodded her head, already feeling a little better. Everyone was terrible with their Semblance when it was first unlocked. That was just to be expected. With time, they learned to control them. Well, most people did. She couldn't properly use the Schnee family Semblance, _nor_ this new power.

 _Am I really the best person for this?_

"How are you adapting to the changes on your side?" Glynda asked. "I do not mean with your training, either. Have you noticed any side-effects? Anything unusual?"

A spike of panic shot through Weiss' spine. Her eyes fell to the table. "I… I've been fine."

"Miss Schnee…" Glynda reached over, placing two fingers on the back of Weiss' hand. "While I realise I am only your teacher, I would like to add that I _am_ someone who can help you. For your own sake, please tell me the truth. Have there been any side-effects?"

"I've had memory lapses," Weiss whispered. Her voice came out hoarse, and she swallowed her fear. "I… I don't know what's causing them, but I've been… forgetting things." Her eyes clenched shut. "And remembering other things."

"Other things?"

"Things I don't know," she said. "Things I shouldn't know."

"Weiss, calm down…"

"How can I be calm!?" Weiss' eyes snapped open. Her hands slammed down on the table and her breath came out in laboured pants. "How can I be calm?" she repeated. "Something is changing within me. I… I'm not even sure if I'm the same person anymore, and I don't know what to do."

She clutched her head. Her hands shook.

"It's getting hard to find the difference between what I know is me and what… what I don't know is me."

"Then you need to focus on the things that _are_ you. You need to think only of them." Glynda leaned forward. "You are not Amber, Weiss. It's entirely possible you've gained some aspects of her from the transfer. Aura isn't an exact science, and some call it the soul for a reason. You are still you, however. Even if we put another person's entire mind within yours, it wouldn't stop that fact. Do you understand me?"

Weiss nodded frantically. She wasn't sure she believed the words, but she wanted to… enough so that she would pretend if she had to. "I remembered a festival earlier," she said. "It was in a small village… a village where all the people were thrilled and relieved because something had been stopped. I think… I think Amber killed some Grimm there and saved them. They threw the festival in her honour." Weiss' eyes closed. She recalled children dancing. "They told me I would forever be welcome."

"She," Glynda corrected. "She would be welcome, Weiss Schnee. They do not know you."

"I… that was what I meant."

Glynda hummed, but it was clear to Weiss she wasn't convinced. Neither was she, in all honesty. Something was wrong with her. She knew it. Only today, she'd felt herself act a little differently around Jaune. Not in any noticeable way, but she'd somehow felt more confident. A little more insistent.

Heck, Yang would have called her flirtatious.

"I think it would be best if you spent more time around your team," Glynda said. "They are something that belongs only to you, and the more you're around them, the better I believe you'll feel."

Weiss snorted. "Like that will be hard. Jaune's been unwilling to leave my side since I woke up. I only managed to sneak off here because he's in a panic over what happened to his family." Yang and Blake assured him they were fine, but she'd seen the fear and the fury in his eyes and urged him to go and see for himself. She knew he trusted Yang and Blake, but sometimes you just had to make sure for yourself that someone was safe. She wouldn't accept him hovering around her in that kind of situation. Either way, it gave her a chance to come here without his interference. "I doubt it'll be hard to stay around him. I have a feeling he'll chain our team and his family together so he can watch over us all at once."

"Good. If Mr Arc wishes to watch over you, I'd suggest putting up with it. If nothing else, your feelings for him should help ground your memory."

Weiss' cheeks darkened. "A-Ah… yes…"

"Those haven't changed, have they?" Glynda looked worried. "A drastic change like that should-"

"No, no. I still…" Weiss looked away. "I still feel for him. I just… it's a little awkward to…"

Glynda chuckled and smiled, relaxing back into her chair. "Awkward to say it to a teacher?" she guessed, earning a nod from Weiss. "Forgive me. I suppose it would be. If it helps, it was fairly obvious – even before your little display at the school dance. I do believe Professor Port commented after your first lesson with him that the two of you would either be dating or killing one another by the end of the year." She paused. "I'm guessing from the look on your face, that didn't help."

Not… quite… Weiss' face was beet red. Her hands came up to cover it. Oh Gods. Her own teachers had been talking about her like that. How mortifying! And for so long, as well? That was ridiculous! She wanted to deny it, but after the dance – and their date – it really wasn't possible.

"I was young as well once," Glynda said. "There's nothing wrong with having feelings for someone. In fact, this might be good for you. I doubt very much Amber ever knew Jaune Arc, let alone dated him." She blinked and sighed. "Then again, I wouldn't put it past him. He's slept with everything else that has breasts and a pulse."

"She doesn't know him," Weiss confirmed, ignoring the last bit. Jaune's past _excursions_ didn't bother her as much as she felt they should. Maybe it was because she'd known about them long before she felt this way, or maybe it was just because he'd stopped. "When I woke up and saw him at my bedside, I didn't recognise him. I was so panicked, I almost passed out, and when it finally came back to me, I screamed his name."

"I imagine that gave him quite the shock."

At the time, Weiss had been too afraid to think, but now, she sniggered at the memory. "It did. I think he thought I was under attack or something. He looked like he was prepared to kill something."

 _That_ killed the smile on Glynda's face stone dead. She coughed and leaned back, a frown coming into its place. "Well, I believe that confirms he will be a good influence for you. A person's feelings are stronger than memories, so I believe he could help to anchor you. If you're ever in doubt, try to remember a powerful memory with him in it."

It didn't take Weiss half a second to remember one, or the feeling of his lips plundering her own. Her cheeks darkened, and she pointedly _refused_ to let her fingers reach up to touch her mouth. "I have a memory," she said. "I think it'll do."

"Good. I'm sure you will get used to this. Right now, you've had an aura shoved into you. That is going to take some getting used to. Once you've had time to assimilate it and get over this, I imagine there won't be any more problems. Until then, stay with your team. Be yourself." Glynda waved a hand before her. "You're welcome to come here and practice with me if you need it, but I don't want you to do so on your own. These powers were Amber's. They might make you remember her, and I don't want that to happen if there isn't someone around to snap you out of it."

Weiss nodded. It was the last thing she wanted as well. "I guess I can tell the others I have remedial lessons with you or something. I don't think Jaune would believe me if I said I had detention." Not with how little she broke the rules. She might as well claim she'd caught a rainbow for how much her team would believe her.

"Mr Arc…"

There was something about the way she said his name that made Weiss pause.

"He is… a dangerous man."

"He isn't dangerous," Weiss said, a little more defensive than she would have liked. "We're all dangerous here. We are all trained to be huntsmen and huntresses. I don't see how he's any different." She squared her shoulders. "Jaune isn't dangerous."

Glynda raised an eyebrow.

"Not to me," Weiss amended awkwardly. "Not to me or our team. He wouldn't harm us."

"You may be right on that account. If I believed him a danger to his fellow students, I would have taken him to task long ago. Fortunately, his ire seems focused on outside sources." She sighed. "Most of the time…"

An unsettling feeling pooled in Weiss' stomach, but she had no idea how she was supposed to react. A part of her wanted to defend him and tell the teacher she was wrong. It was a little hard though, mostly on account of how utterly accurate the assessment was. "I trust him," she said. "Even if he isn't what I expected or wanted as a partner, I trust him."

"Enough to tell him about the maiden?"

"O-Of course not. General Ironwood made it clear this was to be kept on a need-to-know basis, and I wouldn't betray the headmaster's trust like that."

"Perhaps you should."

Weiss' eyes widened. Was Miss Goodwitch saying what she thought she was saying? "Excuse me?"

"I am… suggesting that you disregard James' instructions." The older woman removed her glasses and let out a long sigh. "Although he means well and has everyone's best interests at heart, he is not omniscient. None of us are. If you trust your partner, then you might wish to make this known to him. That goes doubly so if you wish to pursue a relationship with him."

"I _do_ trust Jaune," she said. "It's just… isn't this not allowed?"

"Believe me, if I thought there was any risk, I wouldn't suggest it. You did say he would never harm you, correct?"

"Yes. I believe that."

"As do I."

Her support was so unexpected that Weiss couldn't believe it. "You… do?"

"I believe he is a dangerous young man," Miss Goodwitch said. "No. I believe he is a twisted man, someone who has seen and experienced things which turned what could have been an innocent teen into the thing he is now. I believe he is unstable and impetuous." Her eyes softened. "I do not believe that prince charming awaits you at the end of this journey."

Anger shot through her. Weiss opened her mouth to protest, and be damned the consequences. Glynda beat her to it.

"However," she said, interrupting Weiss before she could begin. "I also believe he is a loyal and dedicated person. I believe he has his team's best interests at heart, even if he places that above himself and anyone else. I believe that, if you were to tell him about the maiden, he would not share that information."

Weiss bit her lip. She didn't disagree. He wouldn't tell anyone… but he would also be angry at her. She knew full well he hated whenever someone else risked their safety. He could be such a hypocrite like that. "I'll think about it," she said.

"As you will." Glynda leaned back. "You can return to your dorm if you wish. Remember, if you have any more instances of memories not your own, think on things that are important to you and you alone."

Jaune, Yang, Blake, Winter – even her friends on Team RRNN. Weiss nodded her head and stood, moving towards the door and out of the classroom. While training hadn't gone exactly to plan, it hadn't been a bust either. She looked down at Myrtenaster, remembering that heady feeling when she'd summoned so much ice.

It had felt so effortless. Little wonder Ozpin didn't want her to compete. Apart from the fact she might give it all away, strength like this would be downright unfair.

She was so lost in her thoughts she didn't notice the person in front of her until they collided. Weiss staggered back, one hand coming to her nose as she automatically apologised. "I'm sorry. I didn't see you there," she said, and looked up into golden eyes and dark, black hair.

Her world froze.

The corridor faded away, replaced instead with a forest path and a pair of golden eyes staring down at her. She couldn't quite make out the face, but the black hair was visible – as was a terrifying black monstrosity coming from the person's hand. If that touched her, she would die. She knew that.

A startled cry escaped her. She fell back, hand dragging Myrtenaster out as she waved it at her enemy, backing up against a wall. "Get back!" she hissed.

"Weiss…" the figure spoke.

"Get back!" Weiss begged.

"Weiss, what's wrong? Calm down."

The voice. The voice was familiar. Weiss latched onto it, clenching her eyes shut. This wasn't happening. This was… it had to be a memory. She clenched her eyes shut and focused on the thought of her team. She focused on the memory of Jaune kissing her. When she opened her eyes, the forest was gone.

The yellow eyes and black hair were still there, but now those eyes were filled with naked concern. "Weiss," Blake said, taking a step forward cautiously, and then another when Weiss didn't react badly. "Are you okay? What happened?"

It was just Blake. It was just her teammate. Sweat dripped down her neck, but she forced herself to breathe in and out. "I… It's nothing," she lied. "You startled me."

"Weiss, people don't react like that when they're startled. Something is going on here. First, your accident, now this?"

"I was just caught off-guard." Weiss brushed past her, eyes ahead. "Has Jaune returned yet?"

"No. He's still with his family."

"Good. Don't worry him over this as well, Blake. He's already treating me like glass."

"Weiss…"

Weiss ignored her. It would be for the best if Jaune didn't know. If he knew that someone else might come after her, then he would go mad with worry. The whole team needed him, not to mention his parents and sisters. The whole point of this was to take a little of the weight off his shoulders. Miss Goodwitch may have had a point about him being trustworthy, but this wasn't about that. He already had so much on his mind. Why add to it?

He was better off not knowing.

* * *

 **Not much to say here, as I need to instantly go and work on Professor Arc if I want to have any chance of having it done at a reasonable time tomorrow. One thing I will point out is that in terms of time, this is still the same day Weiss woke up from. As such, this isn't a case of "Jaune not confronting her". He wants to. He intended to earlier, but Ruby and Ren interrupted him, and when he got back after the day - it was to learn his family had been attacked.**

 **He isn't being stupid, he's just being dragged left and right, and knows he needs to confront Weiss in private.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 8** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	46. Chapter 46

**Long chapter is long. It is also essential, I suppose. Gods, this was a pain to write.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Booya93)

 **Chapter 46 – Revelation**

* * *

Jaune waved as his family headed back off into Vale. He wished he could have seen them back to the hotel, but he was sure they'd be fine, and it wouldn't give him much time to get back to Beacon. Even so, he smiled when Amber and Lavender continued waving, even as the Bullhead pulled away. Only once they were gone did he allow himself to stop, and to let out the long sigh he'd been holding in.

They were safe. Thank goodness.

He had Yang and Blake to thank for that, along with Qrow, he supposed, but his errant daughters deserved it more for buying the time necessary. He couldn't imagine what it might have felt like to learn that three of his sisters had been killed while he'd been watching the tournament. This had never happened before, but he should have expected it.

His family had never come to the Vytal Festival before. Things were bound to change.

It also led into another round of guess Cinder's next plan, which was about as convoluted as ever. _If it were just Neo, I'd write it off as a revenge play. I killed her most important person, so she kills a few of mine._ Lavender had spoken of seeing their mother injured and alone, which spoke of only one thing. _Emerald wouldn't risk Cinder's ire by doing something on her own. She's a good little minion. That means Cinder okayed this, which means she planned it, too._

The question, as ever, was why.

His sisters posed no threat, nor did Yang or Blake, so some kind of defensive move was out of the question. This was a clearly planned and motivated attack. But why?

 _Think, what could it have achieved if all went well? Lavender, Sable and Sapphire would be dead – but there's no benefit to Cinder from that. It could be that she thought it would bother me in some way._ And she'd be right, of course. Had that been her goal, to destabilise him and remove him as an obstacle? Maybe, but it had just as good a chance of driving him into a fury and making things worse. Her plans wouldn't exactly be aided if she had to kill a student in self-defence. That was too much attention. _It's too blunt. There has to be something more._

Was it an attack on Yang and Blake?

Neo went for Lavender, but that could have just been her breaking orders or making a desperation move. The actual attack might have been intended for his teammates. If they were taken out, either injured or killed, then they wouldn't be able to fight in the next rounds.

That meant either he or Weiss would have needed to compete.

Which one did Cinder want? Had she already found out that Weiss was the maiden? No. Surely not. That was too soon. She'd been maiden for less than a day and certainly hadn't interacted with Cinder. _What if she wanted me to fight instead?_ _I wouldn't fight against her team since they've been disqualified, but they could try to influence my fight._

That could be by using Emerald's Semblance on either him or his opponent, assuming that didn't end up being Penny. There, they could try to make the fight more dangerous to the point one of them killed the other. It would serve the dual purpose of setting up the antagonism Cinder drew on in the crowd, and removing him as a problem. The first rounds of the singles were tomorrow, where she normally had Yang framed and blamed for Mercury's injury. The fall wouldn't come until the day after, and she'd probably still need some extra negativity.

His death would generate it. That, or him killing someone else. With how the teachers were already nervous around him, if he killed his opponent, he'd definitely be in trouble. Of course, he knew about Emerald's Semblance, so would know to look out for it. Even if he did fight, he could forfeit.

Cinder would be surprised.

Glynda wouldn't be.

Sure, his team would be angry, but that was all. It was more important to scupper Cinder's plans than it was reach for glory. It didn't matter anyway. The attack failed, his family were fine, and Yang would still compete tomorrow.

"I'll have to keep an eye on them and make sure they don't do anything to her," he whispered. "If Yang's fight goes without a hitch, I'll know we're on the right track."

In fact, given that Cinder already knew he was interested in her, she might refrain from interfering with Yang's match at all. You didn't antagonise someone you already knew was watching, after all. She might go for someone else. Maybe even Pyrrha. She could reverse the order and get Pyrrha disqualified here and Yang the next day.

If she knew Pyrrha was no longer the maiden candidate, that was.

Too many variables and too little time. His eyes clenched shut and he took a deep breath. Despite his best efforts, there was still no plan for how to deal with Cinder, and Weiss' latest actions had made things worse. All he'd really achieved was drawing attention to himself, and now his family as well.

He just hoped his father understood the veiled message he'd left behind. The two had shared a firm look when Jaune suggested they skip the rest of the festival. The girls had been against the idea, but Nicholas' eyes had narrowed. If nothing else, he knew his father wouldn't let a single one of them out of his sight now.

"I guess I'll have to be content with that."

He just hated how the family meeting had felt so much like a goodbye. One in which he couldn't say those words for fear of frightening them. It was too cruel. Both to him and to them. At least they were safe. He would have to comfort himself with that.

He reached the Team Jazzberry dorm once more and opened the door. Noise blasted into his face.

"Hey~" Yang cheered when he entered. He instantly froze, able to see what was different without too much trouble. They didn't normally have so many additional people, after all. Team RRNN were there, but they weren't alone. There was Team SSSN, too, Sun and Neptune having dragged their teammates along for the ride.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Well, we figured that all our teams made it to the singles rounds," Yang quipped. "And since we're all first years and certified badasses, we needed to celebrate that fact."

"Hey Jaune!" Ruby yelled, catching him around the midriff. He spun automatically, distributing her weight, even if it earned a pleased squeal from her. "Yang said we could have a party in your room," the smaller leader gushed, pushing away and smiling up at him. "We can, right? Right!?"

"Right, Dad?" Yang joined in, pulling much the same expression.

A party? Now that he thought about it, this wasn't the first time Yang had pulled this, though she normally did it on Team RWBY. They were always invited, of course.

"The moment I step out the room, you throw a party. I'm starting to feel like a real father now."

"That doesn't sound like a no~"

"Like you'd listen if I said no anyway."

"True." Yang whooped happily. "He said yes," she called to the others, wading back into the fray. The group cheered, and little plastic cups were waved about. He knew from experience those wouldn't be alcoholic, not that it would stop Ruby getting high on sugar.

"Are you really okay with this?" said girl whispered. Her expression was concerned, her eyes focused on his. "If you're not, we can leave…"

The mask came back on with practised ease. There was no need to ruin their good time. Not with what would soon come. Moments like these should be cherished for what they were. He smiled and ruffled her hair. "Don't be silly. Go have fun."

"You have to as well," Ruby said, grabbing his arm. She dragged him over to sit between her and Yang, who pushed a cup of orange cordial into his hands. He sipped at it, smiling as he watched Sun chat with Blake, who looked more patient than interested. Neptune was introducing his teammates to Nora, who looked thrilled to not only have some new friends, but one that looked like a pirate.

"Where's Weiss?" he asked, noting her absence.

"She left after you did," Yang answered. "Said she had to meet with someone. I offered to go with, but she said no. She looked steady on her feet. Blake met up with her earlier, but Weiss said she needed some time on her own to think." She shrugged. "Blake came back here and was just as surprised by the party as you were." Yang giggled. "So yeah, I had to wait until _everyone_ was gone before I arranged this."

Jaune laughed, but his thoughts were distracted. Weiss had gone to meet with Ozpin, no doubt. Or maybe Glynda, even Ironwood. He felt his frustration mount, but held back his frown. They'd notice, and no doubt take exception to it.

"We've come a long way, haven't we?" Yang said.

"Huh?"

"Our teams," she explained, nudging Ruby on the other side of him. "Even us. I thought my little sister would be a wallflower her entire time here, but she's grown into such a confident girl. Oh, I wonder when she'll be introducing her future boyfriend to me."

"Yang!"

Jaune laughed and sipped his drink. She was right, he supposed. Ruby had done well on Team RRNN. Better than he would have expected. She and Pyrrha worked well together.

"We've grown too," she went on. "If you think about it, we were all a mess. Weiss wanted to be leader and had a stick up her ass. Blake didn't trust anyone, least of all you. You were a problem too," she sighed. "I mean, look at how you were!"

"And you?" he asked.

"Me? I was perfect."

He rolled his eyes. "Naturally…"

"Nah, I had my problems too," Yang giggled. "We came together in the end though, right? We became not just any other team, but the most awesomest team in Beacon!"

"Second awesomest," Ruby corrected with a grin. "Still, I didn't think you'd manage it, either. It was… I guess I didn't know how it would go." She looked at him guiltily. "I wasn't sure you'd be willing to give them a chance, Jaune. You were… kind of standoffish."

"Kind of," Yang drawled. "More like totally was."

True, not that it had mattered in the end. His attempts to push them away had only drawn them closer, and maybe in a way that was his own fault, too. He couldn't blame Fate for it, since he'd never stopped caring for them. Events had simply transpired as they always did, and he'd loved them all too much to stand by and watch them happen.

"He got better," Ruby defended. She then looked at him and giggled. "Actually, me, Ren and Nora tried to make a pact to figure you out."

"You did?" he asked, faintly amused. "How did that go?"

Ruby pouted and hit his arm. "Well, it wasn't easy. Nothing made sense. In the end, we decided to try and help you get back together with your team, but it kind of became pointless."

"How so?"

"That was before Forever Fall," she said. She smiled up at him fondly. "I saw how you saved Yang back there. I also saw how she fell asleep in the Bullhead, and you adjusted her straps and let her rest on you."

"Really?" Yang crooned. "Aww, _dad_. That's so sweet!"

"Don't push it," he grumbled, nudging her off him.

"It was around that point I realised you did care," Ruby said. "I started to worry less, but it wasn't completely fixed until you saved Blake at the docks. I think I decided after that, that it didn't matter." Ruby leaned her head on his shoulder. "Sure, you were weird still. Nothing made sense. But you did care for everyone deep inside. You just had trouble showing it."

"Yeah…" Jaune sighed. "I guess you're right."

As ever, Ruby was more perceptive than many gave her credit. She was always the first to see those things, the first to act on them. Maybe she'd known he would stay before even he did. It was hard to tell. It didn't matter now.

None of it would matter soon enough. He still hadn't found a way to really beat Cinder. He'd taken her team out of the tournament, but that wouldn't be enough. She didn't need to win it. It was nothing more than a distraction.

This party was one as well. A distraction, that was.

The only difference was that it was a welcome one. He smiled and watched as everyone interacted, as Blake came back over to sit beside Yang, and as Pyrrha and Ruby chatted about their upcoming battle plans, the younger girl occasionally sending him sly looks, as though eager to see whether he tried to listen in.

People laughed, drank and had fun. At one point, Nora even began to recount a recent dream, drawing them all into the larger than life tale. She and Port could have been firm friends, but for the age difference. Jaune's eyes strayed to the door. Weiss never entered, though. Too busy with her own things. Doubtless, too busy risking her life.

He wasn't sure why that bothered him. If all went poorly, they'd die anyway – or he would. It would have the same result. This little get together was undeniably sweet.

Bittersweet, that was.

It felt like they were saying goodbye.

He hated goodbyes. Even if he'd seen them way too many times before. Another repeat. Another life. Another set of broken promises. Jaune sighed and took a drink. It was always the same. _I wish this was alcoholic. I need a stiff drink._

"Are you alright?"

"Hm?" It was Blake this time, having taken Yang's spot and now against his side. She looked concerned, but not in the same way Ruby or Yang might. Blake never showed her emotions well, and it instead came off as suspicion. He knew what she meant by it, though. He smiled and snuck a hand behind her back. "I'm fine," he lied.

She was so distracted, she didn't notice his hand until it had already touched her ears. She stiffened momentarily, but soon relaxed when she realised who it was. Her eyes became lidded. "I hate when you do that, you know…"

"No, you don't." He grinned when her eyes flicked away. "You just like to say you do. If you disliked this so much, you'd pull away."

"What would be the point?" she huffed. "It's not like it ever stops you."

"I didn't hear a `I don't like this` mixed in there."

Blake muttered something under her breath but didn't pull away. In truth, he knew she would have normally hated it. Rubbing her ears might have seemed demeaning had it been anyone else doing it, but she knew he meant no such thing – as did he. Her head leaned in a little closer. So little that no one else could have noticed. "Are you sure you're okay?" she whispered, letting out a pleased sigh when he ran his finger across her scalp. "You look upset."

"I guess I'm just worried."

"About Weiss?"

And the rest of them. He shrugged regardless, leaving her to think what she wanted. _Don't ruin this party,_ he told himself. _Just because you know what's coming, doesn't mean they have to live in fear and pain._

"She's hiding something," Blake agreed. "I… there's something about the way she acts when it's brought up."

"I know, Blake."

"You know what it is?"

"I have an inkling."

She chuckled. "You always seem to. You always seem to know everyone's secrets, no matter how hard we try to hide them."

"I've told you before. I can travel through time."

"Idiot." Blake laughed under her breath and elbowed his side. "If you don't want to tell us, don't. That excuse is getting old."

No one ever believed him, of course. No matter how hard he tried. And he'd tried with them. He'd tried so many times. It hadn't only been Ozpin he spoke to. In fact, his team came before the headmaster by far. Neither Pyrrha, Ren or Nora had truly believed him. The closest had been Nora, but the crushing realisation that she'd only humoured him had hurt more than he could have imagined.

Blake, Yang, Ruby and Weiss had been no different.

Even when he approached Blake straight out of the gate with the knowledge of the White Fang, she found other things to believe. That he'd spied on her. That he knew Adam. That he was with the authorities. There were a hundred other explanations, each more believable than something like time travel.

Possibilities that he couldn't prove, no matter how hard he tried.

"Yeah," he sighed. "I guess it _is_ getting old." He paused. It was a stupid thought, but what could it hurt? "What if I told you it was true? What if I told you I _have_ travelled to the past before?"

Blake rolled her eyes. "You'd need to prove it."

"I knew about you being a part of the White Fang."

"You met me on the train before Beacon. It would have been a little difficult not to have known at that point."

"What about the docks? How did I know where to find you?"

"You took a Bullhead," Blake said. "From a bird's eye view, the firefight Sun and I caused would have been obvious." She looked at him, eyes narrowed. "I don't think that's the only reason, though. Yang and I did our own little investigation. We found out about your ankle tracker, Jaune."

That thing? Come to think of it, Ozpin hadn't bothered to insist on it being put back on. Whether that meant he trusted him or not didn't matter. He had no intention to leave, and everyone knew that now. "What about it?" he asked. "I had to wear it after the fight with Yang."

"We found the records on it," Blake said. She poked his side, lips turned down in a wide pout. "You said you would help me investigate the warehouses."

"I did help you."

"You turned them all over to Yang's uncle! That's why they were all ruined ahead of time."

She'd figured that out? It had to have been recently, or he knew she'd have cornered him earlier. He shrugged and didn't even stop rubbing her ears. "I said I'd help you. I did just that. Our agreement wasn't for me to help you in any specific way."

"Watch the terms of the contract? Ha. I should have known." She chuckled under her breath. "Still, you knew how to break in. You knew how to deal with them. You also knew about the White Fang before Beacon."

"Time travel," he said.

"Or a history with them," she countered. "Jaune, please don't take me for an idiot. I may read fiction, but I know the difference between it and real life. There's no such thing as time travel. You knew all those things because you had a history with the White Fang, because they did something to you. And you don't need to tell me what that is," she added quickly. "I'm not trying to dig into your secrets. I was at one point, but… I think I've come to just accept you as who you are." She smiled and touched her hand against his. "I don't need to know anymore. You, Yang and Weiss are special to me. Just… don't tell Yang I said that."

"Not much of a secret, Blake."

She frowned and hit him in the ribs.

"Okay, okay – I'll keep it. I promise." He smiled. "You're special to me as well, Blake. You all are."

"I know," she said. "We all know." Blake slipped out from beside him and away. She only made it halfway to Yang before Sun's team cornered her, no doubt wanting to get a feel for the girl their leader fancied. He wondered if he should help her, especially when he saw her ears flick back, but Yang had already moved in their direction.

It had been silly of him to try and convince Blake. She hadn't believed him even when they'd been deeply in love. Too much of a cynic. Too much of a pragmatist. She was like him in a way, which was probably why they got along so well. Both of them wanted a brighter future, and neither had any idea how to go about achieving it.

His eyes fell to Pyrrha, his true partner of a thousand or more repeats. She never believed him, either. Not even at the end, when he could lay all the truths in the world on her. The woman who loved him with all her heart, but she still couldn't accept the truth. _Would I be able to in her shoes? It's not just the impossibility of it, but the futility. What kind of person could accept knowing their every action is worthless? That no matter what they do or achieve, it won't matter. That their future will be erased the moment another person dies._

That way lay madness. Honestly, he was surprised he hadn't succumbed to it himself. He hadn't ever thought of himself as an overly strong man. He was the same as anyone else. Give any person this curse and they'd become like he was now. Maybe it was luck that kept him going. Or maybe it was Fate that wouldn't let him lose his mind.

Was that a good or a bad thing?

"Were you stroking Blake's ears?" Nora asked, taking Blake's spot. "Try mine. I want to see what it feels like."

"Nora," Ren sighed. "He's not going to rub your ears."

"Why? Are you jealous, Renny? You can rub my ears if you want."

Ren rolled his eyes and nodded to Jaune. It was the usual `I'm sorry about her` nod that he dished out, and one he was used to seeing. Most people struggled to put up with Nora's _unique_ personality. He had no such problem and quickly reached up to stroke her hair.

"Hm… it's not bad," Nora said. "I'm not sure what the appeal is."

"Maybe if you had Ren do it, you might."

"Ooh. Good idea. Renny~" Nora grabbed her childhood friend and forced his hand atop her head. Whether she noticed the irritated look Ren sent his way, he wasn't sure. Whatever the case, she soon sighed happily when he started to massage her head. "Oh wow. That's nice. We should do this every day."

"I'd get hand cramps, Nora."

"I think I could live with that." She ignored the way Ren rolled his eyes and instead grinned at Jaune. "If you have any more good ideas like this, let me know."

"I'll do my best," he promised, smiling at how Ren shook his head back and forth pleadingly. "How are you guys doing, anyway? Our teams haven't exactly hung out much lately."

"Training for the tournament," Nora said. "We're doing really good. We kicked butt in the doubles round, and Pyrrha's going to smash Yang to pieces in the finals. In a nice way," she added in a hushed whisper. "I've asked her not to break Yang's legs."

"That's kind of you."

"It's going to be repayment for when you saved us," she said.

"When I saved you?" he wondered out loud. "When was that?"

"You didn't remember?" She sounded offended, positively aghast. "It was when we came to Ansel and were attacked by those cruel bullies. You fought them off, swinging your mighty sword in both hands and driving the foul brigands away. You then took us under your shoulder and taught us the way of the arcade."

It was the final word that clued him in, and only then because he'd been trying to remember some incident with Grimm and the actual prospect of death. He'd honestly forgotten about it. "Oh yeah, I remember. You weren't in any danger though, were you? The two of you could have crushed those bullies."

"We could have, but it might have led to trouble," Ren answered. "Being foreigners and visitors, there was a risk we'd be thrown out or persecuted. We had no idea what kind of place Ansel was," he added by way of apology. "Not everywhere is so kind to strangers, let alone those who can fight."

"Yep. What Renny said." Nora pulled a face. "I wanted to smash them around, but Renny said no, and I had to go with it because I didn't want to get him in trouble. Then WHAM! Out of nowhere, our knight in denim armour and wielding the holy sword Inflatibur!"

Oh Gods. He remembered that. How embarrassing.

"Why didn't you find us, though?" Nora asked. She pouted and poked him in the chest. "We made a promise to go to Beacon together, but you didn't even recognise us in initiation. I tried to talk to you, but you ignored us."

Guilt came to the fore. He _had_ made that promise, hadn't he? From what he remembered, it was before he decided to try and break away from Beacon, and he'd been running on his usual routine. The expectation was that he'd leave Amber behind in that arcade and flee – but Nora and Ren had distracted him.

For that, he was thankful.

"Sorry," he mumbled. "I guess I forgot."

"You can't just forget a promise you make to a young maiden," Nora growled. "That's like… a rule! If you promise to marry a girl, then even if you forget, you still have to marry them. Even if the promise was made when you were six years old."

"Uh…?"

"Nora," Ren sighed. "I've told you that logic from cartoons and games don't apply to real life. Especially not _bad_ games." He looked up to Jaune. "Don't mind her. We're not upset with our team, and you kept your promise. We all attended Beacon together and we _did_ become friends."

"Yeah, I guess so." In the end, it all worked out.

"Besides, they're on my team now," Ruby interrupted, blatantly listening in from the other side. "You can't steal my teammates, Jaune."

"I wasn't trying to."

She glowered at him for a moment. "Good. You already have a team."

"One I'm perfectly happy with, thank you." He poked Ruby's forehead to push her back. "I wouldn't trade them for anything, even if they can be annoying at times. Especially Yang," he added in a louder voice, making sure she heard.

She waved back happily.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Ruby giggled. "Why were you so against fitting in with them anyway? Why were you so against making friends?"

"I wasn't…"

"You were," Nora said. "We all noticed."

Ren nodded, too, and he realised that much of the conversation in the room had stilled. Most of them were looking at him now, and with barely concealed curiosity at that. His guard came up immediately. Was that what this all was? Some poorly concealed attempt to dig into his secrets? His thoughts must have shown on his face, because Yang stepped forward with her hands held before her.

"Whoah, whoah, this isn't a trap," she said. "Don't look like you need to run away or something. We just thought… we just thought it might be nice to clear the air, you know? It's not like the reasons matter since we're all best buds now anyway, right? Even if you hated us, or just didn't want to be friends, we won't be offended. You like us now, right?"

"You're a team now," Ruby said. "We were just… well, I guess we're just being nosey, but we wanted to know."

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want," Blake added. She narrowed her eyes when Pyrrha and Ruby looked like they might complain. "He doesn't. No matter how much you want to know." She sighed and ran a hand through her ears, looking to him. "We were all worried about you for a long time," she explained. "Everyone tried to figure out their own reasons, but nothing made sense. I guess it was inevitable we'd all come together at one point and pool what we knew. It still didn't make sense so…"

"I said we should just ask you," Sun said. "No point running around like spies behind your back when you're one of us." The faunus grinned. "If you don't want to tell, you won't, but it beats everyone being confused, right?"

Jaune watched them all with wide eyes. They'd done what? Had they really been trying to figure him out so much? The answer hit him like a hammer. _Of course they have… what was I thinking? Did I expect them to just ignore the fact one of their teammates acted completely bizarre?_ Had he really been that arrogant, to the point he forgot other people had their own agendas?

Yang and Blake, he could understand. They were his teammates, his friends. He was more surprised with Team RRNN, and especially with Sun. What reason did they have to get involved at all?

"Since when?" he asked.

"Since we knew you, I guess," Ruby answered. "I was worried about Yang. I wanted her to get on with her team, so I thought if I figured out what was wrong, I could help."

"Ugh, the irony." Yang groaned. "Here I was worried about how my sister would fit in, and _I_ ended up being worse. I'm never going to live this down." She shook her head. "As for me and Blake. Well, it was mostly after the docks. We talked a bit before, but we figured you were just a dick. No offence meant."

"None taken," he said with a roll of the eyes. "Great. So, everyone's been talking about me behind my back. That's cute." He looked to Blake. "I take it that's why you and Yang kept disappearing with my sisters. Were they involved as well?"

"Your family helped," Blake said. "You have to understand, they were worried about you, too. Your mother told us some things, and the rest chipped in with what they knew. They wanted you to be happy."

"We all did," Yang said. "Sappy as that sounds."

Jaune sighed. He felt he should have been bothered by it but he wasn't. It was how people were, and he'd probably provided quite the appealing mystery, what with him being completely ignorant of their presence one moment, and carving up White Fang to save them the next. The impossibility of his existence probably hadn't helped, especially if they'd tried to write off his actions using things accepted as normal. His family? Well, he supposed he'd worried them as well, especially once he'd been dragged into Beacon.

"What do you want to know?" he asked.

Yang's eyes widened. "You'll tell us!? Just like that?"

He shrugged, trusting that to convey his answer more than anything else. In the end, what did it really matter? If it was eating away at them, he supposed he could answer a few things. It wasn't like it would matter in a couple of days anyway.

"Why did you run away from me at the concert?" Pyrrha asked. She was the first by far, and seemed desperate to have the question answered.

"It's been bugging you for that long?" he asked, noting her embarrassed flush. Well, it wasn't a dangerous question. "I didn't want to be a huntsman, and Ozpin was trying to get me into Beacon. I was actually trying to get away from _him_ and ran into you. It wasn't that I disliked you, Pyrrha. I just disliked the fact you were a huntress and wanted to get away from that."

"You mean it wasn't personal?"

He grinned. "Nope. Sorry."

"Me next," Nora yelled, "me next. Why didn't you want to be a huntsman? You said you did when we first met."

"I changed my mind," he said truthfully. "Some things happened and I had some time to think about my life. I guess a few of you know my family was attacked by a Beowolf?" He waited for the nods. Guess his Mom was to blame for that. "I won't say that was the only thing that swayed my mind, but the point was, I chose not to join Beacon. That's why I didn't talk to you," he added to Nora and Ren. "I guess I didn't want to get your hopes up when I intended to get expelled."

"A-ha!" Yang crowed. "I _knew_ you were flunking everything on purpose. Your spars were just too stupid to be real."

"Guilty," he said with a shrug. "To be fair, I _did_ have to fight like that. I didn't exactly have the best conditioning. Besides, Miss Goodwitch approved of them. If she'd been as angry as she pretended, then she wouldn't have made a list of rules. She'd have punished me properly." He laughed. "I think she was actually trying to make a list so that everyone else would start to remember what things they shouldn't fall for in a fight."

"Who did you lose?"

The question brought silence to the room. All heads turned to find the one who had asked, and to his shock, it was Ruby. She looked sad, but also resolute. Her silver eyes focused on him, her lips thin.

"You're always quiet and sad," she said, "and I remember you once said you knew someone like me, and that you lost her. Blake and Yang think you're suffering because of something that happened in your past, too."

He looked to the two, and they glanced away.

"Ruby," he warned, teeth gritted together. "This isn't the time."

"If not now, when?"

"Never."

"Why not?" she pressed. "We can help. We want to help. I've lost someone, too. I felt bad when I lost Summer, but Dad, Yang and Uncle Qrow helped me get better. We can help you as well, but only if you let us."

"Ruby. Leave it alone."

"No. I understand what it's like-"

She didn't. Not at all. She didn't know, and she didn't mean anything cruel by it. He tried to tell himself that but his blood boiled nonetheless. His hands tightened into fists. _Calm down,_ he told himself. _You need to stay calm._ It was for the best.

It was hard.

Images flashed in his mind. Both of this life and the ones before. Ruby dead. Blake dead. Pyrrha dead. Yang dead. Now, there was his family too. What if Neo had been just a little quicker on the draw? Lavender, his sweet little sister, would have been killed. Sapphire and Sable, too. They'd attacked his family and for what, some attempt to draw him out? His actions had led to his sisters being targeted. It was always like that. More often than not, the things he changed caused other people to die. It would be the same here with Weiss, wouldn't it? He'd changed the teams and she'd become the maiden. Now, she was going to die. Because of him.

Ruby had _no_ idea what that felt like.

"You don't understand," he hissed. "Whatever you're thinking this is, you're wrong. You'd be best to leave it at that."

"And leave you in pain? That's not right!"

"It's not about what's right or wrong, Ruby. It's about what's possible." Damn it. Why couldn't she understand? He loved her, but this was one of her worst attributes. Once she had a hold of something, she just wouldn't let go – especially when she felt it was someone who needed help. That naivety would get her in trouble in the future. His temper was already fraying at the edges with Neo and his family, and this was _not_ helping. He stood with a sigh. "I think we're done here. I'm going to go find Weiss."

"Not until you tell me." Ruby zipped past him with her Semblance, holding both arms on either side of the door.

Jaune sighed. "Move out of the way, Ruby."

"No!"

Anger boiled beneath the surface. He could force her out of the way if he needed to. Ruby was fast but weak, and wouldn't expect him to try and overpower her. Despite that, he turned to Pyrrha. "Are you going to sit there, or are you going to help? She's your partner. Remove her before I do."

"I think…" Pyrrha tried for a smile. "Would it be so bad? Maybe it'll help if you let it out."

His teeth ground together. Pyrrha, too? His eyes scanned over them all, but not a one looked like they would consider helping him. All were on Ruby's side, even Yang and Blake. He took deep breaths, a last desperate attempt to keep his emotions under lock and key.

"Tell us," Ruby insisted, her smile bright and cheerful. As ever, she had no idea of the Nevermore's nest she prodded. "We're here. We'll listen."

That did it. That crossed the final line. They were never there. They never listened. His eyes snapped open.

"Fine," he snarled. "You want to know so badly? You want to know who I lose?" He pushed against Ruby, and her eyes widened as she was squashed against the door. "I LOSE YOU!" he roared. "I lose you, and I lose Pyrrha, and I lose Yang and Blake," He pointed to each person in turn, his voice filled with fury. "I lose everyone I've ever cared about."

"J-Jaune…?"

"And then I get to be the one to die," he ranted. "I get to die, and do you know what happens? Do I get peace? Fuck, no! I get to wake up and do it all again! I get to repeat the same moves over and over in an endless quest to making something stick." He growled and pressed a finger into Ruby's chest. "But it _never_ does, Ruby. It never _fucking_ does. Over and over, time and time again, I live the same nightmare. It. Never. Changes!"

He took Ruby's moment of shock to his advantage, pulling her off the door and pushing her away. She stumbled but was caught by Yang, who'd risen from her seat when he started to shout. She didn't dare take a step towards him, however. None of them did.

"So," he yelled, and held his arms wide. "Does that help? Does that help you understand? Does knowing that _satisfy_ you? Because I can sure as hell promise it won't make a single bit of difference. I've tried it before and it never does!" The last words were practically spat out as he turned, one hand landing on the door handle to let himself out.

"It _will_ make a difference," Ruby said. "We'll make a difference."

His body stilled. The fury still raged beneath the skin, but there was a new emotion – one he hadn't dared to feel in a long time.

Hope.

Did they… did they believe him?

"It might not have made a difference before, but it will here." Ruby continued. "We're with you, Jaune."

"You… are…?"

"Yes. We'll help you get through this."

His heart skipped a beat. Could she… Did she…?

"We'll help you accept and come to terms with it."

Confusion settled on him. He turned, brow creased. "Terms with what…?" he asked.

"Your nightmares," Ruby said, beautifully, innocently. Incorrectly. "That's what you meant, right? You live the same nightmares over and over."

"The ones Zwei wakes you from," Yang whispered. "They're… they're that bad? We never realised. You actually see _us_ in those nightmares? We're the ones being hurt? We should have woken you up. Why didn't you say something?"

Nightmares? What were they-

"It's not unusual for people who have been through loss to fear it happening again," Ren said. "I've experienced much the same myself. Having found new friends, it's understandable that you'd fear losing them, and that you would impose their faces over those you've lost in your past."

"We're here for you," Blake said. "We'll help."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed, smiling. "It might not have helped when you told other people, but we're not the same. We'll make a difference."

Jaune laughed. He laughed long and hard. Despite the bitterness he felt inside, and the cruel lack of surprise. Ruby was wrong. They all were. They were no different from any other time, and they would not make a difference. How could they, when they'd yet again refused to believe what he was saying?

They thought his time travel were night terrors, that it was the traumatic dreams he went through. Cause instead of causality. Even if he tried to explain now, they'd just think him in denial. Or that his dreams had infected his mind and he couldn't differentiate between reality and fiction.

That was what they always did. They always looked for the rational explanation.

No one could accept something as ridiculous as time travel.

Jaune's eyes closed. With a slow sigh, he turned for the door. His hand stilled on the handle. He felt tired. Exhausted. "Thanks, guys," he said. "You're right. You're… absolutely right. I need some time to think. Carry on the party without me."

"We'll help you," Ruby promised.

"I know you will, Ruby," he whispered. "I know you will."

He knew she would try.

That she failed time and time again was no reason for him to discount that, nor that she'd failed yet again. It wasn't her fault. She tried her best. She always did. He would love her, them, for that.

The door clicked shut behind him.

/-/

They didn't believe him.

He'd known they wouldn't. How many times now had he tried to convince people? He'd lost count, and not only because the number was too large. Also, because it was so long ago that he'd ever put any effort into it. This was territory he'd tread a hundred times or more back when this all began. Back in those murky times he could hardly remember. All he had now were vague memories of failure – a sense of detachment as he recalled `what happened` and not `how` it came to pass.

He'd known they wouldn't believe him, but he'd tried anyway. Maybe it was nostalgia. The atmosphere had been so happy, so beautiful, that he hadn't wanted to lose it. More likely, it was desperation. Either way, he was the fool as always. He'd known full well they'd reject it as impossible. It shouldn't have surprised him, let alone hurt. It did, though. It hurt.

It hurt more than he cared to admit.

"What was I thinking?"

His back touched the nearby wall, one hand coming up to cup his face.

"Have I started to forget everything already?"

He clenched his eyes shut.

"I've always been alone on this. No one else can help. No one else can understand the truth."

Humans are selfish creatures. He knew that. Knew and accepted it, accepted that those rules applied as much to him as they did anyone else. All of this was his selfish dream of a perfect future, one where everyone lived – where good triumphed and evil lay defeated. So too, did everyone else move in their own patterns. Some might have been seen as selfless, Yang's love for Ruby being an example, but it only took a little look deeper to see that wasn't the case. Yang feared being alone. She was terrified of being abandoned again. Abandoned like she had been when her mother left. And then when her second mother did the same.

Even if he'd managed to convince them. Even if they accepted the truth…

What would they do?

They would be gripped by fear. Fear, and the icy claws of selfish desire. Faced with an enemy none of them could defeat, they'd do the logical thing. Try to minimise the damage. Ruby would want to stay, but would Yang let her? Would Ren and Nora remain? How far would Pyrrha be willing to go? Blake had dreams and ambitions of her own. None of which would be served by dying here.

Or would they band together and seek to eliminate the threat straight away? Would they charge Cinder at the first opportunity, giving their lives on the altar of false hope?

Even if they believed about his time travel… would they believe that the future was doomed? They were strong. Idealistic. Brave. So very brave. He could see it now, Ruby standing tall and proclaiming that life wasn't doomed so long as they fought as one. Pyrrha would suggest the teachers be alerted, and Blake would surely agree.

Like so many times before, Cinder would flee. They would proclaim their victory and revel in it… until she came back to kill them all. As she had done.

Time and time again.

Sweat ran down his brow. He took a long breath and let it go, but it did little for the feelings inside. "You're such a fool," he whispered. "A fool to believe there was a good way out of this. A fool to believe they'd believe you. A fool to believe there was some way to fight against Fate."

"Jaune…?"

The surprise didn't even register this time. He lowered his hand and looked her way. Weiss' hair was damp with sweat, sign of her exertion. Her body moved with a slight hiccup. The noticeable sign of someone trying to hide their fatigue and only making it worse. All of that seemed immaterial when she met his eyes. She looked concerned. Afraid. For him.

"Jaune, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"You're lying." She stepped forward, eyes scanning his form for injury. "I have eyes, Jaune. I can see when you're troubled… perhaps more than you can yourself. I wish you'd stop lying to us when something is wrong."

"Should you be one to say that, Weiss?"

Her eyes narrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I wonder." He pushed off the wall. "Where were you? The others are holding a party in honour of our teams' progress. When I left to check on my family, you were still with them."

"I left."

"So I see."

"Is that a problem?" Weiss crossed her arms, defiant. "Must I ask your permission before I leave the room now?"

"You make that sound so bad. Wasn't that what you did to me after Mountain Glenn? I seem to recall I wasn't allowed to cross the hall without an entourage. Do the same rules not apply to you? Typical of a Schnee, I suppose."

"You were injured!" She slashed a hand to one side. "Your system was full of drugs. You were _dying_."

"And you're not?"

Weiss snorted. Ever proud, and now lying, she smiled cockily. It didn't reach her eyes. "I told you before, I'm fine. It was a training accident gone wrong. I haven't yet mastered the family Semblance. You said there was a party?"

"And were you practising that Semblance again?" He ignored her question as the weak attempt to change the subject it was. "Funny. I thought your sister's room was the other direction. I'd know, since I had to pick you up there for our date."

"I… We met somewhere else. Her room isn't suitable for this."

"The Schnee summons…"

"Yes, I…" Weiss paused. Her eyes narrowed. "Did I… ever tell you that?"

No. Yes. Not in this lifetime. Before, he might have waved it off with an excuse, but he was tired. Very tired. He shrugged his shoulders instead, neither confirmation nor denial. Let her make of that what she would.

"Regardless, yes. We practised the Schnee summons."

"Are you sure it wasn't something else?"

"I don't know what you're suggesting," Weiss seethed. She pushed past him, making sure her shoulder struck his. "Excuse me. I believe it's time for me to join the others in this little celebration."

He caught her arm as she tried to walk by.

"Let go of me."

"Are you sure you don't know what I'm suggesting, Weiss?" He stared at her, eyes flat. If she wanted to lie… then fine. He told enough himself. It didn't mean he needed to play into that, however. "I think you're lying, Weiss."

"I said, let go of me!"

A growl escaped his lips as anger took over. He ignored her command entirely, and instead dragged her against him. Her chest banged into his, the girl letting out a gasp as she bounced off. He used that moment to push against her, turning to drive Weiss back against the wall. His hands slammed down on either side of her head, his face bearing down on her.

"No," he whispered.

"J-Jaune. What's gotten into you!? What are you doing?"

"Something I should have done the moment you woke up." He buffeted her hand away as she tried to free herself. "You weren't training the family Semblance, Weiss. You're lying to me. That's fine, but if you think I'm that much of a fool, you'd best be prepared to find a new lie."

"I don't know what you mean!"

"Really?" He grasped her shoulders, staring into her eyes. "Then you know nothing of a secret basement beneath the school?"

Her eyes widened.

"You know nothing of a hidden power?"

"I-I…"

"You know nothing of Wizards and Maidens. You know nothing of Ozpin's delightful alliance with Ironwood and Goodwitch. You know nothing of a machine that transfers aura. You know nothing of a woman who now stands _dead_ within one of them."

Her face was pale, her eyes wider than he'd ever seen them before. Despite that, he leaned in, showing no mercy.

"Is that what you're telling me, Weiss?"

"I…"

"Or should I call you the Fall Maiden?"

"H-How…"

"How do I know? Is that the important question you have for me, Weiss?" His eyes flashed. "Maybe you should be asking what you're going to do now the lies have dried up, hm? What are you going to do now that I know? What are you going to do about the people hunting the maiden's powers? What are you going to do when they kill you!?"

Weiss shook her head. "Stop it. Stop saying things like that. Stop looking at me like that!"

"Is that your answer? Is that going to be what stops them?" He growled. "Is that going to stop them killing you?"

"STOP IT!"

Weiss' hand slammed out towards his face. He saw the danger immediately, her eyes flaring and her hand letting off a momentary gust of cool air. The ice lance burst from her fingers and pierced the wall behind him, digging several inches deep.

Blood dripped down it, and he watched Weiss' terrified eyes trace it up the ice towards him. Towards where he'd tilted his head to side, an almost unconscious motion that saved his life. It hadn't spared him entirely, however. A thin line of crimson adorned his cheek.

"Jaune…" she whispered. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I- I didn't mean…"

"This isn't a game, Weiss. This isn't some fairy tale, despite what Ozpin might have had you believe."

"B-but your aura…" She didn't even hear his words, apparently. Her eyes were still focused on his wound, and he resisted the urge to flinch when she touched it. Her hands were as cold as the ice she'd just summoned. "Why didn't your aura protect you? Why didn't it deflect the damage?"

Well, that was out. His own nonchalance about it surprised him. Maybe it was the anger. Maybe he was just too tired to care. Damn it all. If she wouldn't believe him, then why bother hiding the truth? He couldn't be bothered anymore.

Why not just let it all out?

"I don't have any aura, Weiss."

"No. That's impossible. I've _seen_ your aura. I've seen it protect you!"

"True. Let me rephrase. My aura no longer works." He pushed her hand aside, using the moment of her absolute shock to corner her once more. "I have aura. My reserves are full. It just no longer protects me as it should."

"Why…?"

"Who knows? That's not important."

"It is!" she protested.

"It isn't!" he snapped back, silencing her. "Damn it, Weiss. I'm not the one with a target on my back. I'm not the one who's carrying one of the most desired powers in Remnant around inside her. A power which just so conveniently happens to come out if you kill the current wielder."

"How do you know all of this?" Weiss cried. "You don't. You're wrong. You can't know that someone is after me. I might not be in dang-"

"You _are_ in danger! They are going to kill you!"

"How can you say that? How could you possibly know!?"

"Because I've seen it happen a thousand times before," he roared.

Silence.

Whether it was the words or the volume that caused it, he had no idea. All he knew was that his patience no longer existed. His frame shook. His breath came in gasps. His eyes were locked onto hers, which were wide and afraid.

"I know," he whispered, "because I've lived it a thousand times before. Never you, and never like this, but it's always the same. It's a cursed power, Weiss. She will kill you. You'll die."

"Y-You're wrong." She shook her head. "You're delusional. What you're saying… what are you even saying? That you… that you-"

"Travel through time?"

"Y-Yes!"

"I do."

"That's impossible!" she growled and pushed against him. "Stop playing games with me!"

"Do I look like I'm playing games, Weiss? Does this look like the face of a man pulling a joke? I know about the maidens, Weiss."

"O-Ozpin could have told you."

"I know about your Semblance."

"I…"

"I knew about Blake at the docks. I knew about Torchwick at Mountain Glenn. I knew about the jar of sap at Forever Fall." He listed each with a hiss, driving the points home. Weiss' back hit the wall once more, but she barely seemed to notice. She simply shook her head. "I knew about Blake being a faunus, about her being a part of the White Fang. I also know about your father, and your brother." He leaned in. "How do you think I knew when to change your card details to avoid your father stealing your account?"

"I don't… there has to be…"

"A reasonable explanation?" He laughed. "An explanation for how I know so many things I shouldn't? How I knew your bank account, your PIN, the very _day_ it would be taken away from you? I've been here before, Weiss. I know how these things go."

Jaune pushed away from her, stepping to the other side of the corridor.

"It's always the same. No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do, nothing ever comes of it. Damn it!" he yelled, punching the wall. "I tried so hard not to get involved this time. I thought that if I dropped out of Beacon, things wouldn't happen in the same way. I thought if I made sure we didn't become close, then I could avoid it all." His teeth ground together. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't sit back and watch as you all ran into danger. First Blake at the docks, then you and that stupid assault on Torchwick's warehouse…"

"W-What? But you weren't there. You didn't even know!"

"Wasn't I, Weiss?" He tugged op his black shirt, showing her not only his stomach, but the thin scar on his chest. Weiss' eyes locked onto it. "I didn't expect you to be there. That was new. Usually, Blake did all that crap on her own or with the team, but I thought that if I sabotaged her before she had the chance, things would work out."

Weiss gasped. "You're Silver. You're the White Fang spy that provided Mr Branwen the information on the warehouses!"

"Yeah, and a fat lot of good that did me." He scowled and leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Even when I managed to sabotage Blake's attempts multiple times in a row, she refused to give up. She's always been stubborn like that. Always is, always will be."

"That was your way of keeping her out of danger?"

"All of you. Blake normally convinces the full team to investigate. I figured if I made it look like the huntsmen were taking care of it she'd… ugh. Forget it. It doesn't matter since it didn't work. What matters is that you ran in like idiots and nearly got killed."

"Only because you trapped me with some chains," Weiss accused. "You… I remember fighting you. I caused that wound."

"One of a million wounds over a thousand lifetimes," he shrugged. "Forget about it. I barely even noticed. The point I'm trying to make is that I've always known about the maiden. It's not normally you. It's usually Pyrrha."

"Pyrrha?" Weiss shook her head. "This is insane. Jaune, you can't mean any of this. You must be ill. You're not thinking straight."

More of the same. He hated it. His friends hadn't believed him and he knew Weiss wouldn't. either. That didn't stop him from trying, however. He was too far gone for doubt. Too angry. Angry in a way he hadn't been for a number of repeats. He was angry because he cared. Because he loved this life more than he had any other in what felt like a century or two. Things here were real. They were beautiful.

He didn't want to lose this life, and that was _exactly_ what was going to happen.

"Insane?" he snapped. "Is it as insane as a wizard passing on power to a maiden? A power which is transferred when a person dies? That's fairy tale nonsense, Weiss, but you're living it now. You're living it while Amber died."

"You… You knew m- her name?" Her eyes flicked to his, down to his chest, and then back again. "How could you possibly know her name? Her identity was kept a secret. No one knew. She didn't know _you_ either, so there's no way you could have met. She didn't recognise you at all!"

"I think you know the answer to that already."

"No. Things like that don't happen."

"So, you do have her memories," he said. "Or at least some of them. I knew the risks associated with that damned machine. Pyrrha never showed any of them, but then again she never had the power long enough for side-effects to manifest."

"I… Pyrrha? No, but…" Weiss' eyes clenched shut. She bit her bottom lip. "Stop it. You're making this up."

"Amber never stood a chance against Cinder. Not with the tools she had at her disposal. A little girl, an apple, some charity… that was all it took for her to be laid low. From there, Amber was lucky Qrow was around to save her life." He shrugged. "Or unlucky as it were. He hardly saved her."

"This is… real? You really can travel through time?"

Jaune froze. "You… believe me?"

"I don't, no." Weiss looked down. She raised a hand to her chest and frowned. "The me that is Weiss doesn't, but… there's a part of me that does." She smiled sadly. "The part of me that isn't me."

"Amber?"

"No one could have known about how she died. I've seen images. Small flashes of memory, but… what you said there. It sparked more. You really know how it happened." She looked up. "How? I know you weren't there. Amber would have seen you."

"A gambit I tried a few centuries ago," he whispered, still shocked. Still not believing. "I thought that maybe if I stopped the attack, things would get better. I trained and trained to try and be strong enough, but it happened too early. I was never able to prevent Amber being taken. It did give me a first-hand experience of how it happened, however."

"So, that's how you knew…" Weiss slumped in his arms. "I… This is actually happening, isn't it? It's insane, but… this is true?"

"It is," he whispered. "I can't believe you're even listening. You never have before. No one has."

"Can you blame me!? Jaune, this is madness! The only reason I'm even considering it is because of Amber. Everything else I can explain away, but she didn't recognise you at all." Weiss' expression was firm, determined. "She didn't know you. She's never met you. And yet you know impossible things about her. I'm… I'm unsure, but given no other options… I guess I have to believe." She swallowed and looked away. "Pyrrha is normally the maiden?"

"My partner."

Weiss recoiled as though she'd been struck. "S-She's your partner?"

" _That's_ what you focus on?" He sighed and shook his head. "Team JNPR – Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha and Ren. That's the team that exists if I don't meddle or cause problems in some way. As for you, you're a part of Team RWBY."

"Ruby, myself, Blake and Yang," Weiss finished. She grimaced. "Ruby is our leader…?"

"You react much the same when that's decided. She proves herself a good leader, much like she has here."

"It's not that. Ruby is a dedicated young woman." Weiss looked away. "It's just… I can't imagine a team that isn't our own. I can't imagine a world where you're not my partner."

Jaune paused. A slow melancholy washed over him as he watched her soft eyes. "Weiss…" he whispered. "We're not normally this close. This… what we have here." He sighed. "At best, we are distant friends. You don't interact all that much with me."

"Oh…"

"I'm sorry."

"No, it's…" Weiss hugged herself, hands wrapping about her own arms. Her breath caught but she continued. "It's fine. It just caught me by surprise." She glanced up. "I take it we don't… we never…"

"Get together?"

She nodded.

"No."

"Oh…" she repeated, voice low. "I… I see…"

He wanted nothing more than to walk over and hold her. She looked so lost and alone, but he had a feeling she'd retreat if he moved. "I was obsessed with you," he said instead.

"Huh?"

"Back before this all began," he explained. "Back before I even knew that my life would repeat when I died. I fell in love with you at first sight. Or at least, I thought it was love. I would follow you around, constantly ask you out." He snorted. "I think I even serenaded you outside your dorm."

"You think?"

"It was over a thousand lifetimes ago, Weiss. I can barely remember what I used to be." He tapped his head. "The mind can only contain so many memories, and there's a lot that's more important for me to focus on. Important dates, events, people. I remember that I stalked you like a lost puppy. I also remember how much you hated it."

"And now I'm the one doing it to you." Weiss let out a bitter chuckle. "How ironic. Then, if what you say is real, how do you keep coming back?"

"No idea. I used to think it was my Semblance, but I'm not sure anymore." He sighed. "I decided to live this life outside of Beacon. To never even come here." He noticed her shoulders stiffen. "It was selfish, I know. I've lost so many people. I needed a break. I needed to rest. Not that it mattered. Fate conspired to force me here, and then to keep me."

"Fate…?"

"I was selected to win your interview lottery out of everyone else at the concert. I just so happened to be on the same train Blake was on. Yang sought me out at a club and got me arrested. Torchwick robbed the store I was at, forcing Ruby to come and help." A hand ran down his face. "I never believed in it before, but there's been something forcing me to attend Beacon. Something that doesn't want me to escape this. I don't know the truth, Weiss. All I know is that when I die, I wake up back before Beacon. I've done it too many times to count."

"That's how you've lost people…"

"Huh?"

Weiss paused, but quickly recovered. "Your illness," she said. "Yang, Blake and I were trying to figure out why you were like you are. Why you don't seem to put any value in your own life. We thought you'd lost someone when you were younger, but it wasn't just one person, was it?"

He raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, I suppose it is. I've lost people, but it's always the same ones. It's always you four, and also my team. I lose all of Beacon."

"Except it's not always the same people," Weiss whispered.

"Excuse me?"

"It's not the same people… is it? You already said I was different to how you've known me before. Even if it's the same people technically, it never feels like it to you, does it?" Her expression was sad. "You feel like you let us down every time. Don't you?"

Jaune looked away. "I don't need your pity, Weiss."

"It's not pity, you dolt. It's sympathy. It's…" She shook her head. "I guess this would explain just why you're so messed up. It would explain why you don't put any value in yourself. You're the only thing that can't die. At least from your perspective."

"You're taking this remarkably well," he said.

"Am I?" she snapped. "Believe me, I'm having a mental attack on the inside here. This is insane. I'm just saying that if this is true, it would explain some things. This is why you wouldn't accept us being together, isn't it?" She looked at him. "You always said there was nothing wrong with me, but I didn't believe you. It's not that though, is it? You're afraid to lose me if we get too close."

"Got it in one," he sighed. "I've been with people, Weiss. I've loved Pyrrha a hundred times or more. I've dated Nora. I've tried to make a life with Blake." He smirked. "I even slept with your sister."

"W-What!?"

"At your funeral," he said, and that slammed into her hard, pushing the girl back. "Winter was distraught. I… I was no better. We comforted one another. We wanted to forget the pain of losing you."

"I… I don't know what to say…"

"Then don't." He uncrossed his arms and moved a step closer to her. "I gave up on that a long time ago. You can only love someone and lose them so many times. The pain becomes too much. It becomes more than the pleasure you feel from being loved."

"You're a widower?"

"I never had the time to marry anyone, but I suppose it's close enough."

"It's not the same for me," Weiss whispered. "I… I understand where you're coming from, but this is the only life I know. I don't know of a life where I'm on a team with Ruby. To me, you're the only partner I have. The only partner I'll ever have." She looked down. "I don't _want_ anyone else. My life is my own. This… this is new territory for me, even if it isn't for you. Beacon wasn't what I expected. It was so much more." She turned back to him, eyes pleading. "Can you understand what I'm saying?"

Yes. Better perhaps than she could. He took the final step to stand before her, his arms reaching out to wrap about her waist. She leaned her head against his chest. "This is _your_ life, Weiss. Everyone lives life for themselves. Everyone is selfish to some degree. I don't hate you for feeling like you do. I'm not going to ask you to change because of me."

"Selfish…" Weiss tested the word, mumbling it against his chest. "Yes, I suppose I am. Will you allow this small bit of selfishness?"

For her?

Of course.

He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. He felt her sigh and relax into him as he did, both a physical and emotional release of the fear pent up inside. It wasn't nearly as passionate as their previous kisses, but somehow far more intimate. It was a gesture of safety, of being there for one another.

When it was over, she smiled and pressed her cheek to his chest once more. Her hair tickled his chin.

"What's going to happen to me?" she whispered. "Please… tell me the truth."

Jaune's eyes drifted shut.

"You're going to die."

Weiss chuckled. "I thought so." When she shifted her head to look up at him, there was no anger in her eyes. Only acceptance. "You wouldn't have been so upset otherwise. I feel like things are finally starting to make sense. It's soon, isn't it?"

"Two days."

Her breath caught. Her eyes widened a fraction, but were soon hidden against the fabric of his shirt. He felt the moisture there, but refused to comment on it.

"Two days," she repeated. "That's… ha ha. That doesn't feel like long enough."

"I'm sorry."

Her hands bunched in his jacket. "And there's nothing that can be done?"

"I've tried everything, Weiss. I've tried stopping her. I've tried killing Cinder. I've tried exposing her. I've tried spiriting the maiden away. I've tried cancelling the entire festival. I've tried forcing Atlas to impose martial law and hunt down criminals."

"You… you've been busy…"

"I've had a long time to think. A long time to try new things. I've trained myself to death before. Literally. After I knew my limits, I tried to make myself into a monster capable of taking her down myself." He sighed. "That didn't work, either."

He'd tried all those things and hundreds more. He'd done everything he could think of to Cinder, from framing to murder, from gas to explosions, from bullets to blades. If not her, then someone else. If not them, then some _thing_ else.

"It's always the same, Weiss."

"I… see…" She leaned closer and stifled a sob against him. "Right when… right when life was starting to look good as well. I'd found a team. I'd found real friends. I… I'd fallen in love." She shook her head and looked up at him with tearstained eyes. "What will you do?" she asked.

"I'll fight beside you."

"Not now," she said. "After. What will you do?"

"I'll die. I'll die and repeat. I'll continue on until I can fix this."

"More fighting?" she hissed. "More death, more pain – an endless crusade?"

"Would you do any different?"

Her head lowered. "No…"

"Then don't ask it of me," he whispered, tightening his arms about her.

They stood like that for a few seconds, simply breathing in one another, a moment in which no words crossed their lips, but their thoughts continued on. Eventually, Weiss broke the silence.

"If you live your life again, things won't end the same way, will they?"

"What do you mean?"

"Even if you do all of this again, you'll get the same result." She sighed. "You and I are only like this now because of all the things we experienced. A thousand words, a thousand experiences. If even one of those was different, then life might change."

"I… guess?"

"What I'm saying," she said, "is that _this_ will never happen again. If you wanted to recreate this life perfectly, then you'd need to do the same things you have on this life. That would mean we'd meet again, but it would be the same meeting. One where we're going to die in two days' time."

His eyes closed as he understood. She was right. This life would never exist again, because it was a failed life. Even if he found the way to win, it wouldn't be by doing this. Weiss might not be on his team, and even if she was, it wouldn't be _this_ Weiss.

"I'm sorry," he said.

"I had dreams, you know?" Weiss snuggled her face into his chest. "Silly dreams. Dreams of taking over the family business and making it a name to be respected and loved. Dreams of saving lives." She giggled. "Even dreams of forcing Blake and Yang to take well-paid jobs. Blake would be in charge of faunus relations. Yang… I don't know. She'd be well paid for a role she couldn't mess up."

He laughed.

"I had dreams of us, too." she went on. "Dreams of us being married. Dreams of us starting a family…"

His laughter died.

"Those dreams… won't ever happen, will they?"

"I'm sorry, Weiss."

"It's fine. It's not your fault." She smiled, and it amazed him how honest that smile was. How could she smile in a situation like this? "I kind of already have that family, don't I? Yang used to joke about it, but it feels true. Blake and Yang are our daughters. I love them. _We_ love them."

He held her closer. "We do."

"That's… maybe that's enough. It's not." She sighed. "It's not at all, but I think it will have to be. I want them to be happy. The thought of them being happy is enough to make me happy in turn. This must be what being a mother feels like." She tilted her head. "Hey Jaune? What is it _you_ dream of?"

"A world where we win. A world where I don't have to do this anymore. Where I can rest."

"Not one where you can fall in love?"

"I'm tired, Weiss." He sighed, and in that moment felt all of his years. "I'm old. I want to rest. I want to sleep..."

"To sleep…" Weiss went silent for a few minutes, before she slowly looked back up. "Have you ever considered that this might be happening because you want too much?"

He blinked in surprise. "What?"

"Defeat the bad guys. Save everyone. Don't let a single person die." Weiss smiled. "Have you ever considered that Fate might be on your side, Jaune? It keeps bringing you back. It gives you chance after chance, but you speak of it like an enemy."

She reached up to cup his face.

"Have you ever considered that maybe Cinder is supposed to win?"

His eyes widened. He opened his mouth, but Weiss placed her own across it, silencing him with a kiss. When she leaned back, she smiled and took advantage of the shock it created.

"You say that Fate won't let you escape Beacon, but perhaps it is the same for her. Have you ever considered that she might be fated to become the Fall Maiden?"

"But she kills me. I loop…"

"But you always fight her, don't you?" Weiss smiled when he couldn't argue. "That's so like you. You're so sweet and kind, so brave. You want to save everyone, so you give your life time and time again in order to do it. Isn't there a point where you start to ask yourself if that isn't the wrong approach? Even if Cinder becomes the Maiden, it won't mean the end of Remnant. What if there is a future after Beacon? One where you are supposed to beat her?" She tapped his nose and grinned. "What if _that_ is your true fate?"

A tear ran down his cheek. "But… but what's the point if I don't save all of you?"

"Silly Jaune," she whispered, kissing him once more. "That's Ruby speaking. You're not that idealistic. Life has shown you such dreams can't always come true. The same as mine of marrying you can't."

Weiss sighed and looked down at his chest. Her fingers played with the lapel of his jacket.

"I'm selfish," she whispered. "I don't want to imagine a life where you and I don't exist as we are now. I don't want to see you love another woman. I don't want to see myself not loving you." She looked up. "I don't want to imagine a world where Yang isn't _our_ Yang. Where Blake isn't _our_ Blake. A world where Team Jazzberry doesn't exist…"

"I can try to recreate it-"

"But it won't ever work. Even if it's perfect, you'd have to not train in order to make us the same. You'd have to be weak like this again, and Cinder would win." She laughed. "You can't have both us and victory, Jaune. It's not possible."

Then… then what was the point of trying? Foolish as it may have been, as stubborn as it may have been, that had been his motivation for so long. That had been his driving force. If he couldn't have that, then what could he?

"I want to make a request of you," Weiss said. "I want to ask something selfish of you. Something that is perhaps cruel. I don't think you'll like it, but… but it's the one thing I want in this world. Please, Jaune…"

"What?" he asked, voice hoarse. "Anything. If it's in my power, I'll grant it."

Weiss' hands settled behind his neck. She pulled herself up, but he met her halfway. Their lips touched, and this time it was nothing _but_ passion. Her back hit the wall, and his body crushed her against it, providing no escape. He forced himself on her. Not that she resisted. Her fingers weaved into his hair. She dragged her lips from his with a gasp, and then gasped again when they settled on her neck. Despite that, she pulled herself higher, so that her mouth was beside his ear.

Voice low, she whispered her request.

"Let me die."

* * *

 **Insert your sad Piano OST of choice, I suppose.**

 **So yeah, Jaune managed to convince Weiss of a sort. While I'm sure this might invite the "Ugh, he could have convinced anyone!" comments, I'd like to draw attention to the fact that the only reason Weiss believed him is because of Amber's knowledge, and that was only available because she became the maiden, and because she had a bad reaction to the machine and has been assimilating memories. On top of that, she only entertained the thought because of her feelings for him.**

 **Convincing someone that time travel is real just isn't as easy as some people seem to believe. You could equate it to trying in real life. Sure, you might be able to find someone really gullible, but you'd have to expect they were of low education or have difficulties of some kind, the kind of person you wouldn't find in a premier combat school like Beacon. Either way, if you still can't accept that, then just take it as it is.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 15** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	47. Chapter 47

**Another Saturday, another chapter. Hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Commissioned: Booya93)

 **Chapter 47 – Hands of Fate**

* * *

Three simple words…

That was all they were, and spoken by a girl far smaller than he. Despite that, they struck him like a sledgehammer, driving the wind from his lungs. The world moved before his eyes, or maybe it was just his eyes which struggled to see the world. Either way, it was only the girl in his arms that stopped him from falling to his knees.

"Weiss-"

She pressed a finger against his lips.

"I know it's not easy," she whispered. "It's selfish of me. I'm asking you to sacrifice so much, but I want you to hear me out. I want you to understand my reasons."

She paused, perhaps waiting for him to speak or argue. He wanted to, but his mind was still reeling. He couldn't construct the thoughts in his head, and he doubted his lips could form the words even if he could.

"I don't want my life to be meaningless. That's what it would be if you went back in time again. The world would revert, and the person I am now wouldn't ever exist. I'd have never existed." Weiss cringed at the thought. "There might be another Weiss Schnee, but she wouldn't be me, and might never be. Yang and Blake might be my teammates, but we wouldn't have the same bond we do now. It wouldn't be what I love and cherish, and that frightens me. Ever since I was young, I wanted to make my mark on the world. I wanted to fix the SDC, repair our family's honour, and show everyone that a Schnee can bring more than just pain and profit."

"You can do any of those things," he rasped.

Weiss smiled. "Can I, Jaune? Would it be the same? Even if I tried my hardest, none of that would matter if you died. No one would remember me, or what I'd done. You would, but I wouldn't have made a difference. Not to the SDC. Not to the faunus. Not to you." She sighed long and hard. "My existence would be a useless one. I'd have contributed nothing to the world, and anything I'd ever achieved would be gone. This way, at least if I do this, I can leave my mark."

"Is that why you're doing this, because you feel you need to be useful!?"

"No!" Her eyes hardened. "No. Not like that. It's not that simple. I just… if this is true, then it's going to happen either way. You can either fight against it, die, and condemn me to nothingness. Or you can let me die to create a new world where my memory can live on. Where Yang and Blake can live on." She reached out to touch his cheek. "Where _you_ can find peace…"

"Why… Why would I want such a world?"

"Because it might be the only one you can have." Weiss removed her arms from him and moved away. She paused, waiting for him.

He followed her. He followed through the hallways and eventually outside, until they were alone in the gardens of Beacon. The light of the moon cut paths through the pillars and arches and pillars above them. The air was cool and soft, with the lightest of breezes. It chilled him to his core.

"I guess I'm not like you," Weiss said. "When I look at this, it's a place I've never been to before this year. It's amazing and special. I love it." She turned, white hair dancing in the moonlight. "It's not the same for you, is it? You've seen this all before. You've done it all before."

Jaune tried to smile, but it felt weak and lifeless. He moved through the grass, closer to her, but not close enough to touch. "It still means something. Beacon is a place I call home, even if I know it well enough to see the cracks others don't. I wouldn't have kept fighting as long as I have if I didn't consider this place dear to me. It's why I fight. It's why I'll continue to fight."

"It's why you will continue to die."

He swallowed. "If needs be…"

"Needs _don't_ ," Weiss hissed. "They don't need be, and they won't. Jaune, you've been here a thousand times or more. You've seen what effect your fighting has. By your own admission, nothing ever changes. At some point, you need to open your mind to the possibility that you're doing things wrong. That it's not that simple."

"And what if it is?"

"Then this doesn't work and the world resets for you. It's the same thing as will happen if you _do_ fight it, so there's no loss. Consider this an experiment."

His hand gripped hers, squeezing so tight her bones ground together. "I don't experiment with my friend's lives…"

"I-It was a poor choice of words." Weiss cringed and then winced. "Jaune, please... You're hurting me." She massaged her hand once he'd released it, her eyes downcast. "I didn't mean to say that so flippantly. I'm not saying you should let me die to prove a point."

"Then why are you saying it?"

"Because it's the only conclusion I can think of. I'm not going to sit there and let myself die. If that woman attacks me, I'll do my best to defend myself. Knowing what she's capable of, I'll do my best to kill her."

"Then why not fight her with me?"

"Jaune, don't tell me you've never fought alongside someone against her. I won't believe that. Pyrrha is stronger than me, and I can guarantee you've been stronger than you are now in your past lives. How did that go?"

Not well, not badly. It went the same as it always did. Even when he trained to the brink of death every single day for two years solid, even then, he wasn't enough. It didn't matter if he fought alongside Pyrrha or not. She died. Cinder won – and he was killed straight after. The weight of the situation settled on his shoulders. Even with Weiss knowing the truth, it wouldn't make a difference. She wasn't Pyrrha Nikos, and he wasn't the Jaune Arc he knew he could be. Even if he was, the result would be the same.

"As I thought…" Weiss took his silence for the answer it was. She didn't look pleased by it, more accepting. "The simple fact is that in all of your past repeats, there is one thing that has remained constant."

"Cinder's victory?"

"The fall of Beacon…" she corrected. "You told me you've killed her before but Beacon still feel. I doubt we could call that a win for her, unless she hates the school that much." Weiss chuckled at her own joke, even if it wasn't funny. "The one thing that never changes is that Beacon falls. Have you ever tried to survive beyond it?"

"Yes. I tried to gain as much time as I could, so I could go back further and be stronger. There is a future after Beacon, but it's filled with more war, more death. It's not a good future."

"But it exists?"

He nodded.

"Isn't that proof of my theory? If Fate causes you to go back in time whenever you die, and if it's forcing you to be involved with Beacon and Cinder, then it's clear it's working towards some kind of goal. That goal must involve the events after Beacon. Otherwise, it wouldn't encourage you to face them."

"But the maiden-"

Weiss silenced him with a hand over his mouth. "Might be unimportant. In the grand scheme of things, I mean. _You're_ the one who's assigned such meaning to it. _You're_ the one who has spent his time assuming all of this can only be fixed by stopping Cinder and the fall of Beacon. What if it can't be stopped? What if that's not the point of this at all?"

Then he'd wasted his life fighting for a hopeless cause. His hands tightened into fists, and without his aura to protect him, his nails dug deep, drawing blood. Soft fingers touched his skin a moment later. Weiss lifted his hand up before her, gently pulling his fingers apart and rubbing the cuts he'd made.

"This is why I think it has to stop," she said, eyes on the blood that welled from his hand. "You can't keep doing this to yourself, and you can't put everyone else through it either. What happens if you snap, Jaune? What happens if you break and you can't finish this? Does the world end as everyone loses themselves to a never-ending repeat?" She looked up at him. "I don't want that for you, Jaune. More than that, I don't want it for Yang or Blake, either. I don't want it for my friends, my loved ones, or for all the people in Remnant."

"And you think your death will buy all their lives…"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Maybe I'm being arrogant. It certainly feels like it. One thing is for sure, though. If I don't stop you from fighting to try and save me, then everyone _will_ die. That is a certainty, and you know it."

He did. It was.

But that didn't mean he wasn't going to keep on trying. Weiss called herself selfish, but she didn't have a monopoly on that. He was the most selfish person on Remnant. He should know, since he'd dragged everyone on the planet through a never-ending crusade for his own happiness.

"We're in a situation where there are no good options," Weiss continued. "You can't save me and you can't stop Cinder's plan. Whether you like it or not, she's going to fight me. I'll try my hardest to win, but if things _are_ like I think they are then… well, it won't matter."

Jaune shook his head. "How can you be so calm about it? This is your life, Weiss."

"Is that how I sound?" Weiss asked. Her voice broke on the last word. Jaune turned, and caught the tears that glistened in her eyes. "Funny," she whispered, "I don't feel very calm."

"Weiss…"

"I'm scared. I don't want to die."

"Then don't. I'll find a way to save you."

"How…?"

"I'll defeat Cinder."

"You can't. You couldn't before, and you can't now."

He bit his lip. "We'll trick her."

"Would it make a difference? Even if she fell for it, she'll still destroy Beacon. When she comes for me the next time, I would have even less people to aid me."

"Then we'll run away," he hissed. "We'll escape into the wilderness. Make a new life. Live on the run." He gripped her shoulders. "Come with me. We can go now. No one would ever find us. We could live a life away from this."

"And condemn everyone else to their deaths?" Weiss smiled a painful smile. "I refuse. I'm scared, but I would rather face my death then know I've sent the people I cherish to theirs."

"Damn it, Weiss! Why do you have to be so stubborn?"

"Because I care for you all," she replied easily. "Isn't that the same reason why _you_ are doing all of this?"

"Yes, but that doesn't count! It doesn't matter if I die. It doesn't matter how many times I die."

"That," Weiss snapped. She poked a finger into his chest. "That is your problem, Jaune. It _does_ matter if you die. You're no less important than anyone else here, and maybe you're more important. If there is something you need to achieve, something so important that Fate drags you back in time to do it, then maybe it's important you live long enough to find out what that is."

"At the cost of your life…?"

"At the cost of _a_ life." Weiss' head was low as she stepped against him. She pressed her forehead to his chest, and he felt her let out a sigh. "If not me, then Pyrrha. Or maybe it will be Yang in another life. Who knows? Do you want that? Is there someone you'd be more willing to send to their death?"

He felt her wipe her tears on his shirt, and his arms came around her shoulders, stroking her back. When she raised her head, there was a resolute calm in place. A mask for sure, but the best she could manage.

"When the time comes, Cinder is going to find and face me. From how you've explained things, Yang and Blake are going to suffer against the White Fang." Her eyes hardened. "I want you to protect them. I want you to save them."

"Weiss…"

"I don't want our family to split apart after my death. I don't want Blake to run away, or Yang to suffer the loss of an arm. Those things can be avoided. My fight with Cinder can't. Shush," she added, and held a finger to his lips when he tried to interject. "You know it's true, Jaune. You've already admitted that your aura won't protect you. You'd hurt my chances by trying to fight alongside me, and I'd have to protect you as well as myself. It would make things even harder for me."

That was undeniably true, no matter how much he wished otherwise. He hadn't been strong enough to face Cinder even _with_ two years of intense training, so he wouldn't be now without his aura.

"You might be able to save Yang and Blake though. At the very least, you can keep them away from that guy, or stop Yang rushing in and getting hurt. That's what I want most in the world right now." Weiss smiled, looking into his eyes. "Please, Jaune. That's my request. Let me fight Cinder. Let me die. But don't let the same happen to any of them."

His eyes closed. "You ask too much."

"Or come and fight with me," Weiss said with a huff. "Sentence me to inevitable death, and then condemn me to watch her kill you as well. Make sure I die knowing nothing I did will matter, that no one will survive and that it won't count for anything anyway, because I shall be wiped from existence." She tried to break out of his arms, but he held on tight. "Does that make it better, Jaune? Does that satisfy you!?"

"No."

"Then stop being stupid!" She slammed her fist into his chest, then sobbed and wrapped her arms around his neck. "We're out of time and out of options. You can't beat her. Maybe I can." She shrugged. "You've only ever seen Pyrrha face her. Maybe I have an advantage." She didn't and she knew it. "Whatever the case, you don't have a choice. You _can't_ help me. You would do the opposite. Do what you _can_ do, and save the people we both love."

She linked her hands behind his head.

"Do that for me," she whispered, "and you'll make me the happiest woman in the world."

"The happiest woman, huh?" Jaune smiled bitterly. "Aren't you supposed to save words like that for marriage?"

Weiss blinked, and then giggled against his neck. "Hm, you might be right. Okay then, if I beat Cinder – you have to marry me."

"Eh?"

"We'll make it a promise."

"Don't I get a say in this?"

"Are you saying you _wouldn't_ marry me if I could save you from all of this?"

"Well, no," he admitted. Hell, there wasn't much he _wouldn't_ do.

"Then it's a deal. You have to keep Blake and Yang alive to be my bridesmaids, and keep yourself alive as well." She poked his chest and smiled coyly. "Then, when I come back down from the tower victorious, I shall expect you to be waiting for me on one knee."

Hollow words and a hollow promise. He knew that, as, he expected, did she. At that very moment, they were nothing more than empty boasts. A desperate attempt to keep their spirits up in what was otherwise an agonising moment.

Jaune's forehead pressed against hers.

"I'm not very good at keeping promises… but I'll try for this one."

"How funny," she replied. "I'm not very good at letting promises go. If you don't keep it, I'll simply drag you to the alter myself."

"How terrifying…"

"I like to think of it as being assertive. If you liked submissive women, you shouldn't have fallen for me."

He laughed. "I can't help but think it was the other way around."

"No matter," Weiss adopted an imperious expression. "A Schnee gets what a Schnee wants, and I've already made up my mind. You will be mine."

If she could defeat Cinder.

His smile fell.

"Weiss…"

"Shh…" She shushed him and buried her face in his chest. "Can we not talk about this anymore? It's late and there isn't much time left. Can't we just stay like this for a moment?"

He closed his arms around her waist. "Of co-"

"KISS! WHOO! GO FOR IT!"

Weiss stiffened in his arms, the two of them flinching as the not-so-quiet voice rang out. As one, they looked around to see who it was, but the gardens were empty. The same couldn't be said for above, and Jaune sighed as he looked up see Yang, Blake, Nora and Ruby hanging out the window watching them. Judging from the shock of red he could see, Pyrrha was fighting for a place as well.

"Yang," Ruby hissed. "You were too loud!"

"And they're taking too long. Kiss, damn it. We demand it!"

"Nora demands it too!" said girl shouted. "Less with the talky-talk, more with the kissy-face!"

Weiss laughed, hiding her tears against him. From so high up, it was all but impossible for their team to have heard anything, or to really judge their emotions. They had no idea of the concepts passed about below.

"Those idiots," Weiss giggled painfully. She sniffed and gripped at his shirt. "They're complete morons, but I love them."

"Yeah, me too…"

"Look after them, Jaune. I beg you."

"KISS!" Yang urged.

Weiss laughed again and pushed away. In the dark, he caught the faintest glimmer of the tears that sparkled as they fell. Up above, he also heard the disappointed cries of his team and best friends. He watched Weiss take one step, and then another.

His hand caught her wrist before she could take a third. She cried out in shock as he dragged her back, but no complaint passed her lips. Her eyes closed gently as she surrendered to him.

The peanut gallery cheered wildly.

/-/

He could still taste Weiss' lips on his, even ten or more minutes after she'd departed, red-faced, back to their room. He'd have followed, except that he knew sleep wouldn't come with this on his mind. He needed to sort through his thoughts, and he didn't want to return with her and spark an argument. Not in front of everyone else. Instead, he'd excused himself to continue his walk. The cool air didn't help him with the answer, but cooled his fevered skin.

Let her die. It was a disgusting notion. Weiss was correct, and yet so wrong at the same time. Her theory was just that. The whole concept of Fate wanting him to achieve a certain goal was relatively new, but that didn't mean it was right. A long time ago, he'd assumed this back and forth nightmare was a result of his Semblance. The problem was, it kept working long after his aura was gone. After all, it kicked in when he was dead. He'd only started to throw the word `Fate` around recently, and mostly because of the downright ridiculous things that had happened in this life.

Winning Weiss' charity lottery was a ridiculous stroke of luck, especially considering Weiss herself had confirmed even she didn't know there _had_ been one. It was a change so drastic that common sense said it couldn't happen. No one would spring something like that on the heiress of the SDC without asking her.

It was suspicious even before he took into account the fact that Blake's targeted train had turned from a cargo-only transit to a hybrid passengers and cargo train. Who did that? You didn't unload dust and supplies at the same place you did passengers. It would be pointless inefficient, not to mention the nightmare of attaching all the cars together. With all that going on, he didn't even need to consider the sudden heel-turn Ozpin performed in threatening Yang with arrest. Fate was real, and it had stuck its hand in him thousands of years ago. He'd only cottoned onto it now.

 _That doesn't mean Weiss' idea is the right one though. Even if she dies to Cinder, that might not mean the end of this. What if Weiss is needed later on and it's actually supposed to be Pyrrha who dies?_

Would the world be doomed once more, despite her sacrifice?

Did that make her sacrifice any less a good idea? His heart said no, but his mind wasn't so certain – and for that, he hated it. Weiss was wrong about so many things, but she was right about others. He _would_ be no use against Cinder. Worse, he'd drag Weiss down and get her killed. With that in mind, what was the point of him fighting her at all?

If he was doomed if he didn't and doomed if he did, then was trying out Weiss' plan not a good idea? If it worked, everything was great. If it failed... then the world would reset, and it would be the same result as if he'd never tried in the first place. There was nothing to lose where time travel was involved. Weiss would be alive. She wouldn't be _his_ Weiss, but she would be in one piece. She could find happiness in another person, probably Neptune.

His hands tightened into fists. "Damn it…"

Weiss might have had nothing to lose, but he did. He'd lose her. He'd lose Yang and Blake. He'd lose his family – and even his new sibling, who had yet to open his or her eyes and see the world. All of that would be gone, and he'd be back on the track once more. He'd need to train hard once more, which inevitably meant he would have to abandon his family. The relationship he had with his parents, the love for his sisters, his father's respect…

It would all be gone.

It was too cruel. It wasn't fair to any of them, Weiss included, and the fact she could stand in front of him with a calm expression and tell him he had to let her die only made it worse. Where did she get off being like that? How could she have so little respect for her own life? Had she picked that up from him? He knew he was a hypocrite, but that hadn't ever bothered him so long as he could save them. Save Beacon. Who cared about pride, or victory? Who cared if he was wrong, right or an idiot? If he could create a world in which all of his friends survived, then he would do whatever was necessary.

 _Even letting one of them die…?_

No. Never. That price was too high.

Would he be forced to pay it anyway? What could he do? No one else would believe him, and anything he did to drive Cinder away would only make things worse. Weiss had as good as said she wouldn't flee, and he knew that even if they did, Beacon would still fall. Yang would lose an arm, maybe more. Anything could happen in the heat of the moment.

Or… he could listen to Weiss, and save them.

His head throbbed. His eyes clenched shut. There were never any good answers, just more problems. Even if he'd achieved the one thing he'd spent hundreds of repeats trying – convincing someone this was real. Even with that, it just led to more problems. Weiss' idea was insane. It was crazy. It just might work… But that didn't mean he had to agree.

 _There has to be another way. I'll talk to her tomorrow. This was a rash decision she made because she didn't have any time to think it through. She's being brave and doing the best she can._

Weiss was incredible, she really was. Even so, she had limits. Finding out about all of this must have shocked her. Hell, he was surprised she hadn't passed out. To find that something impossible like time travel existed? What was next, unicorns and fairies? They all existed on the same scale of being outside the realm of possibility. If you accepted one, then you had to accept that others were possible, too.

Once she'd had a chance to calm down and think things through, she might change her mind. Then, he could talk to her. Adapt the plan. Find a way out of this. Nothing was set in stone.

There was still time.

/-/

 _His lungs burned in his chest as he forced himself up the endless staircase. Outside a night sky lit with fire roared away and the heat from it threatened to burn him to a crisp._

 _An explosion sounded from far above, followed by a shrill scream and a dull thud._

 _No, no, no, his feet slammed against marble as he ignored his body's desperate pain. Blue eyes remained locked on each doorway before him as he barrelled through, until eventually, with an angry scream – he burst onto the rooftop proper._

 _Pyrrha looked towards him with an expression of purest shock. She opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a torrent of blood. She fell forwards, transfixed._

 _Jaune's legs collapsed as he caught her, the girl's slight weight driving him down as he cushioned her fall and cradled her head in his arms. Angry tears burned in the corners of his eyes. "I'm sorry," he gasped, "I'm so sorry. I won't let it happen again."_

 _His partner smiled a beautiful smile as she reached up to touch his cheek with one hand. She tried to speak but the blood prevented it._

 _Every muscle in his body screamed in agony as he forced himself up the endless staircase. Outside a night sky lit with fire roared away and the heat from it threatened to burn him to a crisp._

 _An explosion sounded from far above, followed by a shrill scream._

 _Not this time, not after he'd promised. Jaune Arc screamed in anger as he tripped and fell. He crawled the last few steps and threw himself towards the door and out onto the rooftop._

 _Pyrrha's knees hit the ground as she looked down at the arrow that jutted from her breastbone. One hand came up to grip the shaft, as though she might pull it free._

 _The heat from her body was familiar as he cradled her. His hands desperately – futilely – tried to staunch the blood that pooled atop her. He knew it wouldn't be enough. "I won't let it happen again," he sobbed atop her. His forehead pressed against hers as tears coursed from his eyes._

 _His partner smiled a beautiful smile as she reached up to touch his cheek with one hand, but the words she tried to speak were lost._

 _His body was dull and his mind duller as he took the steps two or three at a time. The pain had long since ceased to mean anything, the ache in his muscles nothing more than the whimpering cries of a body that longed to die. He did not let it. Outside the fire roared and the heat from it threatened to burn him to a crisp. Like it always did… like it always would._

 _An explosion sounded above him._

 _The tower of Beacon was a familiar sight, even with its great cogwheels and broken masonry. Pyrrha turned to regard him with an almost calm expression. The blood that bubbled from her lips didn't seem to surprise her, nor did she reach for the arrow that killed her._

 _Jaune's mind was numb as he caught and lowered her to the floor once more. The tears no longer came, though something like fire burned away at his heart. His breath escaped him in a gasp as he stared into her emerald eyes. "I won't let it happen again…"_

 _His partner smiled a beautiful smile and reached up to touch his cheek with one hand. Her hair blew away from her face, but something was different. That hair he'd thought red was anything but. Stained red with blood, pale blue eyes stared up at him with love and hurt._

" _You need to,"_ _Weiss whispered. "This is what I want."_

 _Blood ran from her mouth as she smiled._

" _I want you to let me die."_

Jaune's eyes snapped open. He lurched forward with a gasp, upsetting the corgi that had been stood on his chest, lapping at his face in a desperate attempt to stop the nightmare. His heart hammered in his chest, even as Zwei pushed back up and tried to snuggle against him. Tried to shower the terrified man with affection. Tried to distract him.

That dream… it changed.

He tried to move a hand up to pet the worried corgi, but something had hold of it. He almost yelled out when he noticed a pair of yellow eyes glowing dimly from beside his bed. "B-Blake?" he whispered.

"You were having a nightmare," she said, voice low so as to not disturb the others. Yang still snored away, while Weiss was probably too exhausted mentally to wake up. His faunus teammate looked worried. He could see that, even in the low light from the moon outside their window. "Zwei tried to wake you up, but it wouldn't work. This one looked worse than the others. I didn't know what to do, but I thought it might help if you had someone with you."

He glanced down to their linked hands. Blake had thought it would help if she held onto him? He wasn't sure where she'd gotten the idea, but he felt a rush of warmth nonetheless. He tugged her closer, and against all odds, she allowed it. She sat on the side of his bed, with him sitting up next to her.

"Thank you, Blake."

"What was it about?"

He thought to lie, but held himself back at the last second. Was there really any point now? "It was about Weiss dying," he said. "I dreamed of Weiss being killed and my being too weak to stop it."

Blake didn't let go of his hand. In fact, she squeezed it tighter. He smiled and gripped it back. A moment of weakness, perhaps, but in the dark of night and with no one watching, she seemed willing to both allow it, and to put up with being the one to help him. Had the others been awake, he doubted she would have felt so confident.

"She's still here. We all are."

"I know. Sorry for waking you up."

"You shouldn't apologise for things like this." Blake sighed and sat a little closer. "It's hardly your fault this happens. It's not the first time I've seen it either." She looked a little ashamed when he turned to her. "Back near the start of Beacon, I saw you struggling to sleep. I didn't think anything of it back then. It was when we weren't close. I thought about asking you, but… I guess I never did."

"I didn't realise it was that obvious," he said.

"It's not. The others never noticed them. I suppose it was my eyes that gave me an advantage. I couldn't _say_ that to anyone though, not when they'd ask how I could see in the dark." She sighed. "You weren't ever obvious about it either. You don't make any noises and you don't thrash about. Mostly, it's just rapid breathing, or sharp gasps. Sometimes you move or twitch slightly. Your face is the worst though. You always show what you're thinking." She smiled bitterly. "It's never a happy expression."

"They're not often happy dreams." He saw her start to feel sorry for him and quickly bumped his leg against hers. "Hey now. Don't borrow misery. They're just dreams."

"It's not that. I just wish I'd done more to help you."

"You didn't trust me back then. We weren't close."

"After that," she explained. "That was my excuse early, but we became close after you saved my life at the docks. I still didn't help when you had nightmares. I'd just watch and feel terrible, wishing they'd go away. Sometimes I would hold a pillow over my ears and try to ignore the painful sounds you made." Her ears fell flat against her hair. "I should have done something to help, but I didn't know what. Instead… I did nothing. I just laid there and pretended I didn't hear or see anything."

"Blake, it's fine."

"It's not!" Her eyes flashed angrily, but it was directed inwards. "When I joined the White Fang, one of the things I hated most was how people said cruelty against faunus was bad, but wouldn't intervene if they saw it. They were too afraid to do anything, or didn't think they were strong enough. Either way, they'd sit back and watch as it happened. Typical bystander behaviour. I swore I'd never be like them. I swore I'd never just watch something happen and not do anything I could to help. Yet… I did." She ducked her head. "I'm sorry."

Jaune sighed and wrapped an arm around her. Zwei snuggled under his other, and although she glared at the dog, she didn't break away from him. "You're too hard on yourself." he said. "Or maybe it's just that you demand too much. It's always how _you_ need to bring equality to the faunus, or how _you_ need to atone for what the White Fang have done. Right now, it's how you should have somehow solved all of my problems and saved me from my nightmares." He grinned. "Don't put so much pressure on yourself. You don't have to solve every little problem in the world."

"Couldn't the same be said of you? You always take everything on your own shoulders to try and help us. You did it at the docks, and again when you chose to undercut me at those warehouses." Her eyes narrowed. "Yes, I figured that one out, _Silver_. Your tracking anklet painted quite the nice picture there."

"You never told anyone?"

"What, and put you in danger?" Blake sighed. "I'm fairly sure the headmaster already knew, and if he didn't, I wasn't going to tattle on you. Why did you do it?"

"Do you honestly need an answer?"

She rolled her eyes. "No. You did it because you felt it was the right thing to do, or because you were willing to take a risk with your own life to protect mine. That's my point. If you refuse to slow down and trust others to help you, why should I? You can't say one thing and do another."

"Can't I? I thought a good daughter had to follow her father's instructions."

"A good father would lead by example."

"Do as I say. Not as I do."

"I refuse." Blake smiled and elbowed him in the side. "You're not my father anyway. I already have one."

"Then what am I?" he asked, curious.

"My teammate. My leader." She glanced at him. "Something else… It's hard to explain. Yang is probably my best friend, but you and Weiss are something beyond that. Like an older sibling or someone I feel I can trust implicitly. It's an odd feeling. Not a bad one though," she added. "I don't suppose there's a word for it. You're my team. That means something, but not just the standard definition of the word. You're the team leader of a team I never want to leave. A part of me imagines we'll still be a team in twenty years' time."

His eyes closed. "I hope so, Blake."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. "This is our team. This is my only team. I can't imagine not being a part of Team Jazzberry."

" _But she won't be our Blake…"_

If he went against Weiss' plan and died alongside her, then the world would reset. Blake would be someone else. She would still be a part of the White Fang, and would later join Team RWBY. She'd never know Team Jazzberry. Never be a part of it.

Was preserving that more important than saving everyone?

Jaune hugged her tight against him, hiding the anguish he felt. "Me too," he whispered. "I can't imagine leading any other team." He took a deep breath and tried to keep it from breaking. "Thanks. I'll be okay now. Get some sleep."

"You too," she said, and smiled as she untangled herself from him. "After all, we have a big day tomorrow."

/-/

Things didn't look any better come the morning. They were just a different shade of bad. He didn't know how Weiss managed it. Keeping her poker face, that was. He struggled even now, and the effects always got worse as he approached the end. It was when the reality of another life failed started to settle in that his hands began to shake. Weiss, on the other hand, gave Yang a wide smile and patted her shoulder.

"You'll be fine," she said. "I believe in you."

"I know. I'm just a little nervous." Yang proved it with how she twitched in her seat, occasionally licking her lips or wiping her brow as she stared down at the arena. "If it's Pyrrha, I think I'm screwed."

"None of that! Even if it's her, we have faith in you. Right, Jaune?"

He flinched as the attention turned to him, but instincts and his self-imposed training kicked in. "Of course," he said. "You'll do great, Yang. You've just got pre-fight jitters. That's normal. Though I have to say, I never expected it of you."

"Ha! Well, I'm not normally like this. This is just a big one, you know?"

He did. The first day of the singles rounds of the Vytal Festival. The crowds were as packed as ever, and none of them the wiser as to what would happen in just a little over twenty-four hours. This day was important too, and Yang had no idea how much of a role she normally played in it. Hopefully, she wouldn't have to find out.

 _Cinder and her crew are in the stands,_ he thought, eyes shifting over to face them. The four were sat in their usual spots, with Cinder wearing a calm and confident smile. _This is the day they frame Yang against Mercury, but with him out of the fight, that won't be an option._

That didn't remove the danger, however. They could just as easily force Yang to hurt someone else, or trick an opponent into harming Yang.

"I'll bet you're not the only one feeling nervous," he said. "Be careful out there. People get desperate when they think they have to win. Make sure you don't get caught off-guard, and don't underestimate your opponent."

"Yeah, thanks Dad," Yang said, rolling her eyes. "I'll also remember not to look down if they tell me my shoes are untied."

"Jaune is the master of obvious advice," Weiss laughed. "Even so, he's not wrong. Watch over yourself. Stay safe."

"Ugh. You're both being weirdly over-protective. Help me, Blake! Mommy and Daddy are smothering me."

Blake, the final member of their dysfunctional family, raised a single eyebrow. She made no move to help her beleaguered sister, and instead made a show of settling down into her seat with a little smile. "No pressure, Yang," she said. "We'll just hold it against you forever if you lose."

"That… That doesn't help at all!"

He laughed and turned back into his own mind as the three carried on. Pyrrha had already had her match, in what was a change from normal events, but not anything to worry about. The arrangements were random, at least when he or Cinder weren't meddling, so it was up in the air who and in which order the contestants would fight. Yang's opponent would be whoever was left, but he'd watched Cinder and her merry band like a hawk all the way through Pyrrha's bout. They hadn't made any overt moves.

No covert moves either, he had to assume, since absolutely nothing had happened to break the calm. Their plan was always to generate negativity on this day, then repeat it on the second – using the virus in the CCT to enable them to shut down Cross-Continental broadcasts, and ensure that only Vale saw her faked one. That would leave international relations in disarray, and Atlas on the chopping block.

Cinder needed _some_ kind of event today, however. Otherwise there might not be enough on the second. Yang's alleged crippling of Mercury was tragic, but it had been a sudden and shocking thing. That was the key factor. There hadn't been enough time for it to make people angry, because it had been so out of the blue, it had taken time to sink in. When _Pyrrha_ killed Penny, however, Cinder had been able to expand on the resentment that had festered overnight. People were already upset with Beacon students because of Yang, and Pyrrha only reinforced that image.

The people of Vale weren't stupid. They wouldn't believe Cinder if she blamed Ozpin for everything and there was no proof. One accident could be just that, but to have something happen twice in as many days was a little beyond. What was that old saying? Once an accident, twice careless, and the third time intentional. In a way, Penny acted as the third – more proof that the people in charge couldn't be trusted. After all, who brought a super weapon to a fight against children?

Even now, he barely understood Ironwood's motive there. Combat experience was all well and good, but Penny's inclusion was definitely cheating. Even Ozpin hadn't known. Was the international kudos for winning this really worth going so far? Apparently, it was.

Jaune hummed under his breath and made sure to keep Emerald in the corner of his eye. While there weren't any obvious signs when she used her Semblance, he would at least be able to see and act if the fight took an unusual turn. They might not even target Yang at all. If they already suspected he knew too much, then tempting fate like that would be risky. They might choose someone unconnected to him. He'd still intervene, of course. But that didn't mean they might not try it anyway.

Honestly, he was impressed at Weiss' self-control. Her eyes had scanned over the stadium when they arrived, but she'd not focused on them any longer than she had to. Instead, she'd spent her time talking about the upcoming fight. Whether that was an attempt to distract herself, or a way of enjoying what could be her final day with them, he had no idea, but he respected it nonetheless.

 _I just wish we could have had a chance to speak in private._

He hadn't been able to get her alone since they woke up, and not for a lack of trying. She saw his gestures and attempts to separate them from the rest – and Yang and Blake wholeheartedly supported him, no doubt thinking he had something a little more romantic in mind. She shot each and every one of them down, however. How she managed it, he had no idea. Worse, she'd somehow convinced Yang and Blake she was doing it without realising. Who was she trying to pretend to be, Ruby!?

 _I suppose we'll have to wait until tonight. She's probably still thinking things through on her side. Once the fights are all over and we're back at Beacon, I'll ask to talk with her in private._ Even if she refused, he could just wait until she went for a shower, and throw a quick hint to the others. They'd vacate the room gladly. Yang had been insufferable last night, and it only got worse when he wouldn't confirm anything. Despite her quiet nature, it was clear Blake was pleased with the turn of events also. Those two were more alike than either cared to admit.

The morning hadn't brought the answers he craved, but it had lessened the blow somewhat. Weiss was still alive when he woke, and the team was still in one piece. That meant there was potential for things to be averted. For now, it was more important to make sure nothing happened to Yang, both for her sake, and so that Weiss wouldn't be too distracted to talk with him later.

He scanned the civilian parts of the crowd as well, and although it took him a lot longer, he was finally able to spot the larger-than-average host of blondes. One of them, it was hard to tell from the distance but he thought it was Amber, waved. He waved back. They were huddled together, and totally safe in the crowd. If Qrow was to be believed, then they'd also have a few extra watchers looking over them. That was enough for him. A professional huntsman was stronger than he was now. Along with his father, they'd be enough to ensure his family's safety.

 _I can't believe there's so little time left. It feels like only yesterday when I went to the arcade with Amber and bumped into Ren and Nora._

The memory brought back a small smile, and that grew when he recalled pranking Sun and Neptune, teasing Weiss, joking about not knowing Blake's name. All the little things they'd gotten up to in this life that were so much more unique than any other. He regretted that it would come to an end, but he didn't regret living it. The pain would be far worse for him `going native`, but that wasn't something he was unused to.

The fight before them came to an end. The roulette rolled, and Yang gripped the railing tight. The wheel slowly came to a halt. The first selection was a man Jaune recognised but didn't know. With tanned skin, a cross-shaped scar on his cheek, and leather clothing, he cut a dashing figure. The second wheel turned. He let out a sigh when it fell on Yang.

Yang swallowed. "Welp. Looks like I'm up. Wish me luck?"

"Not that you need it, but sure." Weiss touched her arm. "You'll relax once you're down there. Just pretend the crowd doesn't exist."

"I know, I know. Sheesh, I was fine when it was you and me against those other two. I'm not sure what's come over me."

Nerves, most likely. It hit the best of them, and there was a vast difference in standing before fifty-thousand plus people in a group and alone. She'd forget all about it once she got stuck in. She always did. He watched as Blake clapped Yang's arm and whispered something to her. The blonde nodded, but quickly perked up as she hopped over to him.

"Daddy, Daddy. Do I get a good luck kiss?"

He raised an eyebrow, but shrugged and leaned in. Yang's eyes widened, the girl quickly trying to dodge, but he caught her shoulders before she could. Yang yelped and clenched her eyes shut. She opened them again when he planted a chaste kiss on her cheek.

Weiss snickered.

"Looks like Yang expected something else," Blake drawled. "I didn't know you felt that way about your own father."

"Shut up, Blake." Yang growled. Her cheeks were red, and it only got worse as she wiped furiously at the one he'd kissed. She spared him a glare. "For a second, I actually thought you were going to try something."

"You asked me for a good luck kiss. What was I supposed to do?"

"Blush, stammer, look awkward… Ugh, I can't believe I forgot who I was talking to. Don't try anything, mister!"

"I didn't." He smirked. "You're the one who assumed I would. I wonder what that says about you."

"That she's arrogant, maybe?" Weiss teased. "To assume every man who comes close will fall for her. That's kind of an impressive degree of confidence. Overconfidence, one might say."

"Or that she wanted you to," Blake joined in, trying and failing to hide her smirk.

"Well, Yang. Which is it?" he asked. "Were you being arrogant or perverted?"

"Ah…" She looked between the three of them, eyes wide and mouth opening and closing. He wished Ruby was there, if only to drive the teasing home. As it was, it looked like they were doing a good enough job themselves. Yang perked up and looked over her shoulder. "Oh look, my fight! Got to go guys, I'll see you later. Bye!"

"That was cruel," Weiss admonished once she was gone.

"You're the one smiling. Both of you are."

"I didn't say it wasn't funny."

Blake laughed and sat back down, "At least it took her mind off the fight. I suppose that's the real reason you did it, wasn't it?"

"Sure, why not…"

He'd actually just wanted to embarrass her. At times like this, it was the little things like that which kept you going. Huh. Maybe he was acting more like a father than he'd realised. Was this his first ever Dad Joke?

"Her opponent is an unknown," Weiss said. She glanced at him. "Will anything happen?"

Will, not could. She wasn't asking about Yang's foe, but rather the future. He considered hinting at Emerald's plan, but instead shook his head. He could deal with it and a quick glance confirmed those four were still sitting pretty in their seats. He had a can of grape soda nearby just in case. If something went wrong, he could trip and throw it all over Emerald, breaking her concentration. It would as good as confirm all of Cinder's suspicions, but if she was sending Neo after him, then his secret was probably already out.

"So long as Yang is careful, she'll be fine. It's not like her opponent is some kind of killer."

Weiss took the barely veiled message and nodded. The relief was clear as she sat down. Blake was a little more confused by the opaque wording. Her eyes narrowed, but she turned back to await the fight without comment.

Yang and her opponent squared off against one another. In contrast to the previous fights, there was no special arena for the singles rounds. He didn't really understand that, but it was always the same. Maybe they thought it would be unfair in a test of skill, but that could have applied to any of the other fights. It wasn't like the whole arena made of ice hadn't been a massive advantage to Team RWBY whenever they ended up fighting on it – usually against Team ABRN.

Either way, this worked to Emerald's advantage. Too much terrain might have blocked off her Semblance. She leaned forward in her seat, arms crossed over the railing as she yawned. It was subtle, but not unnoticeable. He glanced at Weiss, but she wasn't paying attention to them. He wasn't sure if that meant she was brave, foolish or just distracted.

"Begin!" Port yelled.

Yang and her opponent dashed in, the blonde ducking below a thin sword and driving a fist up into his stomach. The man recovered well, blocking her follow-up and twisting away from her kick. He elbowed her in the back of the head and backed away to create some distance. The two circled one another warily.

She was taking him seriously. Good.

The battle raged on for another five minutes or so, not much time in the grand scheme of things, but one which must have felt like an eternity to those two. Sweat poured from them, and while Yang had the definite advantage, her opponent gave as good as he had, scoring light wounds on the faster and stronger fighter.

They never went further than should have been expected, however. Neither lost themselves like Pyrrha had, and the fight was never pushed beyond what could have been considered a competitive one. _I guess Cinder wants to recreate the usual approach. Once Yang wins, she'll have Emerald force her to attack her opponent in what she thinks is self-defence._

It looked like that eventuality was coming closer. Yang scored a blow that caught the man's wrist, forcing the sword from his hand. He ducked and rolled after it, and would have reached it if it wasn't for Yang shooting a blast at it. The weapon skittered off of the arena and out of bounds. If he followed, he'd be disqualified. The crowd cheered wildly. Weiss and Blake shouted their support. Emerald leaned forward.

Jaune's fingers wrapped around the can of soda. He moved subtly, gently rising from his seat as he prepared to throw. It would reveal him for sure. There was no way this could be mistaken as an accident.

But if it could save Yang the grief she faced, then he would do it.

"Yang Xiao-Long wins!" Port crowed, followed by an enthusiastic cheer from the audience, which drowned out Oobleck's analysis of why Yang had taken the match. As the crowd cheered and Yang basked in it, she turned and noticed her opponent down on one knee. She smiled and strolled towards him, her gauntlets slipping back into a dormant state. She stopped before him, and then extended a hand to help him up. Her opponent took it with a grimace. He said something no one could hear, and Yang nodded back.

Jaune's muscles tensed.

Nothing happened.

Yang and the guy waved to the audience, before he limped off to the changing rooms, clearly out of breath. There was no sign that he might turn back, and none that Yang saw him doing anything different from what they did. Instead, she held one arm up as the crowd roared, and then looked to their position in the crowd. She waved happily at them.

 _Nothing? Cinder isn't going to try anything?_

Weiss batted his arm with hers. "What's wrong with you? You've been staring off into the crowd for the whole fight. What's happening?"

"I'm watching Cinder," he hissed back. "Just making sure she doesn't try anything."

"What are you talking about? I haven't seen her anywhere."

What? But she- Jaune spun back to face them. Cinder and her cronies were still there, sat peacefully in their seats. Fear shot through him as he reared back one hand and threw the can for Emerald's face.

It passed straight through her. Her frame shimmered, those of her teammates too. Before his eyes, they dissipated into nothingness.

No.

No. No. No!

Emerald hadn't used her Semblance on Yang or her opponent. He'd been so certain she would that he'd forgotten one other possibility. That she could have used it on _him_. His eyes scanned the crowd, finally locking onto green hair. The girl stood toward the exit to the competitor's stands. She caught him watching and smiled cruelly before she stepped out of the stadium.

Jaune stood and made to follow.

An explosion shook the Colosseum.

Weiss stumbled against him, and he caught her instinctively, even as silence reigned over the crowd. A thick plume of black smoke came from the back of one of the stands. It took a second or two for the audience to realise what was going on, but the screams began a second later.

A bomb? That didn't make sense. What was going on?

"People of Vale," a voice boomed. The large screens flickered and flashed, replaced by a chess piece he'd seen countless times before. The voice was new, however. Not so new that he didn't recognise it, but not Cinder's. It was the voice of Adam Taurus. "For too long has humanity oppressed and harmed faunuskind. For too long have we put up with life under the yoke of slavery. No longer. Our war begins now, and we strike the first blow here today."

"Adam," Blake gasped.

Weiss pushed over and grabbed Jaune's arm. "What's happening?" she hissed. "You said this was supposed to happen tomorrow! You never said anything about the White Fang!"

"Because this doesn't normally happen. This only happens when Cinder is killed. She spreads it out over two days to turn people against the headmaster." His eyes widened as realisation dawned.

The people turned against Ozpin because of a wide range of failures that had stacked up. It started with the White Fang attack on the docks, and then went through to the Breach. From there, it took advantage of Atlas' presence and the lack of faith in Beacon to drive animosity between the two nations.

But he had interfered in the docks. He had tricked Qrow into closing down several White Fang operations. He had made sure the Breach didn't take any innocent lives. He'd won Ozpin control of the security of Vale.

All of that meant that Cinder wouldn't have been able to turn people against him. Ozpin had too much of the public's confidence, especially after being seen to save them from terrorist attacks on numerous occasions. The people loved the headmaster now. Cinder knew that.

Cinder adapted.

If she couldn't generate the required negativity through framing someone else, then why not go for a more direct approach? There was more than one way to drive all the people on Amity into a hysterical mess. More than one way to have over fifty-thousand people experience negativity in one moment. Enough negativity to awaken the Dragon in Mountain Glenn.

Why use hate when fear worked just as well?

"Cower like the sheep you are," Adam finished. "Know that when this war ends, it shall be you who suffer. Now… DIE!"

Another explosion went off, this one in one of the stadiums itself. A hundred or more were killed instantly, and the resultant chaos no doubt injured countless more. The screen went black for a moment, before it was replaced with a yellow warning.

" _ALERT LEVEL NINE DETECTED!_ "

"Calm down!" Jaune yelled, leaping onto a seat. "Everyone, calm down!"

It was hopeless. Even if his voice could be heard over the screams of panic, fear and pain. Even if everyone cared to listen to him, there was no stopping the human reaction. Terror reigned. No more explosions went off – Cinder _wanted_ people alive. The possibility that it might happen to any one of them drove the people into a screaming mess.

An inhuman screech sounded from above.

"Nevermore!"

"Jaune," Weiss gasped. "Is this…?"

"It's early. I… I made it happen earlier than it was supposed to…"

This couldn't be happening. Not now. Not so soon. Cinder must have become nervous. Seeing that her every plan was being countered, she'd done the only thing she could. Change her plan. She'd started it early because she suspected he knew what the real plan was. She'd hoped to catch him off-guard, then sent Emerald to make it seem like everything was going as normal. That everything looked like it was following her original plan. Meanwhile, she, Mercury and Neo would have been free to set as many explosives as they felt they needed.

Even the increased White Fang presence. He'd assumed it a plan to get rid of him, or get revenge. What if that had just been the precursors to this?

Weiss' hand cracked against his cheek. "Snap out of it!" she hissed. "Jaune, we need you here _now_!" Her eyes were wide with panic and fear, but she gripped his collar and shook him. "What do we do? What happens next?"

"B-Beacon is attacked."

"How do you know that?" Blake asked.

"There's no time for him to explain! Jaune, what's our next step?"

"We… We need to get everyone off Amity and back to Vale. Help the civilians evacuate."

There was a loud crash as a Griffon broke through the barrier and landed in the arena. Yang stood before it, weapons deployed, but it was clear she was still winded from the fight. "Yang!" Blake yelled. She vaulted the barrier and leapt down into the pit. Further down the stands, Ruby and her team did the same, rushing to Yang's aid.

Weiss stared into his eyes. "This is really it, isn't it? This is the end?"

"I'm sorry. I caused this. I messed everything up."

"No. It's fine." Weiss laughed. "This was going to happen eventually. Might as well get it out of the way now, right?"

"Weiss…"

"There's no time." She squeezed his hand. "Have a little faith in me."

He tried to respond, but she'd already backed away and vaulted over the railing to help the others. His hands tightened on it, wondering if he should do the same. Cinder and her people were already ahead, and he had no idea where she was. Had she gone to Beacon already in search of the maiden? Was she waiting in ambush somewhere? His eyes scanned the crowds, but he couldn't see them anywhere. What he _could_ see was huntsmen and huntresses keeping the Grimm busy, enabling people to escape. With no Atlas Paladins to help them, the Grimm struggled – and the White Fang would surely falter as well. Would that make a difference? Would it be enough to defeat Fate itself?

He didn't have an answer. And as he hauled himself over the railing to help the others, he realised that it wasn't the only thing he didn't have an answer for.

The Battle for Beacon had begun, and he still hadn't decided what to do with Weiss' request.

* * *

 **It begins. Jaune has changed things, and Cinder changed her plans too. As much as I felt Cinder was a little… empty in the show. A lot of the villains are. Neither Salem nor Cinder seem to have any "reason" for what they do other than "We are villains", I still thought her actual scheme wasn't a bad one. It was well-executed if nothing else.**

 **Here? Well, things are different as you can see.**

 **Just to let people know, there will be a new fic from me tomorrow, which will replace Professor Arc on the Sunday's slot. If you're interested, then feel free to check it out. I'm not sure at what time I'll update it, but since the majority of my readers are from the US anyway, the time difference will probably make it in the morning for them.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 22** **nd** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	48. Chapter 48

**Due to work, CF didn't get a chance to beta or see this. All mistakes are mine, etc. Anyway, here's the latest chapter. Hope you enjoy.**

 **Update: I'm sicker. Yay! This is how it always works when I'm ill. I fight through the weekdays, then crash on the weekend and feel awful. As such, this chapter is a little shorter as I just couldn't keep writing. It's still long enough by far.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Commissioned: Booya93)

 **Chapter 48 – Full Circle**

* * *

Screams continued to emanate from the arena, even as Jaune's feet hit the floor and he dashed towards the main stage. In the background, he could see people streaming towards the exit tunnels, even as smoke billowed from where the bombs Cinder set had gone off. There was no telling how many had died, or whether that number was more or less than usual. The stands had been packed, but the explosions seemed small and controlled, likely because their goal was fear instead of death. On the other hand, it probably led to fewer losses than when the Paladins went mad and opened fire on people with no means to protect themselves.

Not to those who died or lost loved ones, of course. Bargaining with human lives was never a simple matter. One person's statistic was another's family. He couldn't think on it, or even give them the thought they truly deserved. Instead, he drew his sword and rushed towards the stage.

He needn't have bothered.

Yang was neither as tired nor as shocked as Pyrrha had been when she killed Penny, and her opponent – although injured – wasn't out for the count either. By the time he reached them, the two had already managed to bring down the creature, which was dissolving on the stone platform. Everyone else's lockers slammed down a few seconds later, and they armed themselves quickly. He and Weiss already had their weapons. No one had even thought to ask why they'd brought them along.

"I'm okay," Yang gasped as they rushed forward. "It surprised me, but we dealt with it. Thanks man."

"Not a problem," the cross-scarred student said. He backed off a few steps and half-turned away. "If you'll excuse me, I need to find my team." No one stopped him as he rushed off. They had enough problems on their mind.

"It's a White Fang attack," Blake said, "I've no idea why they're doing this. Even by their standards, this is madness. It can't possibly amount to anything, and will turn everyone against them. No one will support or sympathise with them after this."

"Maybe they don't care about that," Yang said. "If they think this is the final push, they might not need more recruits."

"There are more Kingdoms than just Vale. This is going to have repercussions on an international scale."

"If they could even win," Ren added. "There are more huntsmen in Vale than ever before since Ozpin took over security for the festival. This is absolutely the _worst_ time for them to attack, and I mean that from their point of view."

"That's what I mean," Blake said. "This can't succeed."

"It won't succeed," Ruby interrupted. She stepped forward, her silver eyes flashing. "It won't work because we'll stop it. We need to fight them."

"Where?" Pyrrha asked. "They're attacking Vale, Amity _and_ Beacon."

"Beacon," Weiss said. She ignored his panicked expression. "The people here will be evacuated by all the huntsmen, and should be relatively safe. Vale is the same – and is too large to fall. I think Beacon might be the true target of this. We need to defend it."

"There are stalls and stands there as well," Yang added. "There are probably loads of civilians there, and if the negativity gets bad enough, Grimm will start coming in from the forest."

The others agreed, as they always did. Jaune had no idea if he should intervene, or what he would say if he did. Nothing he could say would dissuade them from doing their duty. They were too brave for that, and would probably continue even if they knew the full story. Much like Weiss was doing now. Normally, Blake and Yang were already at Beacon when the attack hit, a result of Yang's poor mood over her disqualification. Ruby would then break off to attack the battleship, but that was absent since Atlas weren't officially involved. Ironwood was still around, as was Winter, but they just had a core guard – and none of those would be affected by the virus.

Decision made, Ruby and everyone else sprinted from the arena and towards the Bullhead docks. Jaune made to follow, but hesitated when he saw Weiss not moving. He instead halted his pursuit and strode over to her.

Weiss bit her lip and wouldn't meet his eyes. "So… this is how it starts."

"You're having second thoughts," he said.

"O-Of course I am. It's easy to say I need to die, but not exactly the same to go through with it."

"Then don't. Don't do this."

"What would I do instead? Run away?"

"You could fight the White Fang with the others, or escort civilians to safety. I'm not saying don't fight, but you don't need to rush off to face Cinder. Let's find another way."

"Another way…?" Weiss laughed softly to herself. "Jaune, if this happening a day early didn't make it clear, she _knows_ about you – and likely about me. If I stick with the others, then all I do is invite disaster onto them as well. What's the point of me trying to save you if I kill everyone else?"

"Damn it, Weiss. You're so stubborn."

"Like you're any better."

"Don't be like me."

"I won't." She smiled. "You keep going back in time whenever you die, but I don't have that luxury. I guess that means I'll have to win on my first try."

"This isn't a joke, Weiss."

She sighed and stepped closer to him. Her arms reached up to touch his face, and pushed up on tip-toes to lay a kiss against his lips. "I'm not joking," she whispered, and kissed him again. "I'm taking this seriously. I know how dangerous this is. That's why I want you to remember my request to you. Don't come for me. Save Yang and Blake instead."

"No, I-" Jaune tried to follow as she backed away, but teetered and almost fell instead. He looked down. Ice gripped his feet, having sprung from the ground and wrapped up and about his ankles. He stared at his partner with wide eyes. "Weiss, don't. I beg you!"

Weiss smiled and backed away.

"I love you, Jaune. Please don't ever forget that."

"Weiss!" he cried as she ran away. He slammed the hilt of Crocea Mors down into the ice about him, and then slammed it down harder when the ice refused to budge. It took three or four blows to let him drag his feet free, and by that time she was long gone. He cursed and rushed after her, but came to a halt as a familiar figure stepped into his path.

Mercury Black smirked. The arrogant bastard sauntered over until he stood in the middle of the tunnel entrance, cutting Jaune off from his allies. He cocked his head and grinned. "Nice day, isn't it?"

Crocea Mors came up. "Get out of my way…"

"Whoah, I'm not here to fight." Mercury held his arms out, not that it meant he was unarmed in any way. "I'm here to talk. That's all."

"You're here to get in my way," Jaune snarled. His voice was filled with hate. "Move or I'll kill you."

"Kill me? Another student…?" Mercury tried for an innocent and shocked expression, but gave up with a laugh. He crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. "I guess Cinder was right. You _do_ know about us. It would be a bit weird to threaten an ally like that otherwise. I'd ask how, but I've got a feeling your patience isn't going to hold up long enough to give me an answer. I'll cut straight to the chase instead. Don't go to Beacon. Turn around and walk the other way."

Anger burned behind Jaune's eyes as he watched the other man. He didn't sheathe his weapon, and instead let it hang loosely at his side as he regarded his foe. "That's an interesting ultimatum. Is Cinder that frightened of me? I should feel flattered."

"Don't get arrogant. She's cautious, nothing more. You're an unknown, and one that seems to know more than he should." Mercury looked him up and down. "You're not much to look at, but that kind of knowledge is irritating. We could kill you, but you're not important to our plans, and not really an obstacle so much as an annoyance. Walk the other way and we'll let you go. There's no reason to die for some silly cause like this."

"And I suppose you'll let my team live as well?"

"Sure."

It was a lie. Jaune sensed it the moment the word crossed the bastard's lips, and the glint in his eye as good as confirmed it. The very fact he'd waited for Weiss to rush past before revealing himself said he wanted Weiss to reach Beacon, but without her partner.

They knew about Weiss. That was the only explanation.

Crocea Mors flicked out towards his face.

"That's your answer?" Mercury asked, dodging back. He missed an opportunity to counter, and instead put even more distance between them. "Ha, can't say I didn't expect it." Mercury fell into a combat stance, but still smiled cockily. "Are you sure you can afford to waste time on me though? Isn't there something else you're forgetting?"

Jaune brought the hilt up to his shoulder, blade pointing towards the other man's heart. His muscles tensed, prepared to lunge. "If you're going to stand between me and my team, then no…"

"Ah, but it's not just your team who are on Amity, is it?"

His blood froze. Crocea Mors wavered.

"You took away something away from Neo. She's a psychotic little bitch, but Cinder knew how to read her to a tee. Torchwick was her everything. Father figure, friend, lover? I don't even know. She's messed up." He grinned. "Still, you took something away from her, and she's just bitch enough that killing you isn't quite revenge enough."

"You… You sent her after my family…"

"Did we send her, or did we just let her fulfil what she already wanted? Either way, I told you there wasn't the time to waste on me." Mercury pointed in the opposite direction. "Evacuation is that way, pal. If you want to chase after your team, that's your call. My job isn't to stop you, just to deliver the message. See ya!" Mercury laughed and dashed away, knowing Jaune couldn't chase after him.

He was right. Jaune's heart hammered in his chest. He looked ahead to where Weiss and the others had gone, but his eyes were quickly drawn in the opposite direction. Weiss was going to face Cinder. She was going to throw her life away.

His family were going to be killed by Neo. They had no idea she was after them, so even if Nicholas could protect them – at least one would die before he realised the danger. If that one was him, then they would all perish. Jaune bit his lip until it bled. His team or his family… the same problem he'd had when this repeat began, except that he'd thought he'd solved it when he accepted he would focus on both. Now there was a choice to be made.

 _"Let me die…"_

No. He couldn't… but could he knowingly sentence his family to death? Didn't they deserve better after they'd come all this way – and placed themselves in danger – just because they loved him? A pained sob escaped him.

He turned and sped towards the evacuation point.

/-/

Beacon was already a battlefield by the time they arrived. Bullheads shuttled back and forth, and Weiss clambered off a different one to the rest of her team. They'd already rushed ahead, and she caught them stood over the downed figures of several White Fang when she arrived.

"There you are," Yang said. "Sheesh, I thought something had happened to you. Where's Jaune?"

"Someone needed his help," Weiss lied. "He's going to catch up with us, but sent me on ahead. There are problems back on Amity as well as here. He told me to take charge of the team while he's busy."

"Yeah, sounds like him. We landed hard, and came under attack. Beacon's crawling with White Fang and Grimm, though the latter aren't being picky about which side they attack."

"It doesn't even make sense," Pyrrha said. "Why bring Grimm here when you know they'll turn on you?"

"Their goal isn't to conquer Beacon," Weiss interrupted, drawing all eyes to her. "At least, their goal isn't to conquer and _hold_ the school. They want to destroy it entirely. By bringing Grimm here, they hope to cause a chain reaction that summons more from the Emerald Forest. The school will be overwhelmed, and the tide won't stop so long as people keep suffering."

"They want to completely destroy Beacon? Why? That would leave the Kingdom without the means to defend itself."

"Which would be where the White Fang could step in," Blake finished.

It wasn't the tale Weiss had intended to spin, but close enough. Either way, it would push them in the right direction. What that direction was still caused Weiss' stomach to droop and her mouth to feel dry. _You can do this, Weiss. You're not afraid to do what needs to be done. Remember that. This is for everyone._

"What's the plan?" Ruby asked. Despite being a leader, she seemed willing to listen to Weiss' thoughts on the matter.

"I think we should try and secure the main Beacon buildings. There are people scattered about, and this is probably the last places the huntsmen and huntresses will come to defend. If you see any innocents, drag them into the buildings and you can defend them there until help arrives. At the very least it will be a defensible position and they should feel safer. It might even limit how many Grimm attack. We'll need to be quick though. The longer we wait, the worse this gets."

"It's about to get much worse," Ren said. His eyes were focused not on hers but over her shoulder and much higher. "That… is not what we need right now."

No, Weiss was forced to agree. It wasn't. The giant creature appeared on the horizon and seemed to be moving closer. Although it was difficult to make out the details, the sheer size of it alone was enough to strike fear into her. _It's the dragon Jaune spoke of… it's really here. That means Cinder's plan worked even if this was a day early._

She swallowed and looked away. "It doesn't matter. We still need to get to the school and save the people there. Focus on the main school building and guard the entrance."

"What about you?" Yang asked. "You make it sound like you're not going to be with us."

"I won't be." Weiss tried for her most confident smile. "The headmaster told me about something a few days ago. There's something in his tower which can help us. I'm going to go and deal with it."

"Do you need any help?"

Yes.

"No. This is something I need to deal with. Alone..."

/-/

Jaune hit the evacuation point a long while after most of the civilians, but still in time to see a huge crowd pushing towards the edge. It was absolute madness, and made worse by the panic many people exhibited. Staff and huntsmen tried to break it up where they could, but fear for their lives had made the people anxious – and that showed in how they barged and fought to get onto each Bullhead that landed. General Ironwood was at the front, personally enforcing calm as he ushered people onto the vehicles in an orderly fashion. Most of the other huntsmen and huntresses had created a cordon around the crowd, weapons deployed as they watched for Grimm or terrorists. Several were already unconscious or dead and clouds of black smoke spoke of slain Grimm.

It looked far more organised than it usually was. Maybe that was because they didn't have to deal with Paladins as well, and Ironwood could organise it instead of running off after his errant ship. Jaune rushed up and looked about frantically for his family. Many of the people had already been shuttled to safety, but there were still five hundred or so left. Had his family already escaped?

"Jaune! Big brother!"

It was Amber's voice that yelled his name. He'd recognise it anywhere. There, in the crowd and close to the Bullheads, he could see his seven sisters along with his mother. They were huddled together, with Juniper doing her best to avoid the crowd forcing them apart. Amber waved happily in his direction – relieved to see him alive.

He felt the same, but wondered at the absence of his father. A quick search of the cordon showed him as a part of that. He stood to one side, knelt next to a wounded man. It made sense he'd have been asked to help with the defence.

But that left his family unprotected.

Jaune's eyes traced the crowd, even as he moved forward. He looked back to Amber, and to the others who were now looking in his direction. Juniper smiled and waved. He was about to return it, but for a figure that caught his eye. Neo's black hair bobbed as she pushed her way through the crowd. Her destination was clear… as was her intent. There was no time for subtlety.

"White Fang Assassin!" Jaune yelled. He pointed to Neo and then dashed forward into the crowd, fighting to reach after her. "She's an assassin! Stop her!"

The crowd reacted as he'd thought it would. The people around Neo screamed and backed away, creating a clear path to her and also revealing her for the huntsmen to see. Nicholas turned in her direction and cursed, tearing his sword from his scabbard. Others reacted too, people breaking off to apprehend and question the girl. He saw his family back away, eyes wide with fear.

He saw Neo react, too. Saw her drop her disguise, black hair flickering to pink and cream as she dashed forward. All trace of secrecy was gone. Her umbrella was flung behind her, revealing only the thin blade, which she drew up before her.

It was a suicidal attack. She would never escape, but that was perhaps her intent. She didn't want to live… only to impose the same pain she felt on the one who'd caused it.

Jaune screamed in grief and rage as she charged his mother, the blade ready to pierce her straight through her pregnant stomach. Rage tore through him as he realised the horrifying truth. He couldn't cover the distance in time, nor could his father. He wasn't going to make it. She was going to die.

A sword caught Neo's at the last second.

Sapphire pushed Juniper out of the way, knocking her over as a thin and light sword blocked the other one side-on and struck it aside. The older girl, with what scant training she'd received, parried a second strike and fell back under a third. Neo snarled and twisted Sapphire's arm to the side, tearing her guard open as she drove her blade deep into her shoulder. Sapphire cried out in agony, and again as Neo tore it free in a shower of blood.

Jaune's fury echoed his sister's. He struck Neo from behind, tackling her over his family and slamming her to the ground. His eyes flashed as he delivered a devastating blow into her face, before his fingers sealed around her throat.

Neo struggled and spat as she tried to escape. Her legs kicked back but he ignored the pain. She then kicked again, but this time bent her body double and was able to wrap a leg around his neck. She straightened out, dragging his hands off her neck.

He let go, but snatched his sword instead, bringing it around to decapitate her in one go.

Neo leaned in and blocked his arm instead. So close, the long blade was useless, and he dropped it in favour of blocking her hand when she tried to gouge out his eyes. Her face was twisted in rage, lips peeled back as she spat at him. There was no humanity there. What little she might have had was long gone, replaced with naught but the desire to kill. Lacking a way to do so to his family, she seemed more than content to settle for him.

That was fine.

He was going to kill her.

The world flipped as she pulled him over, turning so that she was on top of him. A fist struck his cheek, and then another. Through the haze, he grabbed her ankle and kept her on top of him. If she broke free for even a second, she'd kill his family. The third blow struck his forearm, before he gripped her wrist in one hand and pulled her down and over him. Her teeth flashed towards his face.

He cracked his forehead against hers. Stars danced before his eyes, while she seemed completely unaffected. _She still has her aura while I don't._ The realisation must have hit her as well, for her eyes widened and she grinned viciously. Her hand lashed out, nails scoring a line of blood down his cheek. The look of pure rapture on her face grew.

One without aura couldn't hope to defeat one with. They both knew that.

Neo's attacks became more vicious, less co-ordinated and without any thought for her own defence. She let him land blow after blow on her, but traded them for chances to make him bleed.

Jaune winced past her nails trying to dig into his face and gripped her head between both hands. He slammed it down onto the concrete once, twice and then three times. From the corner of his eye he noticed Amber crawling forward. She had Neo's sword in hand, and clearly wanted to help him.

"Amber, no! Stay back!"

Neo's head flicked to the side. She saw the other girl a moment after he did, and she looked down at him with a wide grin.

"Amber run!"

Too slow. He tried to grab hold of Neo, but he was too slow. She broke his grip with ease, pulling away and darting over for his youngest sister. With a snarl, he followed, lashing out to catch Neo's ankle. She toppled and fell with a silent cry, and he crawled over her back and tried to pin her down.

"Jaune," Amber gasped. She placed the sword flat on the ground and sent it sliding towards him. "Here, catch!"

Yes! Good girl! Jaune reached out for it with a grin. It wasn't Crocea Mors, but it would do. His fingers wrapped about the small hilt, drawing it back. Below him, Neo managed to spin herself over. It was just in time to see him lunge down towards her throat. Her eyes widened in horror.

The tip stopped.

Neo's face twisted. She growled and struggled, both hands held together above her and trapping the blade between them. How she'd caught it, he had no idea – but it didn't matter. He was heavier and stronger, plus he had the advantage of height. He pushed down with all his might, knowing she would falter.

Neo knew it too. Her face stilled, anger giving way to something that resembled intense calm. It was almost like she knew she was about to die, and that she accepted it. Maybe she had, given that life without Roman wasn't one she wanted.

With a sigh, she let go.

The sword stabbed into the ground. Neo shattered into glass.

No.

Panic shot through him as he looked up. She'd given up on surviving, but not on getting her vengeance. He saw her appear partway between him and Amber, and tear a small dagger from somewhere on her person. She rushed forward, steel glinting over her head. Amber saw it and fell back, letting out a loud scream.

"Look out!" Jaune yelled.

He'd been too weak and slow to stop Neo, but his father wasn't. The seconds he'd bought in his frantic scuffle had allowed him to cover the distance. He appeared in front of Amber with a roar, and caught Neo's blade in one hand. His other, still clenched about his own weapon, slammed into her face.

Neo staggered back and stumbled, but still managed to pull her knife free and lash out. She aimed high, towards Nicholas' face, but then swept low and under his arm when he moved to parry. She didn't go for him at all, and instead tried to kill his little sister once more.

His father wouldn't allow that. He caught the girl by her collar and dragged her back before him, and then backhanded her in the face. Neo spun about, dazed and confused, eyes locked onto Jaune's back where he lay.

She gasped when a sword erupted from her stomach. The entire area went silent, screams reduced to whimpers as Neo looked down at the bloody blade in confusion. She touched it, and then slumped forward when it was drawn out of her with a sickening squelch. Despite that, she didn't fall. She turned and regarded Nicholas, stood before his daughter. With a snarl, she hurled her dagger at him.

He deflected it easily, eyes wary. His guard didn't drop.

Neo's breath came out in laboured gasps. She stepped forward, stumbled a little, and then launched herself at him, nails extended to rip and tear. There was no sign of humanity in her eyes, only a desire to kill and avenge.

Nicholas sighed as he transfixed her on his blade. He kept her there, even as she dragged herself further along it and limply scratched at his face. The huntsman's aura protected him, and Neo expired with a frustrated sigh a few seconds later.

Jaune gasped for breath as his father dropped his sword. It clattered to the floor, the dead girl still transfixed on it. He looked back to Amber, and seeing her safe, strode over to help Jaune up. A strong pair of hands settled under his shoulders, and hoisted him to his feet.

"Are you okay?" his father asked. "Are you hurt?"

"No. I'm fine. What about Sapphire?"

Nicholas looked back to the family, urging Jaune to do the same. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw General Ironwood by his sister, standing guard and also pressing something to her wound. Ironwood was many things, and not all good, but weak or a monster he was not. She was safe. He'd ensured it.

"Who was she?"

"Her name was Neo. She's the one who attacked the girls yesterday."

"That's not an answer and you know it. Who was she to attack the girls? Why did she do it? How did you know about her?" He growled and looked back to the dead girl. "No one fights like that. She didn't care for her own life. What have you gotten yourself into?"

"I don't think this is the best time for those kinds of questions."

"You're right. They can wait." He grabbed Jaune by the shoulder and dragged him back to the others. Juniper rushed over to fuss and hover over him, while Nicholas pushed through to the General. "My family's been targeted twice now. I want them on the next Bullhead out of here."

"No, they'll be a danger to anyone they ride with." James Ironwood said. It looked like Nicholas might strike him for that, but the General held up a hand. "Use my personal shuttle instead. It's armed and armoured, and I can personally attest to the loyalty of the pilots."

Nicholas breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "Thank you."

"I'll need to speak with your son before you go."

"Can't this wait?"

"We need to understand why this happened!"

"My son is-"

"It's fine." The two men turned to him when he called out. With Juniper over one shoulder, and Amber attached to his left arm, face buried in his side, he probably didn't cut the most professional of images. He shrugged his only free shoulder. "I'll talk to him if it gets them out of here faster. I'm not bothered by what happened."

"Not now," Nicholas said, "But seeing someone die is-"

"Easy. This isn't my first. The General knows that."

Nicholas' mouth snapped shut as he looked between them. There was a clear question in his eyes, not to mention a surge of either anger, sympathy or a mixture of both. He looked like he wanted nothing more than to hold the entire world to hostage and demand answers, but had no idea where to start.

"It's fine, Dad. Trust me." Jaune turned to the other man. "I take it you know about Torchwick and the train?"

General Ironwood nodded. "Ozpin and my subordinate filled me in. You're not in any danger of arrest if that's what you mean. I simply want to know why you were targeted and for what reason. It might help us know how to respond."

"It was a revenge attack from her after I killed Torchwick." He indicated Neo's dead body, which already people were eyeing with fear and horror. "I found out about it because a student confronted me when I tried to chase after my partner. He was on her team."

"He warned you?"

"No. He was working with her. He wanted me to chase her down and stop her."

Ironwood's eyes narrowed. "Explain."

"My partner is Weiss Schnee. I'm guessing you also know what was put into her recently…"

"She told you?"

"Something like that… either way, his team wanted me away from her. The team is Cinder Fall's team of Haven in Mistral. They're traitors and no doubt already en route to Beacon in order to kill Weiss and steal what she has."

The General's eyes widened. He cursed and whispered something into his collar, before he nodded and gestured for Jaune and his family to approach his aircraft. "Thank you for the information. I'll make sure to send it on. Good work on protecting your family, Mr Arc. I wish you well from here on out."

"You're staying?"

"I have a duty to look after the people here," Ironwood said. "I shall return with the final civilian shuttle, and then look after things from there." He looked to Sapphire. "The girl is injured and needs medical attention. Get her to a hospital in Vale as fast as you can."

Jaune nodded, knowing there was little Ironwood could do or offer. He wasn't in charge of security this time, and didn't have anyone he could call on to help, soldiers, medics or otherwise. Helping with the evacuation was probably all he could do. Jaune backed away and rushed into the Bullhead after his family, even as Ironwood started to shout out orders once more. The military craft was far more spacious than the others, but was also better armoured. One of the pilots called something back to Nicholas, and the doors at the back clicked shut.

"He's going to land us at a hospital," Nicholas said. "Hold on, Saph, baby. You'll be okay."

Jaune nodded and gently pushed the injured girl into a chair. He pried the cloth off her wound. The older girl whimpered and bit down on her sobs. Tears poured down her cheeks.

"You did well, Saph," he whispered. "You saved Mom. You saved everyone."

"I-I-I'm glad," she stammered. For someone ill-used to violence, the life or death moment had rattled her. He didn't blame her. She didn't even have her aura unlocked, but had faced off against someone like Neo – if only for a few seconds. "I wanted to not be useless if it ever happened again. I didn't want to sit back and watch you nearly die." She sobbed. "Ah, it hurts so much."

"I know, sis. Sable, find me a first aid kit."

"Where would I-"

"Attached to the wall by the cockpit," he snapped. "Get it."

Sable yelped and rushed off to fetch it, while Coral leaned over to look at the wound. "I wasn't aware you knew first aid."

"You're not helping, Coral," he growled. Sapphire's eyes were wide as she stared down at the wound in her shoulder – and the blood that pooled out of it. He caught her chin and moved her face away, forcing her to look at him. "Listen to me, Sapphire. You're going to be fine. I just need you to calm down and not panic."

"A-Am I going into shock?"

"Not if you calm down, you won't. Coral, keep her eyes off the wound. It's not going to help to look at it." He passed his eldest sister's chin over to her, and the other girl nodded and wrapped her arms around Sapphire's head, blocking her from seeing it.

"Relax, sister," she cooed. "Jaune won't let anything happen to you."

"It hurts…"

"The first aid kit!?" Jaune growled.

"It won't come off the- eep!" Sable jumped back in fright as Nicholas severed the box from the wall with a single swing of his sword. He caught it before it could fall and threw it across the cabin. Jaune caught it and instructed Hazel to sit down with it in her lap.

"Is this how much it hurt when the Beowolf got you?" Sapphire asked. "How did you not cry out? How did you not die? I can't imagine it."

"I'm tough. I eat my veggies."

"I-I thought I was strong…"

"You are. You took on a dangerous criminal to save your family. You're a bloody hero, sis."

"I was scared…"

"Bravery isn't in not being afraid. It's in not giving in to fear."

"You weren't afraid…"

"Is that how you remember it?" he asked, biting open some gauze with his teeth. He poured disinfectant onto it, and then pressed it against the wound. Sapphire hissed and squirmed, but Coral held her down. Luckily, her dress had left her bare shouldered – so there was nothing to fish out of it. "I can assure you I was afraid, Sapphire. I'd never been more afraid in my life."

"N-Not for yourself," she gritted. "You were afraid for us."

"Same thing."

"It's not!" Her control broke and she sobbed brokenly. "D-Damn it, it hurts. I'm sorry. I shouldn't be crying. You didn't cry."

"That's because I'm a mess, Saph." He brushed away at her wound, trying to ease the pain as best he could. He didn't want to use any painkillers on her. She'd already lost a lot of blood, and her body should have kicked in as best it could. "Don't be like me," he said. "Don't even try to be like me. Can you feel me doing this?" He tapped her arm. "How about this…?"

"N-No…"

"How about this?" he asked, digging a needle into her flesh. Jade and Hazel gasped and looked away, pale in the face. "Can you feel what I'm doing?"

"No. W-What are you doing?"

"Just cleaning the wound," he lied. He gripped her shoulder tight as he dug the needle and thread in, being careful not to let her see what he was doing. "Help me lay her down flat, Coral. I want her on her back so she can stop bleeding so much."

Coral nodded and helped him lower the taller girl, all the while keeping her face from seeing what was being done. Nicholas hovered nearby, breathing heavily and clearly frustrated he could be of no use. There were questions there too, he supposed. They'd all want to know how he'd suddenly become a surgeon.

Well, you could only watch your friends die so many times before you started wanting to know how to put them back together again. It all started with learning how to work on a punctured lung and arrow wounds.

At least now, the knowledge was helping.

 _Neo's blade went deep but didn't come out the back. Luckily, she pulled it out and went for another blow, so there's not much chance of infection. It's deep though. She'll need to see a doctor. I can't do a blood transfusion here._

He worked on the wound in silence, punctuated only by the occasional muffle from Sapphire, or the sonorous sound of Coral regaling her older sister with some story in an attempt to distract her. He was thankful for that. The others were too frightened or shaken to be calm, and it showed on their faces. Coral, in her unusual way, either didn't understand – or couldn't perceive – of the danger she'd been in. Either that or she didn't care.

When he was done, he cut the thread and tied it in a knot, then cleaned the wound and wrapped a bandage around it. Her skin was pale, however. Too pale. He pushed Coral aside and looked into her eyes. They were misted.

"Saph. Saph, can you hear me?"

"Jau…?"

Shit, shit, shit. No. He leaned over and checked her pulse. It was weak and unsteady. She couldn't have lost enough blood. She couldn't have… except that Neo had torn her blade out, and likely taken a fair chunk with it. She'd been stood up too, which probably hadn't helped. How long had it taken him to kill Neo? Sapphire had been bleeding out the entire time.

"What's wrong?" Nicholas demanded. "What's wrong!? You treated the wound. She should be fine!"

"She's lost too much blood."

"No. She can't have. Take mine."

"It doesn't work like that," Jaune snapped. "I can't just force it into her. I need medical equipment I don't have."

It was a mistake to get so emotional. He knew that, especially in front of other people. His mother and sisters were listening, and they gasped in horror at the implication of his words. Juniper started to weep, while Amber clung to Sapphire's arm and the others fought for words. Damn it. He didn't need this as well. Not now.

"Calm down. Everyone calm down!" His words had the opposite effect. Jaune snarled under his breath and tapped Sapphire's cheek. "Wake up, Sapphire. I need you to stay awake. Open your eyes."

Nothing…

No.

No, no, no, no, no.

Desperate, out of options, Jaune pressed his hand to her chest and grit his teeth. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by deat-argh!"

Something seemed to stretch and snap inside of him. His chant cut off, followed by a started whine as pain ran through him. It was a familiar hurt… the same sensation one felt when their aura was empty. Why? His wasn't empty. He knew that. It wasn't even working at all.

There was no spark from Sapphire either. No flare of sensation of her aura being unlocked. In a panic, he checked her pulse, but she still lived. The chant hadn't worked. He wasn't able to unlock her aura. Was there something wrong with him? Did he need aura to unlock hers?

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortal-" The pain hit again, harder this time.

Was it the chant he used? _That was Pyrrha's manta, and something specific to her. Dad's was different and personalised to him. Is it not working because Pyrrha and I are so different?_ Talk of the release of souls and infinite distance unbound by death certainly hit a little close to home, but didn't represent him. They didn't represent his thoughts and feelings.

Pyrrha's mantra reflected what she believed the life of a huntress was… honour and glory to protect others. Nicholas' had reflected his, a tale of martyrdom and sacrifice – of brave lives given so that others could sleep on in blissful ignorance. Each one reflected their personal view on what it meant to fight – but neither of those were his.

Jaune took a deep breath and concentrated. _Please,_ he whispered. _I know you've not been working recently, but if you're still in there, I need you now. Please don't let me down. Not this time._ Sweat beaded on his brow. He took a deep breath, and slowly began to whisper.

"For it is in failure that we achieve immortality. Through this, we are bound to our task, an endless quest without pause or rest. Cursed by duty and unbound by time, I release your soul, and by my hand… condemn thee."

A tiny flame flickered to life inside of him. It was small… nothing like what he was used to, and he felt it tug and flicker, as if it would be blown out entirely. If it could just last to save her, that would be enough. A thin sheen of light surrounded Sapphire's form. Nicholas saw it first, and gasped. That brought everyone else's attention back, and they slowly silenced as they saw the colour come back to the girl's cheeks. Her eyes fluttered weakly and opened.

"I… feel tired…"

"Then sleep," he whispered. "Things will look better in the morning."

"Did I do good…?"

"Yeah. You did good."

"I'm… glad…" Her eyes closed, her breathing evening.

Sable stepped forward. Her face aghast. "Is she…?"

"Alive," he said. His back creaked as he stood, and it was Jade and Hazel both who caught him so he wouldn't fall. "She's alive and well. She just needs sleep… and to be seen by a professional when this thing lands. Tell them she needs blood transfusions and aura boosters. They'll know what to do next."

"You saved her…"

"I unlocked her aura and closed her wound. It'll give her the energy to last until she can get better treatment. She saved herself – and you lot. She's strong."

"Where did you learn things like this?" Sable asked.

"Oh, you know. You pick things up."

"That's bullshit and you know it, bro." Hazel growled. "You don't just _pick up_ surgery. You don't just _pick up_ how to save a person's life, or kill a Beowolf with an iron pipe – or any of the shit you do! That just doesn't happen!"

"And what was with those words?" Jade added. "Failure, cursed… condemn? Is that what you think life is?"

"Not life. Just being a huntsman."

"That's fucked up, bro."

"Life is," he grunted and shook himself free. Life was a total mess like that, and it never got any easier. Not that it was now either. There were still things to do. "Guys, I've got to-"

"Jaune," Nicholas called. He sounded worried. Frightened. "How far does your newfound medical knowledge go?"

He was knelt by Juniper; whose face was red and eyes dilated. She groaned and leaned her head back, clearly struggling to breathe. One hand was on her stomach, the other gripped to the seat she was strapped into. Sweat poured from her and there was a disturbing smell in the cramped cabin. Everyone's faces, which had finally started to look normal again, went pure white.

"I-I felt the contractions before that last fight started," Juniper whispered. "I thought it would be okay until we got back to Vale, so I didn't say anything. But then that explosion startled me and… and I thought I was going to lose Sapphire. I… argh…" She threw her head back and grit her teeth. "I'm sorry. I… I think it's coming."

Nicholas' eyes widened. "Can't you hold it in?"

"You don't just hold a baby in, you bastard!"

"Jaune…" Amber whimpered.

Now, of all times? Shock gave way to fear, and then anxiety. He glanced to one of the windows in time to see the dragon flying outside in the direction of Beacon. This was too convenient. It was all too convenient. Cinder might have planned for Neo taking him away from Weiss, but she couldn't have predicted this. Someone else's hand was at work, and he had a suspicion as to whom it was.

 _Is this Fate's work? It made me run into everyone before Beacon so that I'd be trapped in school, but I always thought it had stopped doing anything after that. What if I was wrong?_ His eyes traced Juniper's stomach. _What if the baby was another part of its design? I want to stop Weiss ever reaching Cinder, but if Fate wants that to happen, then it needs me to not be there. That Mom's labour is induced now? It could be possible with all the stress and upheaval, but the timing is too perfect._

Fate was meddling. First with his friends, and now with his mother's life. Her life, and that of her unborn child. The message was clear; stay and look after her – or go and stop Weiss. He couldn't be in two places at once.

"Damn it. Not like this…"

"I-I'll be okay," Juniper gasped. "I've been through this eight times before. I'll be fine…"

Not if Fate intervened, she wouldn't. Her body was already weak from all the previous births, and Lavender's had been complicated and premature. If he left her now, there was a good chance Fate might make it worse just to try and drag him back.

 _"Let me die."_

Juniper whimpered.

It sealed the deal. With a growl, he stormed forward and took his father by the shoulder, bodily tossing him back. "Find me a towel. Coral, I want her on her back, Sable – let her rest her shoulders and head on your legs. Hazel, Jade – I need as many bandages as you can roll out of that first aid kit."

"Jaune, what, but… you know how to birth a baby!?"

"You'd be surprised how much of it comes naturally. People didn't always have hospitals and doctors to rely on."

"But how – when did you learn?"

"Oh, you know…" He grimaced and unbuckled his mother's belt. "You pick these things up. Less gawking, more helping. Mom, keep breathing. Dad, tell the pilots to radio ahead. She'll need a doctor when she lands."

 _Weiss, Yang, Blake… please be okay for just a little longer. I won't let you down._

The dragon roared in the distance.

 _I promise._

/-/

Weiss' breath came out short gasps. It wasn't that the ascent was difficult. The elevator took all the work away. Maybe it was just nerves. _I suppose I can be forgiven that._ She chuckled to herself and reached into her skirt. Her scroll came out and she flipped it open. There were messages from Winter and others, no doubt asking if she was safe. There was no time to respond to those.

Instead, she opened up an image they'd taken of their team recently. In it, the four of them were arrayed in their room, the shot taken by Ruby. Blake was reading in her bed, but with her eyes towards the camera. Yang was hung around Jaune's shoulders, a wide smile on her face, while he had that exasperated look he often did. She was the only one who smiled normally, and that encapsulated their team in a way.

Weiss took the scene in for a few long seconds. A smile slipped across her face, before she let out a long breath and stashed it away.

"This is for them," she whispered. "I've got to do it to give them a future."

The elevator door opened. Ozpin's office was empty, the headmaster no doubt having been called away to deal with the attack. Whether he was in Vale or Beacon was unclear, but he certainly wasn't nearby. Weiss wasn't sure if that was good or bad. She stepped into the large office and looked around.

 _Jaune said Cinder faces Pyrrha atop the tower. He never mentioned why Cinder was up here, or what she was looking for though. Do I wait? Am I supposed to do something?_

Something whistled through the air behind her. Weiss spun and flicked Myrtenaster out, striking the arrow out of the air. It fell to the ground and fizzled away into nothingness.

"I guess not…"

"Not bad, Weiss Schnee. Not bad at all."

Weiss grunted and brought her rapier up before her, point angled towards the origin of the voice. Her legs tensed, ready to dodge if needs be, while her eyes narrowed. "Cinder!" she called. "Why not show yourself? I know it's you."

"Interesting." Cinder Fall stepped out from behind a pillar. Her eyes flickered like spun gold, and for the first time, Weiss noticed just how alike to flames they were. The woman had a bow in her hand, but she dropped it with a smile. In its place, a short, black blade formed. "I shouldn't be surprised you know, but I am. Your partner told you, didn't he?"

"Jaune may have alerted me to the possibility of this. You killed Amber. You want this power."

"I want what belongs to me. I need that power. You do not."

"It's not yours to take. This belonged to Amber."

"And I defeated her…" Cinder sighed and shook her head. "Did Ozpin not tell you that? The power transfers to the last person the maiden thinks of. Why would there be such a caveat if it wasn't intended for this power to be taken? I played by the rules. It was Ozpin and his dog that interfered."

"Why do you want it so badly?"

Cinder laughed. "You wouldn't understand. Let's not bandy words that will only lead to you calling me a monster. Instead, why not tell me just how your little boyfriend found out about me?"

"He read it on a horoscope."

"How amusing. I'll admit, I had my suspicions as to him for a while. From the moment he first laid eyes on me, he acted… different. There was a certain caution and fear that caught my eye. Did he know me from somewhere? Had we crossed paths before?" Cinder cocked her head to the side. "I suppose in the end, it doesn't really matter, but I did hope to sate my curiosity."

Weiss didn't respond, and instead stepped to the side, keeping Myrtenaster before her. Whatever the situation with Jaune, she wasn't going to reveal any of his secrets. If her theory held true and she died here, it might make Cinder want to hunt him down.

"Is he not here?" Cinder asked. "I half-expected him to fight alongside you. He never left your side whenever I approached, and took that attack from me as well during the spar."

Rage coursed through her. She'd forgotten all about that, and now that she thought back, it made perfect sense. So, Cinder had tried to kill her then? Gods, she'd had no idea how close to death she'd come. If it hadn't been for Jaune…

"I suppose Neo proved her use for once. It's about time."

"Do you honestly expect this to work, Cinder? The White Fang can't hope to beat all the huntsmen here, especially if they're split out over Amity, Vale and Beacon. They'll be crushed."

"Do you really think so? Good. I'm counting on it." Cinder held out her left hand. Her eyes flashed, and a ball of fire appeared within it. "I think it's about time you focused on your own problems. Tell me, Weiss. Do you believe in destiny?"

Her heart stopped. She felt cold and alone. Swallowing, she brought her rapier up and ignored those feelings. This was what had to happen. This had to be done.

"Yes."

How could she not after all that happened? Weiss' eyes closed and she took a deep breath. She thought of her team, of her friends, of Jaune. When she opened them again, they were set and hard. Her hand shot out, and a white mist began to form. It crept up the walls and windows, cracking them as the maiden's power surged inside of her.

Her hand clenched. The windows exploded outwards, and a thick and cold mist rolled across the office. It snuffed out the flames in Cinder's hand.

"But that doesn't mean I'm going to surrender," Weiss growled. "My name is Weiss Schnee. I am the Fall Maiden. I will fight Fate, and I will win."

Cinder's eyes narrowed.

"I _will_ beat you, Cinder. I'll create a world where you don't exist. A world which will last."

A world that would not cease to exist.

A world where he could find peace.

Even if it cost her life.

* * *

 **Eh, chapter is only shorter in comparison to other NTF chapters. Sorry about that, but I'm pretty down with this illness, and can't concentrate very well. Still, the chapter is longer than most of my others.**

 **The final battle has arrived – and some things start to come back full circle. The fic started with Jaune dying in fire, but shall it end the same way?**

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 **Next Chapter: 29** **th** **July**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	49. Chapter 49

**College Fool didn't get to see this, but it wasn't because of me for once. I had it written - but power cuts and problems on CF's end meant it could be seen or checked. As such, the mistakes are mine as usual. In terms of Cinder for those raising it, I know she isn't the best created character ever, etc, and I know in the show she is "evil for the sake of having an evil person", but she definitely IS a threat. Whether you think her plan was all that clever or not, it still bested the headmaster of Beacon (one of the strongest places in the world), and the General of what is possibly the most advanced military in the world.**

 **That's not a small thing for one woman to achieve with just a weak terrorist organisation, a well-known criminal and two henchmen.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Commissioned: Booya93)

 **Chapter 49 - Lines in the Sand**

* * *

The high-pitched cries of a baby echoed with the cries of his mother. The latter stopped instantly as a sense of relief washed over the woman, but the former continued – a startling tone in the otherwise silent confines of a steel machine. It wasn't the kind of place a new life should be brought into, against an uncomfortable chair, upon a towel, surrounded by locked munitions and explosives. With warfare and death outside, it was even less a world for a child.

But be brought into the world it had. _She_ had.

"It's a girl," Jaune whispered, uncertain for the first time of what to do or how to do it. Eyes a curious shade of blue, so similar to his own, peeked blearily open – before they scrunched shut and it wailed once more. Slowly, reverently, he reached down to give the babe to his mother, and she cradled it against her chest. The crying stopped almost immediately.

Juniper's face was red, slick with sweat from exertion, but with a smile nonetheless. One of pride, perhaps for the bundle of life she'd brought into the world, but also one aimed at him.

To be fair, it was better than the white faces of just about everyone else.

"Close your mouth, Nicky," Juniper said, voice tinged with exhaustion. "You've seen this before."

"I-In a hospital… surrounded by doctors." The older man staggered forward nonetheless, falling to his knees. His hands hesitated to touch his newest daughter. His eyes fell to the chord that still connected the girl to her mother. "Should we-"

"Leave it," Jaune said, wiping his hands on a cloth Coral gave him. It amused him more than he cared to admit that even she, the unflappable Coral, looked vaguely ill. "They'll both be safe with it still attached for some time, and she'll want a real doctor to deal with it. I was always told to leave it be if the birth is in the field. The same goes for the afterbirth. Just don't touch it and get her to a doctor. She'll be fine."

Nicholas stared at him, mouth agape. "How…?"

"It's a natural function of the human body. People were giving birth long before hospitals existed, and we're still around as proof they didn't go extinct. You'd be surprised how much of childbirth handles itself."

"Not that. How do you know how to do this? You couldn't… this doesn't make sense."

"Not unless he got someone pregnant," Jade quipped. She hesitated. "Wait, you really did!?"

"No." Not in this life, or any other. "It was part of some medical training I did a while back. It was mostly on wounds caused by accidents, but they included childbirth in it just in case."

It had been a civilian course, after all. It would have been too suspicious for him to enter medical school, and too far flung from Beacon. Instead, he'd moonlighted for a while with a part-time job as a paramedic in Vale, both to earn money, but also to learn the skills he'd hoped would one day let him save Pyrrha's life. They hadn't, but he'd stuck with them. Roadside accidents were common, but so was the occasional pregnancy, and the people who had trained him thought it best he be prepared just in case.

He smiled. He'd never expected the knowledge would be used, and least of all like this.

"When…?" Nicholas asked. "When could you have possibly-" He cut off when Juniper's hand touched his. Instantly, he turned to her.

She smiled beatifically. "Does it matter, Nicky? He's our son." She smiled over to him. "I think we've always known there was more going on than meets the eye. It won't stop us loving you, Jaune."

"Yeah…" He smiled. "I know."

"I guess… I guess you're right," Nicholas said. He shook his head, and barked out a short laugh. "Gods, this is screwed up. Jaune… son… you… I can't even believe it, but…" He sighed. "Thank you. Thank you for being here and thank God you knew what to do."

Jaune smiled, but he wasn't sure it was really him who deserved it. If Nicholas wanted to thank anyone, then he should thank Fate. The thought made him look towards one of the small windows on the aircraft. There was little that could be seen, but a distant roar hinted at what was out there. The battle would have already begun by now. Weiss would have met Cinder, and probably had around the time the baby drew breath.

Fate's gambit had paid off. He'd stayed to deliver the baby, and thus given up his last chance to stop his partner rushing to her death. His hands tightened into fists. It wasn't fair. In what world could there exist something capable of such cruelty? Why was he always so powerless to stop it? Even if he left now, there was not a bit of difference he could make. If he rushed to face Cinder, he would die – and likely distract Weiss. If he stayed here, she would die.

Was there even any point trying? Had Weiss been right all along?

" _Don't come for me. Save Yang and Blake instead."_

Yang, condemned to life without an arm, but more importantly to life without her partner, without a team – and without any reason to continue. Blake, condemned to solitude and loneliness once more, as Adam tore them both apart in more ways than one.

It would be so pathetic a victory, and he wasn't even sure it would be that. In terms of skill, Adam and Cinder weren't so different. Both were terrifying opponents, and both were above his level. Still, he'd made a life of giving his for theirs. Why change that now?

His family were so distracted they didn't even notice him move towards the back of the aircraft. A startled cry from the baby did, however, even if he wasn't sure how it could have noticed. Maybe it didn't. Maybe it just cried out randomly – but Juniper's eyes widened when she saw him at the back door.

"Jaune," she gasped, hand outstretched. "W-What are you doing?"

He hated that he had to do it to them. Juniper might have made it seem a question, but they all knew what he was doing. That much was clear in the shocked, frightened and horrified looks they wore. In times gone by, he'd never given a single thought to them. Hundreds, if not thousands, of lives in which he ran away without as much as a word. They must have hurt then as well, and he'd never once cared to think about it.

Now he did, and it felt awful. That didn't make his duty any less clear. It only left him with the knowledge of what his actions would do to them. He smiled sadly, thumb over the glowing red button.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I have to do this. I love you all, but I have to help them."

"Jaune, wait!" Nicholas stood, but was forced down again as the ramp at the back of the bullhead opened with a flare of red light. They weren't high enough or fast enough to cause any serious wind pressure, but he still had to keep hold of his wife lest she be hurt. "Don't do this," he yelled. "You're risking your life! There are huntsmen out there. They'll handle everything. It will be fine!"

Blonde hair whipped in front of his face, and his white jacket – a gift from Weiss – flapped around him. Below, he could hear the raucous roars and screeches of the Griffons which filled the sky. A carpet of black death that awaited him.

"Look after everyone," he called to his father, but also to his other sisters. "Get Mom to a hospital, and make sure the baby is safe. I'm trusting you all with that."

"No!" Juniper cried. She tried to reach for him, but Nicholas held her back. She barely noticed, eyes fixed on Jaune as tears ran down her cheeks. "You're going to die," she sobbed. "I don't know how, but I know it. I can feel it. You can't. Please don't go. You'll die! I can't lose you. Not now!"

It was the certainty in her voice which froze his feet to the ground. His eyes widened, locked onto hers. That was no empty guess, he could tell. However it had happened, she knew. Perhaps it was a mother's intuition, or perhaps something more. Whatever the case, she knew he was going to his death.

He did, too.

Jaune smiled.

"Be strong."

"Jaune…?"

"I love you."

His fist slammed down on the button. With a whirr of gears, the ramp began to close once more, sealing slowly shut. He kept his eyes locked onto his mother's. He saw the moment her relief turned to horror, when hope turned to despair.

It was the moment he spread his arms and fell back.

"JAUNE!"

 _I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry, Dad. I'm sorry, everyone…_ His vision flipped and turned, sky and then floor, back and forth, with only the silhouette of the Bullhead taking his family away to safety. _I'm so sorry. This isn't fair. Not to me, and certainly not to you. I get another chance to save everyone, but you don't. This set of circumstances might never happen again._ A tear slipped from his eye, torn away by the rushing wind. _For what it's worth, I'll never forget it._

His arms and legs spread out, catching the wind as he brought his spinning to a stop, his body falling backwards with his face to the sky, filled with stars and a broken moon. With a forlorn sigh, he flipped himself over, arms falling in to his side as he hurtled towards the Griffons that blocked his path.

His aura still wasn't working. He'd be killed by them, and even if he could make it by, the impact with the ground would surely end him. Landing strategies were for those with the means to protect themselves. Without his aura, he was doomed.

He'd known that, of course.

His eyes closed.

"I know we've not gotten on of late. I've been distracted. I've been trying to escape…" He chuckled. "I've been pulling a Blake. That stops now. I won't run away any longer. I'm going to fight. I'm going to keep fighting, and I don't care if that means this ends now, next repeat, or a hundred thousand repeats from now, because I am _not_ going to give up." His eyes snapped open, lips peeled back. "I won't give up. I won't stop fighting. I won't stop trying to save them. I'm condemned to this path, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't have chosen it for myself! I'll never regret it! Not once!"

The Griffons below screeched, and some noticed him. He saw one careen away from the horde, surging towards him. Crocea Mors came free from her sheathe with a mighty rasp of steel on steel. The blade glinted.

"So fight with me," Jaune roared. "Help me! Come back and help me make a difference. I know you're still there, and I know you haven't given up. You're my soul. You're a part of me. Jaune Arc doesn't give up, so come! Come and fight!"

Something flickered inside of him. His eyes shone as he drew his family blade – as old, if not older than he – back above him. Both his hands wrapped about the hilt, fingers feeling that oh, so familiar leather.

His aura flared.

The blade came down.

"YOU'RE IN MY WAY!"

/-/

Yang knew this had been a bad idea. As the blonde dragged herself to her feet and staggered over to her partner, she even felt the need to let her know.

"I know," Blake growled. "I didn't realise _he_ would be here."

The _he_ in question was a man probably only a little older than them, though he was definitely far stronger. He stood in the middle of the cafeteria with a blade the colour of blood held before him. His hair was the same, but the mask on his face was white. The White Fang…

"What are you doing here, Adam?" Blake asked, her weapon drawn. "Why are you doing this?"

"Which is that, my love? Why am I here, with you – or why are we, the White Fang, working towards our goal?"

"This isn't what the White Fang wanted! This isn't freedom or equality. It's a massacre!"

"Yeah, and of yourselves," Yang added. "What, you thought it would be a good idea to have your guys bring in Grimm and let them loose? Most of the dead here are White Fang. Not exactly the best plan you guys ever had."

"Sacrifices are necessary for-"

"Sacrifices!?" Blake hissed. "Listen to yourself, Adam! This is madness. Our cause was to _help_ faunus, not throw their lives away as-"

"You do not get to talk about our cause, traitor!" Adam screamed. "You do not get to act as though you have any right to judge this. You, who ran away from your duty, from your birth right, from _me_!"

"Seems like you're more upset about the latter," Yang teased. "Oh, did someone hurt your feelings?"

"You dare mock me, human?"

Yeah, she dared… but only because it was her only hope. She wasn't an idiot, no matter how reckless she often came across. This guy was strong; too strong. The only way they stood a chance was if he let his guard down, or more precisely, got so angry he became sloppy. "Blake," she whispered, "How tough is this guy exactly?"

"He is almost considered as strong as the leader of the White Fang…"

 _Well, that's typical. How come we never get attacked by someone weak enough to be considered the baby of the White Fang – or the mediocre? Nooo, it's always mastermind criminals, or strong terrorists, or big Grimm._

Damn it. They'd only come here to try and save some people they'd heard were trapped inside. Many of those were unconscious – or so she hoped – on the floor. Blake had saved one from being skewered, but he'd crawled to safety minutes ago.

"No more distractions," Adam said. He flicked his sword to the side, cutting a table leg in two. "I believe it's time I showed you how much your betrayal hurt me. I'll start with your friend, and then find the others. I'll make you watch as I destroy everything you care about."

Yang fell into a low stance.

Blake aimed her weapon at him. "I won't let you."

"I don't think you'll be able to stop me, my love."

"Adam, NO!"

He blurred forward, blade a flash of crimson light. Yang's fists rose to block it, but a mighty crash brought an end to the fight before it could begin. Adam's head flicked up and to the side, and with a muffled curse, he cut his attack short and leapt back, using tables to hop to safety as the roof caved in.

Dust and rubble rained down between them, smashing tables and shattering plates and glasses as a dark creature broke through the wall. The Grimm, easily thirty feet or so in length, careened into the cafeteria and hit the ground hard, carving a path through tile and gravel.

Yang coughed and stepped back, waving away the smoke with one hand. What the hell was that? Had a Griffon literally flown into the building? Beside her, Blake was silent, staring into the smoke with wide eyes. Yang followed her gaze.

The Griffon, for what else could it be, was dead. Its body was slowly dissolving even as it crashed, and now it fluttered away like motes of dark light. Through the smoke and dust that was left behind, she caught a silhouette.

"Yeah, Adam," a familiar voice called from within. "Don't be a dick."

She recognised the voice in an instant, as did Blake. The smile that spread across her face was nothing compared to what she felt inside. It was all she could do to grin at him when he strode from the smoke, sword held tip to the floor at his side. "About time you made it," she said. "I thought our illustrious team leader was about to leave us to sort this mess out on our own."

"I lost my bullhead ticket and had to find a new one." He nodded to the quickly vanishing Griffon. "I wouldn't recommend it. They may be quick, but the on-flight entertainment sucks."

Blake shook her head, as though she couldn't quite believe he could joke at a time like this. Yang could believe it. This was Jaune Arc, after all. This was the guy she called her team leader – and the guy she sometimes called Dad.

"Yet another fool come to the slaughter," Adam said, stepping over a ruined table. "Do you expect me to be impressed at your entrance?"

"No. I expect you to be an angst-ridden little flea. I see you're still compensating with that big red rod of yours. Didn't I tell you before you're not fooling anyone?"

Yang sniggered. Blake sighed.

Adam narrowed his eyes. "Who… are you?"

"Oh, you don't recognise me?" Jaune turned to face the man fully, holding both arms out beside him. "Man, that hurts, Adam. Would it help if I took my clothes off?"

"The idiot from the train..."

"Ah, so you _do_ remember me. Well, a particular part of me. I'm flattered." Jaune's eyes slid from the faunus and to them. "Go to the tower of Beacon. Weiss needs your help."

Yang's smile fell in an instant, but Blake beat her to the punch.

"Are you mad?" she hissed. "Jaune, this is Adam Taurus. He's one of the strongest fighters in the White Fang. You _can't_ face him on your own. You'll be killed! I'll fight with you."

"As will I," Yang said.

"No." Jaune shook his head firmly. "You don't understand. Weiss is on the tower… she's fighting against someone far stronger than this, the person who is responsible for this whole attack. She's fighting _his_ boss, and she's fighting her alone."

She- no, surely that wasn't the case. Yang's eyes flicked out the window and towards the tower, where true to his words, flashes of light could be seen. She doubted very much the headmaster was having a rave in his office, which meant something was going on. But Weiss had said she needed to go up there on her own…

Weiss, that stupid little piece of-

"Yang can go," Blake said, sending a nod her way. "I'll stay and help you."

"No! Damn it, we don't have time for this." Jaune's eyes flashed as he watched them, and for the first time, Yang felt his anger directed on them. "As your team leader, as your friend, as your _father_ , I command, ask – beg – you to go and help her. She _will_ die."

His voice cut off in a choked gasp.

"You two are the _only_ ones who can help her. I _need_ you to do this for me… please…"

Shit.

That was what the situation was; absolute shit. Yang bit her lip and looked at Jaune, then to his opponent, and finally to the tower. A choice between him and Weiss, and not an easy one to make – but he sounded so certain of Weiss' death, and if her enemy _was_ the one in charge…

"What about you?" Yang asked. "Promise me you'll be okay and we'll go."

"Yang!" Blake hissed.

"Promise me!" Yang snapped, overriding her partner. "I'm not losing anyone else. I already lost two Moms, and I'm not losing my family here as well. I refuse."

"I promise I'll survive."

Her eyes watered. "I don't believe you…"

"Yang…" Jaune looked to her and smiled, his eyes softening. "Have a little faith in me, hey?"

Damn it. Damn it, damn the White Fang – and damn him! Yang's growl cut off into a sob half way, but she turned and sprinted away. Blake watched her for a second, and then him. When it was clear he wouldn't be moved, she sent him a single nod. The message was clear. She expected him to keep that promise for her as well.

Jaune nodded back.

"You'd better keep it," Blake whispered, and rushed after her partner.

/-/

Jaune smiled as he listened to them go, escaping out into the night and away. It was a desperate gambit, and not one he was at all sure would work – but it was all he had. He was weak. They were not. Where he'd had seventeen biological years of relatively easy living, Yang and Blake had been training hard and fighting for their lives. Those two wouldn't be taken down so easily.

There was a flutter of movement and a foot hitting the floor. A red blur shot by him, chasing after the two. Adam's lips were a thin line, his blade arcing down towards Blake from behind.

Crocea Mors met it in a shower of sparks. It twisted, pushing the red blade to the side, before Jaune's fist struck out and caught Adam on the cheek. He staggered back, while Jaune opened closed his hand, marvelling at the aura that crackled on the surface of his skin.

 _I won't run away again,_ he told himself. _Now, we fight together… to save them._

"You are foolish to stand against me, human. Move aside and I'll consider leaving you to the Grimm. I have no interest in you."

"But plenty in Blake, right?" he asked, stepping forward. He smiled brightly, his sword twisting left and right. Adam's eyes followed it warily. "You know… the whole `jealous boyfriend` thing isn't really working for you. Little wonder Blake ran. Attacking Beacon on top of all that…? Yeah, I bet that impressed her."

"I don't need to explain myself to you, nor to one such as her."

"No? And you don't need to explain to all your men who got killed either?"

"They knew the risks." Adam snarled and shook his head. "They were well awar-" He ducked at the last second, the silvery blade nearly taking off his head at the shoulders. His came up, blocking the follow-up strike, and he was able to disengage with a twirl, leaping back several feet. "Striking while I was distracted… you don't fight like the others."

"The others fight honourably," Jaune agreed. He shrugged. "I don't really intend to fight you."

"Then what _do_ you intend?"

Jaune smiled.

"I intend to kill you."

The dust from the ruined wall billowed up between then, threatening to obscure the fighters from view. Jaune's face remained set in a polite smile as it did, while Adam's was twisted with hatred. The moment it covered them completely, silver light flashed through it.

Adam parried the attack with ease, knocking it up. His hands pulled back lunging in return and towards his throat.

Jaune's left hand caught it, fingers wrapping around the blade as he pushed it out and to the side. He saw Adam's eyes widen, and then flash up to Crocea Mors, which struck down like a thunderbolt. Adam tried to draw back, but aura sparked as Jaune's grip held true.

The noise Adam made was equal parts horrendous and satisfying. He cried out in agony, his arm held up to take the blow – and no doubt tearing a chunk from his aura at the same time. The sword rose and fell again, but Adam slipped back, _ripping_ his sword from Jaune's hand in a shower of sparks and aura.

He ignored the pain, even if it felt like he'd put his hand in a blender. His skin smoked, and he waved his hand to dispel it.

"You can control your aura that well?" Adam asked. "Impressive."

"You pick up a few things in several hundred years."

Adam's eyes narrowed in confusion.

"Don't think on it so much, Taurus. You'll hurt yourself." He lashed out to the right, prompting defence there, before feinting down and pushing his pommel up and under Adam's chin. The faunus caught it with one hand, slicing across his body, but for Jaune's scabbard coming up in his off-hand and blocking it.

The metal sheathe expanded and collapsed, folding back into the shield he didn't think he'd used for so long. To be fair, he hadn't needed to. What use was defence for a man who didn't fear for his own life? Now, things were different.

He'd made a promise, several promises in fact. He'd never been good at keeping them, but that wasn't for a lack of trying. Even if it was all but impossible, he'd give this everything he had.

And make no mistake, it _was_ all but impossible. Adam was on the back foot and uncertain of his opponent, with no understanding of his capabilities, and also Blake on his mind. That would change, and he'd start to take the fight more seriously.

"Interesting fighting style," Adam commented, nodding in something that might have been respect, had he been capable of feeling such for a human. "You use a sword, but your style seems to focus more around disrupting and confusing your opponent. It's not typical swordplay, at least not in a way I understand it."

Adam was spot on. He was a monster like that. What was the point of swordplay against people he knew would be stronger, faster, and more skilled than he? You didn't fight someone like that at their own game, and Adam was counted among the enemies he truly desired to kill.

"I make do with what I can," Jaune said, dashing forwards. He cut across Adam's torso, and then turned to deflect the attack as the agile faunus leapt over his head, striking from behind. His shield came up, catching Adam's body against it. He tried to use that to crush him, but Adam kicked off and landed on a nearby table.

Jaune followed quickly, hopping up onto the woodwork and knocking several drinks off. Memories of the food fight flashed back as he struck, but this held a hint of violence that had been absent that day.

Adam parried and diverted, dropping low and pulling his blade back to try and take him off at the ankles. The red edge sailed past his boots, cutting naught but air, and Jaune landed back down atop it, trapping the metal underfoot.

He kicked out, launching a plate of miscellaneous crap into the terrorist's eyes.

A shoulder caught him in the stomach, driving the air from him and forcing him off his opponent's sword. He landed hard, planted a hand down and flipped back up onto his feet in time to widen his eyes. The red blade skirted his face, cutting a groove under his eye that even his aura hadn't been enough to protect him from. Blood sprayed lightly, but Jaune dropped low and spun, sweeping the other man's legs aside.

Mid-fall, Adam sheathed his blade and concentrated.

Jaune was already off the table when the crimson wave struck, incinerating it and much of the floor behind it. He ducked back, slipping over another pair of benches, and jumping atop a table several meters away.

The two fighters watched one another, each panting lightly. Adam had drawn first blood, but the length of the fight, not to mention the exchange, had clearly surprised him. They were just students, after all. What right did one of them have to challenge someone like him?

Behind the mask, Adam's eyes narrowed. "I heard you killed your fair share of my men, and later Torchwick as well. No normal student could do that. You don't act like a child. You're different. You're… more like me. Who are you… one of Ozpin's pet huntsmen?" Adam inspected the white uniform jacket he wore. "Atlas Special Forces sent to protect the Schnee?

"Something altogether different," Jaune said. He wiped the blood away, but there was no smile this time. His eyes were hard, and promised nothing but a fight to the death. "I've been called many things. I've _been_ many things. Student, rogue, doctor, idiot, best friend, monster, lover… everyone calls me something different. Blake, though… well…"

Jaune grinned.

"She calls me _Daddy_."

Adam's scream was filled with rage.

/-/

"Damn it, damn it, damn it," Yang yelled, rushing down the path with Blake beside her. Her partner was quiet, but she knew the same thoughts ran through her head. Leaving him behind left a sour taste in her mouth, but she had to trust him – had to. Up ahead, atop the tower, the lights had become clearer, and it looked like he was right. She saw the windows shatter and fall outwards, clear signs of intense combat. "You better be okay, Weiss."

"She'll be fine, Yang. We'll make sure of it."

Yeah, damn right they would. They'd get her highness out of whatever mess she'd walked into, then come back for Jaune – and if she had to lock the two in a god-damned _cage_ to get them together, she'd do that too.

Up ahead, a Beowolf dared to stand in her way. Ember Celica clicked into place, Yang's eyes flashing red. She didn't have the _time_ for this. Her fist cocked back, prepared to tear a doorway right through its stomach.

Something struck it from behind before they could reach it, reducing it to nothingness.

"Yo, you two okay?" the student asked. "Things are getting hectic here."

Yang and Blake skidded to a stop, more because she had to or she'd run the guy down. Her eyes flickered back to normal, but didn't remove themselves from the tower. "Yeah, thanks. Look, we've got somewhere we need to be. Sorry, but can you handle things alone here?"

"Huh, yeah I guess. Why, what's up?"

"One of our teammates is fighting for her life," Yang said.

"Two," Blake amended.

"Two of them are. Either way, we need to get to the top of the tower and save her ass. Sorry we can't help." Yang pushed past him. "I'm sure you'll be fine. There are more people defending the main academy if you need help."

"You're headed to the tower, huh?" The guy's voice sounded intrigued, and perhaps amused. Yang's eyes narrowed. "Your teammate is Weiss Schnee, right?"

Yang paused. "You've seen her?"

"Yeah, but it wasn't going up the tower. She went off towards the Bullhead docks. I didn't see anyone with her, and it didn't look like she was fighting anyone. You might want to check there."

Why would Weiss-? Yang shook her head. No, that didn't seem right. Jaune was certain, and Weiss had as good as told them she was going up the tower. It wasn't like her to change her mind. The guy must have mistaken her for someone else.

"We'll check out the tower just in case," she said, moving past him. "Thanks, anyway."

He huffed, but let them past. Yang started to jog, Blake at her side, but her eyes widened when she heard a tell-tale whisper of air beside her. "Get down!" she snapped, throwing Blake aside.

Something struck her back with the force of a car. Yang cried out, propelled forward so that her face struck a tree. She bounced off it and staggered, dazed. Before she could push herself off, a blade settled on her neck. Yang found herself looking up into red eyes hanging from the tree she'd hit.

Yang's hand caught it before it could slit her throat, but struggled to push it away. From the corner of her eye, she saw the silver-haired guy rushing in, one leg chambered to strike her in the face. The grooves on his boots spoke of hidden weapons – and she could only imagine the damage they'd do.

She was trapped. Blake was still recovering – and she was stuck between a tree, a sickle, and the business-end of a guy's rocket boots.

"Time to say goodnight, babe!"

Blake's eyes widened. "YANG!"

Something black moved.

It was all she could say, and all she saw as her eyes focused on her death approaching. Her head would explode like a melon, or be cut short if she tried to duck and pushed herself down onto the blade. Instead, something swirled to life next to them, and a black blur shot out from it. Red light flashed, a sound like steel striking steel, and all of a sudden the edge against her throat was gone, the green-haired girl dragged from the tree and sent skidding across the grass.

Yang gasped for breath and would have fallen to her knees if it wasn't for Blake catching her. Her eyes widened. It hadn't been Blake to save her.

Black hair, blacker than any she'd seen before, wild and loose in a style similar to her own yet somehow more primal. The woman was garbed in clothes of crimson and black, and with a mask that covered most of her face. Still, it would have been impossible for her not to recognise the woman's outfit.

It featured on every picture her Dad still owned.

"Mo-" The word soured in her mouth. "R-Raven…"

The woman, her biological mother, looked uninterested in her. The eyes passed over her, little more than the briefest touch, before they were all of a sudden back on the two before her. Yang's eyes flashed, but Blake held her back.

"Yang," she hissed, "We need to save Weiss. Please, come on. We can't waste any more time."

Red eyes met yellow, and then turned back to lilac as the words sunk in. Her mother stood before her, the first time she'd ever met or seen her, but Jaune lay behind – facing off against a monster, and Weiss lay ahead, doing much the same.

This might have been the only chance she'd have to talk with the woman who birthed her, but she wasn't going to lose the people who stood by her for it. "Fine," she said. "Let's go."

Raven didn't bat an eyelid as her daughter and the other girl fled. Was it weakness or strength? Only time would tell. Regardless, Yang had received her one chance. It was all she ever gave, and she sheathed her sword at her side.

A foot flew past her face, and then a bullet whizzed past the other side.

"I have no interest in you two," Raven said, voice low. "Leave now, and do not return."

"Like we're going to do that!" the green-haired one growled. "You got in our way. Our job was to keep those two idiots away, and you ruined it. Now we have to chase them down and kill them before they can mess everything up."

Raven cocked her head to the side to better regard the girl. Her fingers stretched out, settling on the hilt of her weapon once more. If they chased after and killed Yang, it would render her intervention pointless – the endeavour a waste of time.

"I cannot allow you to do that," she warned. "I have no interest in you, but if you continue this foolishness, I shall not spare you. Retreat now." Her red eyes narrowed. "This is your one and only chance."

The two teenagers looked to one another, but their answer was clear the moment they did. The silver-haired one went left, the green to the right – both flanking her position as they prepared themselves for combat.

Her blade clicked free.

The fools…

/-/

Weiss gasped as the flames rushed past her shoulder. They didn't hit, but the heat from them was enough to send waves of pain radiating through her. She responded with a lance of crystalline ice sent straight for the woman's midsection, but she batted it aside with ease.

The fight, if one could call it that, was not going well.

 _She's so much stronger than me, and she knows how to use the power where I'm barely grasping at it. Is this really the difference between us?_ It seemed unreal, especially considering that Cinder had only had a few short months on her. The results were hard to argue with. She was losing.

That was how it was supposed to be though, wasn't it? As much as she hated to admit or accept it, this was the direction Fate wanted. The knowledge had her lips pressed together, and Weiss dragged herself back onto her feet, Myrtenaster at the ready. No. She refused to believe that. She'd promised him she would try her hardest to defeat Fate, and that was what she would do. Her breath came out in a soft mist, and she glared at the older woman.

"You've grasped that power faster than I expected you would," Cinder said. "I can't help but wonder if that is Amber's doing and not yours. The process that fool Ozpin used to transfer her aura to you might have brought some of her along. The knowledge of how to fight as you are now, perhaps?" She laughed. "How typical of a Schnee, I suppose. Why work for knowledge and power when it can be granted to you?"

"If you're trying to make me angry, you might as well stop. Things like that don't bother me anymore, and I've developed quite the patience in my time at Beacon."

All thanks to a certain frustrating partner of hers, of course. He'd made many changes in her, some less welcome than others, but none she felt she could regret. Beacon had been nothing like she expected, and that was by no means a bad thing.

Weiss took a step forward, balancing her weight on her left foot. Cinder reacted, darting forwards, her twin blade aligned to parry and strike at the same time. She took on her rapier, down near the hilt, then leaned away from the other, letting it glide past her face.

Silver flashed as she parried and riposted, seeking Cinder's eyes – only for the other woman to sweep around and bring a heel to the back of her head. Stars exploded before Weiss' eyes, but she still had the presence of mind to lunge at her foe.

Cinder dodged, and Weiss fell to one knee, hand on the ground before her. When the dark-haired woman closed in for the kill, Weiss spun and threw her hand out.

She'd picked up a few other things from Jaune as well… not that her sister would approve. The shards of glass she'd picked up struck Cinder in the face as she approached, and the woman gasped and fell back with a pained scream.

Jaune would have been proud to see her fight dirty, and perhaps prouder of her for taking full advantage of Cinder's moment of blindness – lunging in with Myrtenaster poised to pierce the woman's heart.

"Damn you," Cinder snarled, batting the rapier aside. Her eyes were red, but the lack of blood suggested she hadn't done any real damage. "Your partner's blasted influence, no doubt."

"Jaune has his ways…"

Cinder smiled cruelly. "Yes, well I wonder if he will have his ways out of the little conundrum I sent him…"

Weiss' veins turned to ice.

"Oh, interested, are we? Well, I just sent a certain someone after his family. I wonder what he'll chose when faced with a choice between saving you or saving them."

"He'll choose them," Weiss said, praying he and his family were safe. Cinder seemed disappointed her taunt hadn't netted more fear, but Weiss only smiled. "He won't be coming to help me, but not because he's afraid. Jaune trusts me to deal with you. I don't need him or anyone else."

"Cocky, aren't you…"

"No. Simply confident." Weiss tossed her hair back, taking the moment of respite for what it was. Her muscles ached from the intense battle, and any rest was appreciated. "I asked him to look after my teammates, so you needn't be afraid we'll be interrupted. Jaune won't kill you… yet."

"He won't kill me at all."

 _That's where you're wrong, Cinder. Maybe not now, maybe not this day, but he will at some point. I guarantee it._

"As for your teammates, well, I wouldn't worry about them either. I sent a certain someone to deal with them."

"Adam Taurus," Weiss said, pleased with the frustrated frown she received.

"You know more than you ought to. Perhaps I'll seek Jaune Arc out after this and pry out the truth of how he came by such knowledge." Cinder smirked. "As for Adam, however… he's not the _only_ people I sent after your team – or did your vaunted information not mention that?"

No, it hadn't. Fear washed over her, but she controlled it quickly. They'd be fine. They weren't weak, and Jaune would look after them. Weiss fell back, drawing Myrtenaster up so that its pommel pressed against her shoulder, the tip pointed at the other woman.

Cinder smiled and summoned her own weapons back into her hands. Her eyes flared with golden light. "I suppose you're right. It is time I ended this farce."

Weiss' eyes widened when the woman flickered out of existence. Instincts screamed, and she threw herself to the side, dodging the thrust by a hair's breadth. Cinder's foot stamped down, her other leg coming up to drive a knee into Weiss' stomach. Pain flared through her body, and she cried out when a sword slashed across her chest, sliding off her aura but causing intense pain nonetheless.

She parried the second, staggered away from the third – and then narrowly dodged the next. Over and over, Cinder hacked away in a never-ending onslaught of pure aggression. Weiss' eyes raced to keep up with it, her thin blade barely pushing the others away, and even then, she took the occasional hit, wincing as her body cried out and her aura levels fell.

 _I need space. I can't keep up with her in melee._

A roundhouse kick from Cinder provided the opportunity. It caught Weiss in the chest, and although she gasped out in pain and flew back, she had the control needed to summon a glyph at her landing point. Cinder chased, but wasn't ready for when Weiss bounced and slid far further than she should have. She scrambled onto her feet, left hand free and summoning a wall of ice to buy time.

An arrow thudded into it – followed by a second, which ignited in a huge fireball. The wall cracked and crumbled mere seconds after it had been summoned, but that was enough for Weiss to vanish.

"I know you're still here," Cinder called, stalking across the room with her bow in hand. "There is only one exit unless you want to throw yourself from the tower. If you're desperate, I encourage you to try."

And there'd be an arrow lodged in her back before she hit the ground. Weiss was no fool, and kept her lips sealed as she pressed back against the headmaster's desk, down on her knees. There was no way the hiding spot would last for long, not given the spartan nature of Ozpin's room. She leaned out and eyed the elevator, but it was on the other side of the room. It would also mean she was running away, which would only lead Cinder to the others.

Weiss swallowed her fear. She… she wasn't afraid to die if needs be. She was, of course, but she had to keep telling herself otherwise. Jaune lied all the time, and it worked for him. Maybe she could trick herself into being brave.

He'd already been through so much, sacrificed so much. It was her turn to do something. Her turn to do what he'd been doing for goodness knows how long.

An arrow impacted the back of the desk.

Weiss growled and spun around, planting both feet on the desk. Her fingers touched the floor, the maiden's powers surging through her and coating the tiles. They turned to ice, the chill radiating out from her at incredible speed. In a matter of seconds, half the office's floor was a skating rink, and she _kicked_ the desk towards Cinder as hard as she could.

With the seal she added, it practically flew at the other woman – catching her off-guard and pushing her back. Cinder cursed as she was pinned against the wall. She threw away the bow and tried to summon her swords, but Weiss closed in first, one foot atop the desk as her she lunged for the woman's eyes.

Cinder smiled.

A huge explosion ignited the desk between them. It catapulted Weiss away, and pelted her body with shards of flaming wood. She landed hard, gasping for breath and struggling past the tears that filled her vision. A part of her body, the part that could operate without thought, had her struggling for her weapon. Her arm couldn't reach it, and as she stretched, she realised she couldn't move.

The desk had been propelled back into her, and now lay ruined across her legs, pinning her down. It still burned, and the heat ate away at her. A whimper of pain escaped her. It hurt. It hurt so much…

A heeled foot kicked Myrtenaster away. Cinder stood above her, panting and with ash across her face. She looked furious. Furious, and also a little out of breath. "An amusing attempt," she said. "I will admit you came closer than I expected, but that still isn't nearly close enough. A clever ploy, but how long can you hide behind obstacles and weapons?"

Cinder knelt down, touching Weiss' face with one hand.

"Does it hurt?"

Weiss Schnee let her head fall to the side. Thick smoke and rolling heat threatened to fill her lungs, creating a haze of dark shadows before her. Muscles strained as she pushed forward, only to fall back with a silent grunt as the burning wood pinning her refused to yield.

"I guess it would," Cinder continued, voice almost hypnotic. "You certainly tried your best, and caused me no end of problems… more than a child should ever have been able to."

Weiss' eyes fell to Myrtenaster. She tried to reach for it.

"I think not!"

Something slammed down on her hand, and Weiss cried out in pain as Cinder's heel dug down. Her fingers twitched, hand shaking as her aura prevented the sharp stiletto cutting through. Even so, the older woman grinded it from side to side, and Weiss realised with horror that she would continue until her hand had been pierced altogether.

"I underestimated you both once, and lost a valuable pawn because of it," she hissed. "You and Jaune Arc, you and your team… you have caused me enough problems!" She leaned forward, placing more weight on her leg.

Weiss screamed as it dug deeper. Her body thrashed, but she still couldn't move.

It hurt. It hurt so bad! Tears stung at her eyes.

Please make it stop.

"You know, this feels right somehow," Cinder purred. "The two of us like this, and with me doing _this_." She twisted her heel, earning another agonised sound. "Something about it feels… familiar. Except that it's your blonde fool of a boyfriend instead of you. Who knows, maybe I'll find him afterwards and show him what I did to you. A first-hand demonstration would be best, no?"

"Jaune's going to kill you, Cinder," Weiss Schnee promised, voice tinted by agony. "He's going to kill you, or I will. One of us will end this."

Cinder Fall's smile fell. She dug down once more, but also summoned a sword to her hand.

"No, Weiss Schnee. I don't think either of you will. In fact, I think you will die here."

The sword swung down.

A bullet drove it aside.

It was followed by a meteor.

"RARGHHH!" Yang Xiao-Long flew in from the side, hair shining like gold and wreathed in fire. Her fist sailed towards Cinder's face, and the woman dove back. Yang changed targets mid-swing, driving down into the table trapping Weiss. Her shotgun gauntlets went off, destroying it in one go.

A pair of hands settled under Weiss' shoulders, dragging her away. Black hair and yellow eyes looked down on her.

Weiss stared back in horror.

"What are you doing!?" she hissed. "Why are you here!?"

"Saving you, and because you're in trouble," Yang answered. She didn't take her eyes off Cinder. "I'm taking it this is the one responsible for everything? Well, at least that makes fixing all this easy."

Weiss shook her head. They weren't listening, or didn't understand. They couldn't be here – this was a disaster! They were going to get killed. "But Jaune," she hissed. "I told him to get you away from Adam. Why did you come here!?"

Blake helped Weiss up, pushing Myrtenaster back into her hands. Even so, her eyes were narrowed.

"How did you know about Adam? How did Jaune know about Adam?"

"Not the time, partner," Yang whispered. "Jaune _did_ get us away from him, Weiss-cream. He got us away and sent us here, saying you'd gone and challenged the head honcho one on one." She shook her head. "And I thought you were supposed to be the clever one on the team. What kind of impression are you setting for us? You should be a better role model for your daughters."

"W-What!? Jaune sent- but what about him? You left him to fight Adam on his own!" The blood drained from her face. "Are you insane!? He doesn't even have aura. He'll be killed!"

"No aura?" Yang laughed. "Weiss, I just watched the guy ride a freaking Griffon into the cafeteria, then step off like it's his main method of transportation. Knowing the bastard, I wouldn't be surprised. He's got his aura. Trust me… I saw it."

"Yang's telling the truth," Blake whispered, fingering Gambol Shroud as she watched Cinder. "Whatever your worry, Jaune can fight. He sent us here saying you'd never survive against this woman though." Her eyes narrowed. "You knew that, didn't you…?"

Weiss' guilty silence was answer enough.

"I can't believe you. How could-?" She shook her head. "No. We'll discuss this afterwards. You aren't allowed to make such decisions, Weiss."

"Blake's right on that one, Weiss-cream. We're a team. We fight together, we bleed together… if needs be, we die together."

Weiss' breath came out in ragged gasps. They didn't understand, and likely never would. This wasn't like anything else, and not something like the White Fang they'd fought before. Even now, Cinder regarded them with caution, but not fear. She knew she would be fine.

If Fate wanted her to win here, then she would remain so.

Myrtenaster shook as Weiss hand clutched it tighter. She pushed away from Blake and stepped to the side, concentrating on the power within her, which caused mist and ice to glisten from her body. Yang and Blake watched with awe, but clearly showed no signs of running.

Weiss swallowed. Jaune had sent them, and now they were here. They wouldn't leave, and Cinder would kill them as well if she received the full power of the Fall Maiden. Weiss fell into a fencing stance, eyes locked onto the other woman.

Now, there could be no going back. Now, she could not afford to lose, for if she did, their lives would be forfeit.

Weiss' eyes hardened.

That could not be allowed to happen.

"Three on one," Cinder murmured. "How amusing. Do you honestly believe this will change anything? Ozpin and his huntsmen are being run merry through the streets of Vale, while everyone else is focused on evacuating Amity, and the White Fang's little insurrection. Who do you think will come to your aid here?" She held a hand high, smiling. "Do you believe you have the power to defeat both me _and_ the beast I have summoned?"

Cinder clicked her fingers.

Weiss tensed.

The wind rushed through the broken windows, but nothing else. Cinder's eyes narrowed, and she clicked her fingers again. Nothing answered her.

"Oh, are you talking about that funky dragon?" Yang asked, grinning wildly. "Yeah, I'll admit that thing's scary, but it's still a Grimm, you know. However messed up we are here, this is still Beacon Academy. I don't know if you've heard, but Grimm are kind of our thing."

Outside of the windows, a mighty and bestial roar split the air.

It was followed by a no less mighty one, except that this had no animal-like quality. It was the roar of gunfire, of explosions, of a hundred voices shouting out at once. It lasted longer than the dragon's. It sounded louder than the dragon's, and as the seconds went on, it did not stop.

"Ruby's never seen a dragon before, but she's read enough tales to know what the hero does with one. With Nora on the same team as her? Yeah, I think Ren and Pyrrha would need a crane to pry those two away."

"And they're not the only ones," Blake added with a smirk of her own. "Beacon is home to many people, and none are all too pleased with what's going on. There's only Grimm and White Fang here, so it only takes a few teams to guard the main entrance. The rest…? Well, like Yang says, it's our job to kill Grimm. After a while, it just comes naturally."

Cinder's eyes narrowed. She threw her hand to the side, summoning a blade instead. "No matter," she snarled. "I will kill you myself, and once I have the power within you, I shall be gone. Amber herself could not hope to best me, and you are not at her level, even with the three of you combined."

"No, but we're ready for you," Weiss said. She levelled her blade at the woman. "We're not on our knees trying to feed a starving child, and you don't have the element of surprise."

"It is my _destiny_ to have that power. It is my fate!"

"Then I will destroy fate itself!" Weiss roared. Ice exploded out from her. "But first, I will kill you!"

* * *

 **Here we go, and the battle lines are drawn. On Raven, I know a lot of people saw and noticed the subtle change Jaune didn't even realise he made, which was that Qrow dealt with Neo instead of Yang, leaving her with her "one-time save" from her mother still in effect. Butterfly effect, and all that.**

 **Anyway, hope you liked it, and it's time for me to go work on other fics.**

* * *

 **Next Chapter: 5** **th** **August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	50. Chapter 50

**Here we are yet again, a chapter of NTF as we move on towards the climax.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Commissioned: Booya93)

 **Chapter 50 - A Destined Path**

* * *

Ruby's heart beat rapidly in her chest, but her eyes remained locked onto the dragon with a calm focus. She gripped Crescent Rose tighter, her powerful legs propelling her across the rooftops of Beacon Academy. Down below, other students fired whatever weapons they had at the huge beast, while yet more slew the Grimm that fell and spawned from it.

Team CFVY had taken care of damage control and organised most of the students into teams to stop the situation getting worse, but that still left the dragon itself, which they had to stop. Ruby nodded and rushed on. She'd put a stop to it herself.

The white archways came to an abrupt stop, and Ruby perched on the edge of them, falling to one knee as Crescent Rose folded back into its sniper form. She dragged it back against her shoulder, one eye lining against it as she aimed towards the dragon. It was so large she couldn't miss, but wasted shots would do no good. They had a hundred or more already pelting off its hide, and those weren't making any difference.

"Everything has a weak spot," she whispered, wisdom taken from her Uncle Qrow. "It's just a case of finding it and filling it with bullets!"

The dragon didn't seem to feature any glowing orbs like the monsters in video games, but almost everyone had one weak spot they shared, and Ruby aimed towards its eyes, trying to judge its velocity and lead it. Despite its girth, the thing was surprisingly agile, and didn't tend to go in the same direction for very long. It was a one in a thousand shot… which meant she'd better get started on firing everything she had at it!

Crescent Rose kicked as she squeezed the trigger. The first shot bounced off its bone armour, but she adjusted quickly – instinctively – and fired off another. It went high and too far to the left. Her arm swung, the barrel coming about. The shot was good, but it twisted at the last second, the head turning to the side as it roared at someone shooting from a different rooftop. Her dust round bounced off the side of its head.

Ruby sighed in frustration and cocked the lever. _Again._ The shot missed. _Again._ It bounced off its snout. _Again!_ This time, it hit what might have been its eyebrow. The shot pinged outwards instead of in, but it certainly caught its attention.

The head swivelled towards her.

Good, that was fine. It just gave her a better shot. Ruby fired again and again, trying each time to catch one of the huge red eyes as the monster hurtled towards her. Anger shot through her at every miss, only making it harder to focus and aim the next one.

"Ruby!" Ren shouted from below. "Move!"

But she was so close. It was getting easier to aim as it came closer. Just a little bit more and she'd make the shot. She was sure of it!

"RUBY!"

Just a little more…

There!

Ruby's finger squeezed the trigger and Crescent Rose bucked angrily. The shot flew through the air, impacted the upper brow, and ricocheted into its eye. The red orb was winked out immediately as the creature roared in pain and swerved to the side. Ruby cheered happily, and as the dragon pulled out of its dive, so did everyone else.

But those cheers died when its tail came around.

It struck the pillars below her with a mighty crash, tossing several aside and unbalancing the platform she stood upon. The ground beneath her rocked and cracked, and Ruby yelped as it stared to give way beneath her. The drop was a long one, and with falling masonry all around her, there was a good chance she'd be buried alive.

She turned and ran.

The ground was giving way beneath her as she did, each piece falling as she pushed down on it. It was only her Semblance which allowed her to stay ahead, and even then, it was hard. Her eyes widened when the dragon soared across her path – destroying the route ahead as well.

Gravity caught up with her and stone gave way. With a frightened yelp, Ruby began her fall.

Someone might have screamed her name, she wasn't sure. All she could hear was falling rock, the rush of wind and her own panicked cry. Crescent Rose tumbled through the air beside her, and she reached out to grasp it, even if she wasn't sure why.

A blade whizzed by her face.

The silvery object missed her, but struck the blade of Crescent Rose, clanging off it and getting caught within one of its mechanisms. Something clicked, and Ruby's eyes traced a thin sheen of light that ran from the small sword – almost as though it were connected to something by string. Or maybe wire…

"Hold on!" a voice called.

There was no time to ask why or what. The wire went taut, and the scythe was almost torn from her hands. She hung on grimly, body jerked to the left as she _swung_ out of the falling masonry like a pendulum. Above and to the side, knelt atop a nearby roof, an orange-haired figure held the other end of the wire.

"Don't worry, friend," the girl called. "I have you now."

Relief shot through her, but a roar caught her attention. The dragon had wheeled around and was coming in for another attack, heedless of the fire from students below. Ruby gasped, but quickly narrowed her eyes as an idea came to her.

A reckless one.

"Don't pull me up!" Ruby cried to the girl. "Launch me."

"Excuse me, friend?"

"Swing me – throw me at it!"

The girl paused. For a moment Ruby though nothing would happen, but she eventually nodded. With almost inhuman strength, the girl whipped her arm back, propelling Ruby further. Wind whistled past her head as she completed a full arc, until she was no longer looking up, but down – and her body was hurtling in the direction of the creature.

With a slash, Ruby severed the wire.

Silver eyes narrowed as wind rushed against them, but even so she could see inky blackness against the otherwise starry sky. She drew Crescent Rose back and fired off a shot to change her trajectory a little, aiming for it. If she could just land on it, she could take out its eyes at point-blank range, or maybe sever one of its wings. It was a possibility. There was a chance, no matter how small.

The dragon saw her.

It turned its head in her direction and roared, aiming straight for her. Its huge maw opened, showing rows and rows of teeth. There was no chance she could avoid it, and fear shot through her. It was quickly replaced by anger.

Was this the end? If so, then she'd go down fighting – just like Summer had. Her mouth opened as she roared back, and she felt something rush through her.

Her eyes flashed silver.

The Grimm panicked. It was impossible and unheard of, but also the only thing she could think of. In one moment, it was prepared to kill her without effort, and the next, it wheeled to the side in a manoeuvre that could only be called desperate. Its head passed her by, the body too, and she cursed as she realised she'd missed her best chance. Now in a free fall, and with the dragon to her right, she fell back down to Remnant.

She'd failed.

"Ruby. Over here!"

Ruby looked down, eyes growing wide as she noticed Pyrrha rushing along what must have been the roof of Beacon's west wing. The redhead waved furiously, and then spun on the spot. With a mighty roar, she _launched_ her shield directly at her partner.

"Catch it!"

There wasn't any time to question. As the shield hurtled close, Ruby held out Crescent Rose, and used the curve of the scythe to snag the shield. She was tugged back and pulled away, her direction changing as the momentum drew her through the air. As her body was hurled the other way, she spotted two figures on another roof. Ren was knelt with both hands cupped, while Nora had a foot on top of them.

"Go!" he called, raising his hands and throwing his partner into the air. It wasn't far, but it was enough for Nora to spin up under Ruby as she passed. The girl's huge hammer came through the air and came to rest gently against Ruby's feet.

"You ready?" Nora giggled.

Ruby nodded. "Ready!"

"Then it's time to fly!"

Nora swung her hammer, igniting the charge at the last. With Ruby perched atop it, she was launched up into the air and back towards the dragon, which this time didn't see her coming. As the wind pushed against her, she held Crescent Rose back and took a deep breath. She only had once chance now. The chance her team had given her. And as she approached its body, she swung down with all her might.

The blade bit deep.

The sound was something indescribable. It was like a knife cutting through leather, if that leather was made of metal and gravel at the same time, and if it caused sparks and a sound like twisted steel. Crescent Rose buckled and warped, threatening to snap at any moment. Her momentum carried her twenty metres or more, the scythe cutting open the beast's side like a can opener working its way around the rim of a can. When her speed finally bled away, she'd carved a huge gash in its side, but the wound was long and thin – at least in comparison to the monster's size. It bled and oozed, but didn't seem to have caused it any real distress.

Her cloak flapped back into her face as the dragon soared through the air. She pushed it free and fell to one knee, eyes focused forward – towards where the monster's head was.

"Everything has a weak point," she whispered. "I'm gonna trust you on this one, Uncle Qrow."

Ruby Rose dashed down the creature's neck, ignorant of the flashes of fire and light that shone from the windows of the tower she and the Grimm had just flown by.

/-/

Weiss ducked under a sword and lashed out with her own. Cinder blocked it easily, but allowed herself to be pushed back, taking her out of range of Blake's follow-up blow. The dark-haired woman disengaged with a flourish, and quickly snapped a heel out to block Yang's leg. She launched a blast of fire into the blonde, which sent her flying away.

"This is ridiculous," Blake panted. "She's so strong…"

"Too strong," Weiss agreed. "If I hold her off, can you get Yang and escape?"

"Stop talking like that!"

"I'm being serious here, Blake."

"Well so are we," she snapped. "We're not leaving you. Damn it, Weiss. What's gotten into your head?"

The truth or the inevitability of the situation, she wasn't sure which. She didn't have any time to explain anyway, as Blake rushed off to attack once more.

 _Damn those two idiots. Why won't they listen?_

The fight hadn't become any less one-sided since they arrived. It seemed impossible given that there were now three of them, but Cinder was still strong, and still pushing them back despite their best efforts. When Yang was knocked out of the melee, Weiss took a deep breath and leapt in once more.

Blake lashed out with Gambol Shroud, and then fired off three shots when the blade was diverted. Cinder swayed out of the way of two, and blocked one with the flat of her sword. The other came around in time to block Weiss' rapier, and a single golden eye tracked her lazily, even as the sword twisted and slipped over her guard, striking her in the chest.

She fell back with a wince, hand clutching at the torn fabric. No blood, but only because her aura had protected her at the last second. She was beating all three of them off with ease. It felt hopeless, but Weiss summoned what strength she had left and attacked once more.

 _I hope Jaune is having a better time of this than we are…_

/-/

Jaune parried a strike from the left, and twirled under Adam's blade as he cut across. Crocea Mors came back up and towards the terrorist's midriff, but was turned aside. The scabbard cocked in his direction, and buckshot scratched his face as he threw himself back. Jaune winced and ran a hand down his face, feeling the pellets fall away and letting out a breath of relief when there was no blood.

Jaune stepped to the left, slowly circling the man who mirrored his movements.

 _I can't run from this fight, even if it was to try and find aid. Adam's too fast and would surely catch me. The moment I turn my back, I'm dead._ To be fair, he'd have been dead already a hundred times over if it wasn't for his aura coming back to him. _Stay strong for me, aura. We're in this together. We have something to fight for._

There was no answer from inside of him, but no news was good news. Aura was the manifestation of the soul, and was the one part of him that travelled back through repeat after repeat. For the longest time he'd though his lost aura a result of fatigue… that even the soul had limits, and he'd reached his. That hadn't been the case, however. He hadn't lost his aura due to it being worn away, but due to him abandoning it.

His soul represented who he was, and he was a man who wouldn't ever leave his friends behind. His aura had failed because it didn't recognise him when he became a person determined to do just that, to be expelled and to run away, to hide and let his friends die. His aura wanted to protect him, but had no idea who he was. His soul, and the person he'd become, were incompatible.

No longer was that the case. Jaune's eyes focused on his foe as he brought Crocea Mors up before him, the shield in his other hand. Now, he knew what his goal was – and even if he didn't know how to achieve it, that would not stop him fighting.

He felt his aura flood his muscles as though to say it heard his thoughts and agreed.

Adam sneered at him. "There's something about you that feels wrong…"

"It's the clothing, isn't it?" he taunted. "If you give me a minute, I can get naked for you."

"When last we met, you seemed unusually calm for someone unarmed in front of two armed terrorists," Adam said, ignoring his words entirely. "It was as though you didn't consider us a threat, or rather that you had no concern for your own safety. It felt like I was looking at a corpse who didn't realise he was still alive."

"How macabre of you…"

Had he really been that bad? Blake had never made mention of it, but she wasn't always the most attentive of people, and she'd probably been going through a lot since she'd planned to abandon the White Fang at that point. Had Adam somehow been able to see his lack of aura, or had it simply been something about his personality shining through?

"It felt wrong at the time," Adam continued, "but I couldn't quite piece it together. It took me a while to understand, and when I finally did, I couldn't have been more disgusted."

"Oh… and what did you decide?"

"You don't care about life."

Jaune's smile fell.

"For a while, I thought you simply weren't afraid of death, but I've seen those kinds of people before. The brave or the desperate, or maybe those with nothing left to lose. I feel admiration, sympathy and pity for them in that order. For people like you, a warrior who has lost the will to fight, I feel nothing but disgust."

"A little ironic coming from a murderer…"

"Is it?" Adam held his arms wide. "I've killed people, but it is for a cause. You might not agree with it, but I won't ever disparage the lives of those who have fought with me, or those I have killed, by giving up on it. To do so would be to spit in all their faces." Adam lowered his arms and pointed his sword behind Jaune. "Do you think Blake's hands are free from blood? She may claim she knew nothing, but deep inside she did. Her actions directly helped us in countless missions, almost all of which involved casualties in one way or another. Is it fair to those who had to die because of her, that she can cast off such a past and live a free life?"

"No," Jaune admitted, "But neither would their memories be any more honoured if she kept fighting for it."

"On that, we shall have to disagree. I may be many things, but I will not waver. Not like you. You're no newcomer to combat, I can tell. The way you killed my men shows that. Tell me, Jaune Arc. How many sacrifices did you spit on when you hung up your sword?"

His hands tightened on Crocea Mors.

Too many, some his own, others those of his friends. The list was endless. He'd let them all down when he tried to give up on Beacon. He'd spat on more memories than he dared think of. "That was a mistake," he admitted. "I've fixed it now, and I'm not the same person I was when last we met."

"I can tell." Adam nodded to him, and there was a curious tone of almost-respect in his voice. "Before, you looked uncaring whether you lived or died, while now you look determined to kill me."

Jaune smirked. "I hope you won't take it seriously."

"I think I might have to." Adam readied his blade. "I have a reason to live, after all. There is still work I need to do. I can't die here if I want to change the world."

"Weiss is going to change the SDC, Adam. She will make things better for the faunus."

"You'll forgive me if I find that impossible to believe. Too many broken promises, too many people telling us it will get better in time. If you truly believe that, then kill me and fix the world yourself. If not, I'll kill you and do the same." Adam shrugged. "For people like us, there's no other option. I'm either correct, in which case I will win and change everything, or I am wrong, in which case someone somewhere will kill me. Until that happens, I'll keep fighting for what I believe in."

"Even if it means killing more people?"

"Even then," Adam said. "In the same way you have killed, and will continue to kill, to fight for what _you_ believe in."

Jaune fell into a ready stance; Crocea Mors gripped in two hands. In a different life, perhaps Adam could have been difference. Perhaps they could even have been friends. This wasn't some other life however, and for what he'd done to Blake in another life, he would kill him.

He charged in and swung down. Adam side-stepped and parried, but took a shield to the face before he could take advantage of the opening. He staggered back, but Jaune leapt after him, slicing high, and then kicking Adam's legs away when he moved to block.

Adam planted one hand down on the floor and flipped himself back up, while also firing off a shot from his scabbard. It gave him the propulsion necessary to land on two feet, and he blocked Jaune's lunge with contemptuous ease.

"Not bad. Had you another five years to prepare, you might have been strong enough to best me."

"I'll make do."

"No," Adam warned. "You won't." His blade gave way suddenly; catching Jaune off-guard and making him stumble forwards. Adam took the blow on his shoulder big ignored it, grabbing Jaune's wrist with one hand and flipping him onto his back.

Jaune hit hard, Crocea Mors skittering away. He tried to roll to the side, but Adam pressed his foot down on his chest, keeping him still.

The sword rose.

"Goodbye, Jaune Arc."

"YAH!" A blur of gold struck from the left, forcing Adam to curse and leap away. A long staff struck the ground where he'd stood, cracking tiles and forcing some up on either side. "Tch, I missed. Oh well, I guess I still saved the father of the bride."

Jaune stared. "Sun…?"

"Don't sound so surprised," a voice behind him whispered. Hands settled under his shoulders, helping him up. Neptune smiled and handed Crocea Mors back to him. "Sun saw the commotion and decided to investigate. It looks like a good job we did."

"What was that about the father of the bride?" Jaune asked.

"That's you," Sun laughed. "Can you imagine how many points I'm going to get for saving your ass? Hey, make sure to put in a good word for me."

"You're saving my life to improve your chances with Blake?" Jaune asked.

"Why else would I be here? No offence dad, but I don't swing that way." Sun grinned to show he was teasing. "Besides, someone has to walk her down the aisle when she finally falls for my roguish charms."

"Yeah, if that ever happens," Neptune laughed. He readied his weapon and flipped his goggles down. "What are we dealing with here?"

Jaune shook his head. The two were weird and overly dramatic, but he knew it was for show. Their guard hadn't wavered for a second. If it had, Adam would have already taken advantage of it, but the faunus watched the three of them cautiously.

"Adam Taurus, leader of the White Fang," Jaune said. "Or at least the Vale division…"

Sun and Neptune nodded, the two spreading out on either flank. Adam continued to watch them, but made no move to retreat. He was confident in his skills, and with good reason. It would take more than three teenagers to force him to flee. He'd demolished Yang and Blake in the past with ease, and those two were hardly pushovers.

The reinforcements were welcome, but by no means pushed the odds in his favour. Adam's foot shifted to the left, a subtle an unnoticeable indication of his intent to attack Neptune. Anyone else would have missed it, but Jaune had faced him a hundred times or more and knew the cues. He charged in instead.

Their swords crashed together, the smaller and faster faunus flicking his out to score a hit that raked across his aura-protected cheek. Sun came in from the side, staff striking once before it broke apart and he launched a hail of shots at close range. Adam blocked some with his blade, but quickly returned a shot to push Sun back. The crimson blade slashed towards him, but was forced down and against the floor by a large pole arm.

"Got you," Neptune said, smirking as he pushed down with both hands, laying his weapon flat and pinning Adam's sword to the floor. He bent double, and Sun came barrelling over his partner's back, rolling over to land a kick against Adam's masked face.

The terrorist sailed away, and crashed behind an upturned table.

"Heh, nice," Sun cheered, giving his partner a high five. "Let's see how he does without his weapon."

"Just as well," Jaune warned.

"Huh? Wha-?" Sun was cut off as the table flew to the side, crashing against a pillar. Adam stood and cracked one shoulder, his hand working the muscle as he rotated his arm. His eyes watched them, but his face was even and unconcerned, if a little irritated. "He's still that confident?"

"With good reason, Sun. Don't let up the pressure."

"The guy's unarmed. What can he do?"

Jaune didn't answer with words, but instead charged in. Crocea Mors cut a path of silver through the air, carving up tiles as Adam stepped to the side. He checked and reversed, spinning his body to cut a slash that would have torn the man in question had it struck. Adam had backed up however, and then stepped back into his guard the moment the sword went past.

When it came back, Adam stopped it with both hands blocking Jaune's wrists. He then pushed it away and drove an open palm up and under Jaune's chin, causing his teeth to crash together and his head to snap back.

It was instinct alone that forced him to keep a tight grip on his sword. He felt Adam try to steal it, but kept a firm grip as he fell back. Through pained eyes, he watched as Adam kicked a stool up into the air, caught it and then used it to block Sun's attack from behind. He twisted and locked Sun's staff in the chair legs, pushing it down so that the blonde was forced to let go. The chair came back up, catching Sun around the ear and knocking him to the side. Adam rolled to the side as a ball of electricity struck the spot he'd occupied. En route, he snatched up Sun's staff and charged Neptune.

"C-Crap!" Neptune yelled, fiddling to try and change his weapon back into its melee form. It only got halfway when Adam was upon him, and although he still blocked the first blow with the half-changed weapon, he was unable to block the second and third, and Adam sent him reeling with a devastating blow to the side of the head.

He tossed the staff away with a snort and kicked his sword back up into his hand.

"I practice versatility in all things. You never know when you might lose a weapon."

Jaune's breath came out in ragged gasps. Sun and Neptune staggered over to him, and the both looked and sounded the worse for wear. "What is this guy?" Sun gasped. "He's… this is insane. I've never felt so pathetic before. Even Torchwick wasn't this bad."

"Torchwick was a thief and a criminal. He knew only what he needed to know in order to survive," Jaune said. "Adam is a monster. His intent is to tear the Kingdoms apart and install a new world order. He's trained himself with that in mind."

Adam heard him, no doubt. He nodded.

"What do we do?" Sun asked.

Jaune glanced at him. "Let me be the one to engage him. You and Neptune should only try to score glancing hits. Get in and out while you can, but don't try to fight him fairly. He'll kill you."

"Hit and run?" Sun looked him up and down. "Are you sure you can keep him busy? I know you're strong, but he's on another level." He laughed. "Wouldn't do much to impress Blake if I let you get hurt…"

Sun was nervous. He was right to be, but even then the faunus didn't back down. He was a good man. Jaune just hoped the decision to help him wouldn't make Sun a dead man. "Have a little faith. The two of you should just focus on not being hit."

The two nodded and once more spread out to the flanks. This time Adam made no move to counter them, and instead charged forward.

The attack came low, aiming for his legs. Jaune hopped over it and onto a stool, riding it down as he cut towards Adam's head. Reversing his slash, Adam knocked the edge aside with his pommel, and dug it into Jaune's throat.

He hacked for breath, but lashed out regardless. The burnished surface of his shield slammed into the man's mask, dazing him for but a second. Footsteps from behind were the only warning Adam received, but it was enough for him to charge into Jaune's body and spin them around.

Sun diverted his attack at the last second, avoiding the friendly fire and throwing himself to the side. He hit the ground shoulder first, but was able to roll out of the way and to safety, even as Neptune attacked from the other side.

Adam caught the glaive with his sword and tipped it to the left, drawing his weapon free and preparing it to cut the teen down. Jaune appeared in front of him before he could, blocking it and giving Neptune a chance to escape. He drove his forehead into Adam's and both their auras flared at the contact. His hand gripped the terrorist's shoulder, but Adam was faster and drove his cross guard into Jaune's wrist before he could grapple or throw the faunus.

Every trick he had, Adam countered. No matter how dirty, how unusual, Adam had either experienced it before, or was fast enough to react. This was a man who took no chances, who considered everyone a threat and gave them the caution they deserved.

Little wonder he'd survived so long when both the SDC and the entire Kingdom of Atlas were after his head. Adam parried another strike and ducked low, ramming his shoulder into Jaune's abdomen. His guard was broken, body sent staggering back – and he cried out as Adam cut a great slash through his coat and shirt. His skin bruised instantly, his nerve ends on fire. He felt his aura drop, and fell back with one hand over his chest.

Adam simply flourished his weapon and adopted a ready position. He was neither winded nor ruffled, even if Jaune knew he'd scored a few superficial hits in return. It wasn't enough. It rarely was.

Even with several lifetimes of training, Adam was a terrifying foe. In terms of pure knowledge and experience, Jaune had the advantage, but that meant little against Adam's combination of skill, speed, and reflexes. His tricks mattered little when Adam was simply fast enough to react every time.

He was going to die. That seemed obvious. Death had never bothered him before, but now he felt a curious feeling settle in his stomach. It took him a second to recognise what it was, and only then because it had been so long.

He was afraid… afraid of dying, of losing this, of not having the things he'd earned in this repeat. He was afraid of leaving that all behind, and now faced with the almost certain nature of that, his body was shaking.

For what must have been the first time in centuries…

If he ran now, Adam might let him escape. It was doubtful, but he might be distracted by Sun and Neptune – or at least slowed down a little. He could get away, and maybe find Yang and Blake. Weiss would die, of course, but that was normal. Pyrrha always died.

His aura flickered.

Jaune smiled. He swallowed his fear and shook his head from side to side. All men feared death, or so he'd heard. He hadn't for the longest time, but that didn't make him a good man. It made him a slightly less cruel monster. He wouldn't run. He wouldn't abandon them, nor abandon the conviction that had led him here. If Adam killed him now, it would not be the last time they faced one another.

 _For Weiss, Yang and Blake… for Mom and Dad, my sisters – and even my newest sibling… for all of them, I won't fall here._

He couldn't afford to.

His weakened and battered aura flared to life once more. It would last until the end, and he would fight until every drop had been exhausted, and then he would fight some more. He smiled grimly and charged forwards to meet Adam Taurus.

It ended here.

/-/

Blake slammed into a stone pillar and slumped to the floor. Aura crackled over her body, but she didn't rise. Her chin fell to her chest, eyes closing. Cinder sketched a bow in her hands, and drew back the string to send a shaft directly into the injured girl's heart.

Yang didn't let her. The blonde closed the distance in a flash of fire, eyes blazing crimson as she darted into the older woman's guard and drove a fist into her stomach. Cinder winced and flew back a few paces, but was able to duck Weiss' attack from behind. She twirled under Weiss' arm, placing her palm directly into her back and sending a wave of fire over her.

Weiss screamed as she was catapulted away. She crashed down onto the tiles and gasped for air, struggling to push herself up. Cinder was a monster. That was the only explanation. She'd thought it hard enough to face her one on one, but she saw now that the woman had held back. Little wonder Pyrrha always lost to her, even when she had Jaune to help. The three of them had managed to land blow after blow, but each was traded for ten, and it never seemed enough to put her down.

The situation looked hopeless, which Weiss supposed was how it was supposed to look.

Yang refused to give ground. She took blow after blow, and dealt her own back in kind, but eventually even her prodigious strength seemed to waver. Her fist flew high, sluggish and weak, and Cinder took full advantage, driving her knee into the girl's stomach and then backhanding her across the face. Yang spun to the floor, hair splayed out around her like a pool of yellow blood.

Cinder growled and strode forward, sword in hand.

"You have all been quite the annoyances," she said. "I see that the world's irony is at work. I attacked Amber three against one, and now I find myself faced with the same. I am no weak fool, however. It was a good effort, I suppose." She raised the sword above Weiss' head. "But now it ends."

Yes… now it would end.

Weiss looked up through a haze of pain, both into those golden orbs and also at the silver steel that hung above her. This… this was how it was supposed to be. This was what she'd been prepared for, and also what she had to do. Through her death here, the world would continue, and Jaune would fight for peace.

"Once you are dead, I'll kill these pests," Cinder snarled, "and then I shall hunt down your annoying boyfriend. Console yourself with that, Weiss Schnee. You will not die alone."

No…

That wasn't how it was supposed to be. It was only meant to be she who died, and it was only to help them. Yang and Blake… they were here, and so injured. There was no way they could escape. They'd be killed! They'd be killed because of her, because she wasn't strong enough! Her teeth ground together.

Why…? WHY!?

The sword came down.

A mighty crash shook the tower. Cinder staggered and swayed, the blade missing Weiss by a few inches as she was forced to catch herself, and even Weiss fell to one side. "What was-? NO!" Cinder turned to the windows, eyes wide, in time to see the mighty dragon fall to Remnant with an agonised roar. "Impossible! How could they have-?"

Weiss took her chance.

A roar tore itself from her throat. She surged upwards, ice spilling from her free hand as she thrust Myrtenaster towards Cinder's heart. The woman stepped back and parried the strike, but her triumph was short lived as Weiss' other hand came around, another rapier made entirely of ice clutched within it.

It crashed into the sword Cinder formed and shattered into shards that pelted down into her face, obscuring her vision. Cinder growled and stepped forward, her other hand lashing out to drive her second blade up and under the girl's ribcage. Weiss saw it coming, but had no time to dodge. Her eyes widened as she prepared for agony.

A bullet crashed off the sword and knocked it aside. Blake's arm fell, her energy spent, but it was enough. Weiss would make it enough.

She drove forward, using that brief opening to carve her rapier down Cinder's chest, sending out a shower of sparks as her aura blocked the damage. Even so, lightning crackled over Cinder's skin, indicating that it was low.

"Die already!" Cinder hissed.

"Not before you," Weiss snarled back.

Their blades clashed once more. Weiss ducked and spun, muscles screaming in agony as she pushed them harder and harder. A few locks of her hair were sheared off by a near-miss, while blood flew as Myrtenaster caught the edge of Cinder's cheek. Fire was engulfed in ice, while fire melted ice, and yet more ice appeared, covering the room in a thick, white mist. Weiss howled over the top of it all, heedless of anything but her foe.

So close. She was so close. If only she could strike her one more time. If only she were stronger, faster, better… was this how Jaune felt every repeat? That yearning for one last push, unheeded and unanswered every time? There was no faster, stronger or anything else. Weiss was at her limit. This was all she had.

Cinder knew it, and with one final roar forced Myrtenaster aside and away.

Weiss saw it in slow motion.

She saw Myrtenaster spin through the air, felt her arms be thrown wide. She saw the moment Cinder recognised her victory, and the way her teeth were bared as her other hand came around in a wide sweep, sword clutched between her fingers.

She saw too the hand that shot from the steam and fog. It caught Cinder's wrist in a weak grip. Face down, blood streaming from a cut above her brow, Yang Xiao-Long was beaten and bloodied, but still managed to hold tight.

"I won't let you hurt them!" she snarled.

The world stopped. Cinder glanced down, a look of pure contempt, pure _hatred_ on her face. She tried to pull her hand away, but Yang held tight. Instead, Cinder brought her other up above her head, ready to bring it crashing down and end Yang's life once and for all.

A ribbon caught it. Blake collapsed a second later, but she managed to fall on her weapon, restraining Cinder for all of a second, perhaps less.

It was all Weiss needed.

Her body moved on instinct alone, legs throwing her forward power not her own surged about her right hand. She clutched it as though around a blade, and in her fevered state, her mind drifted. It was not a rapier of crystalline ice that formed in her hand, but a long sword. Her other came up to grip it two-handed, and she screamed her fury.

Cinder gasped.

Cheek against the other woman's breast, Weiss gasped as well. Something hot and wet dripped down her face. It was a droplet at first, but then a river that pooled across her fingers and down her arms; a river of crimson.

"How…?" Cinder asked. "It was my destiny…"

"Didn't I tell you?" Weiss whispered. She stepped back, twisted and drew the icy form of Crocea Mors free. It was followed with a wet splash of blood that soaked the flagstones. Weiss felt no pity as she watched the other woman. "I told you I'd defeat Fate... and a Schnee is as good as her word."

The woman fell, lifeless. Yang fell too, but caught herself and rolled over to stare at the ceiling and groan. Blake answered it, voice tinged with agony, but also blessed with proof of life. Weiss staggered towards them, but had to catch herself with one hand against a wall. Her body was spent, her mind blank. Everything hurt, and she felt like she wanted to cry or curl into a ball to make the pain go away.

And yet, she laughed… she threw back her head and laughed hysterically, falling to her knees and wrapping her arms about herself. Life… she was alive. She'd survived. They all had, while Cinder lay defeated and dead on the floor. Weiss laughed until tears poured down her cheeks, and then she laughed some more. Joy pooled inside of her. She'd done it. She'd beaten Fate!

She'd saved Jaune!

/-/

Jaune brought Crocea Mors around in a wide swing, parrying Adam's blade and turning it aside. He stepped forward and drove an elbow into the faunus' stomach. Adam fell back, but recovered quickly, and his red sword came up horizontally above him, already prepared to catch the overhand strike Jaune brought down with both hands.

The world flickered.

Fire shot through him, a raging inferno that burned through his veins. An intense sense of wrongness that had him clenching his teeth together. A high pitched buzz invaded his ears as well, but he forced himself through it, completing the swing.

His eyes faltered. It was like the static on a television, except within his head.

For a second he couldn't see.

His sword cleaved through flesh and bone, the next.

Adam gasped in shock, eyes wide as Crocea Mors carved through his shoulder bone and ribcage, lodging itself in his stomach. Behind the mask, the man's eyes were wide with disbelief. "How…?" he whispered. "I didn't… but I parried…"

Jaune froze.

He'd… done it? He'd killed Adam?

It didn't seem possible, but Adam was fatally wounded – and would surely die. Jaune opened his mouth to speak, but coughed instead. Something was wrong. He felt another spasm wrack his lungs, and he clutched at his chest.

His fingers closed around steel.

Blood splattered from his lips.

Adam's eyes were locked below Jaune's own, and he when he looked down he saw why. _No wonder something felt so familiar,_ Jaune thought, eyes hazy. Adam's blade was lodged in his chest. It was not a new sensation. _How many times has this killed me…? It almost feels… like it belongs there._

Strength left him and he sagged back. One hand slammed out to catch a table, and he wheezed for breath that wouldn't come. There was a whistling from the wound, and blood bubbled from it, dripping down the blade and to the floor.

"I-Impossible…" Adam gasped. He tried to remove Crocea Mors but didn't have the strength. Shock, pain, and anger flashed across his face. He stumbled forwards, arms falling limp at his sides. "How did you…? This doesn't make… sense…" He fell, knees striking the tiles first, before he slumped sideways. His body curled around the blade, fingers gripping it. "This can't… like this. Such a… pointless end…?"

Adam Taurus expired with a sigh.

Jaune's vision blurred. His hand came up, gripping the blade so tight that it cut into his fingers. He tried to pull it free, and his eyes scrunched shut as he felt cold steel tug on his insides. With a wrench, he tore it out, heedless of the damage it caused. Blood poured over his hand, but he tossed the long blade away. It clattered uselessly to the floor.

He might have praised Adam for the desperate attack, had it been at all necessary. And, of course, had Adam even made it in the first place.

He hadn't.

Adam had blocked the strike. He hadn't attacked. He couldn't have attacked… not like this, not so quickly that Jaune couldn't have seen it. Not so suddenly that even Adam had not intended it. There had been no attack. One second the sword was poised to catch his, the next it was inside of him in a move that sacrificed Adam's own life. There was no middle ground, and no reason for him to do that.

Jaune's brow furrowed, even as blood dribbled from his mouth.

"T-Then why …?"

"Jaune!" Sun roared. The faunus pushed himself up with a cry, stumbling over a chair as he rushed forwards and caught Jaune by the shoulders. It wasn't a moment too soon, as he'd already started to fall. "Oh God," Sun whispered, lowering him down to lean against a wall. "Oh crap, oh crap. Neptune, find a medic! Hurry, please!"

"O-On it!"

"Hey Jaune, you're okay, right? Stay with me, man. Stay with me!" Sun looked around, then growled and tore off his own shirt, tying it about Jaune's chest in an attempt to bandage the wound. It was a weak effort, especially given the size of the wound. "Damn it, how did this happen? I swear you had him on the defence. I _saw_ him block, then something happened. My vision… everything blurred, and the next thing I know he got you. Damn it, damn it…"

Jaune barely heard him, only enough for Sun to confirm what happened. Pain seared through him, but it didn't stop him from realising what had happened. Or who had happened.

Fate… This was Fate's work.

It was the only explanation. How many times had it changed the timeline to ensure he followed events? This was but one of many, but the question remained. Why punish him? What had he done differently? Why do this?

His eyes widened. Blearily, he looked up and out the ruined wall towards the tower of Beacon.

It was… snowing? No, not snow, but particles of ice that drifted through the air, falling from the tower as white mist pooled out from the windows. Ice, not fire…

A laugh escaped him. It was weak at first, but grew stronger. Sun tried to stop him, concerned for what it would do, but Jaune couldn't. He didn't stop even when his body cried out in pain, or when tears poured from his eyes.

She'd done it. Weiss had kept her promise. She'd killed Cinder.

He winced and clutched his wound. His heart beat erratically in his chest, and his body shook from pain, hysterics, or maybe just the blood loss. It was hard to tell.

She'd beaten Fate… changed the time line… but Fate… had refused to be so easily defeated. If things would not progress as they were supposed to, it would reverse it and try again. One more time, as it always had, with his death. Fate had tried one last time to force things to be its way, to kill him and reset time. With fate broken, would there be another time if he died now? If he closed his eyes and slept, would he finally be able to rest?

His eyes drifted shut.

It would be so easy.

Hands fell on his shoulders, and shook him awake.

"Stay with me," Sun begged, his face pushed close to Jaune's. "H-how am I supposed to impress Blake if you go and die on me?"

"You'll… find a way…"

Sun shook his head wildly. "No, no, no! I was supposed to save you. We came to _help_ you. You can't jump ship on me now. I made a promise to look after you, and I'm not going back on that. I can't!"

A promise…?

He grunted, face twisting as waves of agony threatened to engulf him. A promise… he'd made one of those too, hadn't he? Weiss would… she would be upset if he went back on that. She'd be furious. His eyes blinked heavily, but he forced them open. All he had to do was stay awake.

He blinked again, and a dull noise pounded in his skull. For a second, he thought it his heart, but he soon recognised it as distant cheers. People were celebrating. Jaune's eyes scanned the sky, and quickly noticed what was absent. He smiled to himself. The dragon was dead. Everything… everything was working out. He could hear the White Fang in full retreat, and this time there were no Paladins to help them. They were winning. Beacon was winning. _He_ was winning. He'd… he'd finally done it.

Gods, he was tired…

His eyelids felt heavy. He grunted and held them shut for a brief second. He took a long, rattling breath, and opened his eyes once more.

Light invaded them.

White light, bright light, from the sun that burned in the sky, cutting through linen curtains and down onto a bed of white sheets. Jaune Arc blinked and looked around. Where was…? His eyes shot down. The wound in his chest was gone. There was no scar… not from Adam, the fire he'd taken to save Weiss, or from the Beowolf that had threatened his mother. They were all gone.

Because they'd not happened yet… and might never happen.

He was back in Ansel.

Jaune Arc broke.

* * *

 **Well… I like to think of myself as a brave man, but let's see the response this gets, eh?**

 **Probably plenty of rage. We'll see.**

* * *

 **Next (Final) chapter: 12th August**

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


	51. Chapter 51

**Here's the chapter. Just to note that it is long, and in a way, it might also feel like it would have been better split into two chapters. I'm not going to bother with that, but for those thinking of writing their own books in time, it's worth pointing out that this definitely** _ **isn't**_ **just one chapter. I'll even include a little sign in the fic of where the chapter transition would occur if it was split up. I just find it easier not to.**

 **Basically, where it says /-/ C-E /-/ that is where one would imagine the chapter ending, and a new one beginning.**

* * *

 **Beta:** College Fool

 **Cover Art:** Sa-Dui (Commissioned: Booya93)

 **Chapter 51: Not this Time, Fate**

* * *

Weiss' chest rose and fell as she stood over the defeated form of Cinder Fall. It had barely been minutes but they felt like hours, in which she stood guard, half-expecting the woman to rise once more and strike them down.

She did not.

Cinder was dead, and she, along with Yang and Blake, were alive. It was over. They'd done it. Outside, the roars continued, but this time it sounded sharper, more elated, and she realised that was because it was the roar of _people_ , not Grimm. The elevator door behind her pinged open, and Ruby – bedraggled and covered in soot – staggered out. Pyrrha was behind her.

"Is it…?" Silver eyes widened, and Ruby dashed across the broken glass and frosted ice. "Yang! Yang, are you okay!?"

"I'm fine," the blonde mumbled, one arm waving limply. "Blake?"

"Alive," the faunus called, limping up. She would have fallen were it not for Pyrrha catching her. "Is it over?"

"Well, the dragon is dead and the Grimm have been killed." Pyrrha said. "Some are still roaming, but the worst is done and the White Fang are in full retreat. All the teachers are in Vale, I'd imagine, so things should be even safer there."

Weiss nodded, even as the others cheered weakly and laughed between themselves. It really looked like things had worked out, but there was something that didn't sit right. It was all too convenient, all too nice. She shook her head, dismissing such pessimism.

She had to find Jaune. Just the thought of the look on his face was enough to make her smile, and as tired as she was, she limped to the elevator.

"Where are you going, Weiss?" Ruby asked.

"I need to find my partner." She held a hand out when the others moved. "Yang and Blake are badly hurt. Don't let them make it worse by chasing after me. I'll see to him and find you later." She smiled. "Trust me."

Yang was in no condition to argue, but Blake hovered for a moment, before she nodded and sagged in Pyrrha's arms. They were both so spent, and neither had the soul of a dead woman feeding power into them.

The elevator door slipped shut.

Outside, in the plaza outside of the main building, students and civilians stood in tightly packed groups. Though the battle was over, the lingering negativity could summon more Grimm, and many stood guard while they waited for the teachers and huntsmen to return and deem it safe. There were some injured, too, though Weiss could see the tell-tale figure of Kitsune knelt by them. They would be fine.

Weiss' heart beat faster as she rushed towards the cafeteria, ignoring the discarded bodies of terrorists that had been allowed to remain where they fell. She even ignored Mercury and Emerald, whose bodies were beneath a tree, their throats slit and blood dried across their chests.

Everything was coming together. There were no enemies left, and no one to ruin this for her – for them. Weiss laughed happily as she pushed through the broken doors and into the cafeteria.

It died in her throat.

Sun Wukong stood by a nearby wall, shoulders hunched and head low. He turned at the sound of her entrance, and all Weiss caught was a flash of tear-stained eyes, before he looked away, unable to face her.

There was a figure slouched at his feet.

Weiss' body shook.

No… no, no, no.

She could barely breathe, but her feet carried her forward nonetheless. She half-stumbled, half-fell towards him, and her hands landed on his chest, only to come away tinted red. "Wake up," she begged.

He didn't respond.

"Jaune…? Jaune, I did it. I beat her, I saved you." Her fingers clutched his jacket. She shook him gently. "Wake up, you idiot. You're always sleeping. You… you can't sleep here…"

There was still no answer, and tears burned at her eyes. Her forehead fell to rest against his.

"I-I tried to help him," Sun gasped. He tried to speak more, but it took him a few seconds to clear his throat. "We had everything under control, I swear. Things were working, and then… I don't know. The next thing I saw, he'd been stabbed and… and…"

He broke off with a frustrated sob. Nothing more needed to be said. She could piece the rest of the story together.

And then… Jaune died.

It seemed unreal, especially after everything they'd been through. Weiss' mind tried to process it but couldn't. She felt light, too light, like nothing made sense and her mind was detached from her body. Her hands continued to tug and touch him, urging the fool to wake up. He'd promised to wait for her. This was supposed to be their victory – their moment. Tears tracked down her cheeks as she pressed her face against his blood-stained body.

"What am I supposed to do now?"

He didn't answer.

She slammed a fist against him.

"What am I supposed to do!?" she screamed. "You can't leave! You were supposed to stay! What's the point of even trying if this is all that happens?" She felt hands take her shoulders, Sun trying to pull her away. She shook him off violently, and sobbed against Jaune's body. "Come back… please come back…"

She searched for something. Something, anything, really… she just wanted to find that little heartbeat, weak and alone. If she could find that tiny piece of proof that he wasn't gone, just badly injured, then she could save him. Her hands searched, her face too, cheek pressed against his chest. _Please,_ she begged, _please let there be something._

There wasn't. There was nothing. No fairy-tale ending, and no lucky break, not even a whisper of breath past his pale lips.

He was dead. Jaune was dead.

What was the point of all this power if she couldn't use it to protect him, what was the point of all the pain and sacrifice? What was the point of fighting so hard if he was stolen away from her at the last second?

There was no point. She couldn't let it end like that. Myrtenaster scraped across the floor as she dragged it forward. The tip came to rest between his legs, pressed against the ground. She pushed her forehead against the hilt.

"Sun… you might want to move away. I can't promise what will or won't happen."

"What are you doing?"

"Something foolish, no doubt..." Her hands tightened, gripping the hilt. A white circle spun out underneath her, travelling several feet before it latched into place, forming the familiar glyph. She heard Sun move cautiously away, but she paid no attention to it. The glyph was a simple one. It was the same type she used to speed people up.

It clicked and started to travel anti-clockwise, slowing down instead. Winter had warned her of the folly of this before. _There had been arrogant Schnee in the past who had tried to use their glyphs for such a purpose, and those all died. Not enough power, or maybe just foolishness at thinking they could do something so impossible._

Weiss' body groaned as her muscles constricted. There was a high-pitched ringing in her ears, and blood leaked from her nostrils. "I'm sorry, Winter," she gasped. "I'm not willing to let things lie. I… I guess I'm just an arrogant Schnee, too."

To think that she could challenge Fate, and now to think that she could challenge Time, as well.

But what was the point of all this power if it could not be used? Weiss _poured_ the maiden's power into the glyph.

It began to turn faster. It shone a brilliant white, one that threatened to overwhelm her as she felt her heartbeat slow. Would it beat in reverse, or would she die before that happened? If it slowed too much, she'd surely perish long before such a foolish plan could yield results. She didn't care. This had to work. Her teeth gritted as agony rushed through her. She could feel her blood flowing, every breath she took – even the way her nerve endings burned as though they were on fire.

Something was wrong…

Her aura was fading, reserves dwindling. She felt the Maiden's power wane, too. It wasn't enough. Winter had been right, and even for this it wasn't enough. The glyph flickered and began to dim. No… she'd lost it. She'd lost everything!

And then, without warning, it began to glow again.

The glyph imbedded itself into the ground, slowing to a crawl but looking stronger than ever. It was impossible, not only because she'd weakened, but also because… because it had been wrested from her control. Without her aura feeding it, and her concentration maintaining it, the glyph should have shattered. Instead, she watched in mute horror as it slowed down, and eventually came to a crushing halt.

In panic, she tried to cancel it, but the glyph held. She was no longer in control. It was no longer hers.

Darkness rushed in.

It was like a thick fog from every direction, and Weiss slashed at it with her rapier. It parted, and then engulfed around her. What was happening? What was this? If the seal had stopped time – and that was an insane thought in the first place, but she knew beyond a doubt time control was real – but if it _had_ stopped time, then nothing like _this_ should happen. Her wide eyes scanned for Sun, for the cafeteria, for Jaune or anything, but the fog had completely obscured the world, leaving her with a foggy floor, with a fog-filled sky and walls made of the same.

"What… what is this place? Did I die? Did I use all of my aura?"

She wasn't alone.

Weiss spun and flicked Myrtenaster behind her. Her eyes were wide and fear raced through her. There was no one there, but she knew – felt – that she was not alone. There was someone here. She couldn't see, feel, hear or smell it, but a part of her, something beyond the normal senses, knew.

"Who's there? Where am I?"

There was no response.

"Answer me!"

Nothing but silence greeted her, at least for what felt like a minute or so. A minute in which she scanned the area with her weapon at the ready, prepared to mete death out on any who might challenge her. Eventually, however, a distant voice came to her. It was weak at first, but repeated, and somehow grew louder each time, as though the speaker was walking towards her.

 _"I have to save them…"_

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "Hello? Who's there?"

 _"This is my chance. I don't know how, or why, but it's a chance for me to finally save them all."_

"Who is that?" she called. "Save who? Do you know the way out of here?"

 _"I won't be the burden anymore. I swear it on my name. I swear it on the Arc name."_

"J-Jaune!?" It came out as an agonised sob, and she staggered forward with one hand outstretched. "Jaune, where are you? I'm over here!"

 _"I'll fix everything."_

"Jaune?" she screamed. "JAUNE!"

He couldn't hear her, damn it. Weiss growled and pushed herself forward; travelling through the thick fog in what she was sure was the direction of the voice. If she could just find him, then everything would be okay.

 _"Again!?"_ he cried, the voice no louder, but now tinged with despair. _"How did I fail again? How do I keep failing? No, I won't give up. No matter how long it takes, I'll find a way."_ The voice drifted away, fragmenting slowly. _"… find a way…"_ it echoed. _"… a … way…"_

Her feet came to a stop. Fog crept up them, but it wasn't cold and it didn't touch her skin. Her hands clenched into fists and she stared forward into the mist. The voice, and the way it had vanished, told her he wasn't here. For a moment, she dared to think they were memories, perhaps her life flashing before her eyes, but she was certain she had never heard him say something like that.

Weiss sighed and closed her eyes.

"You're Fate, aren't you?"

It was a foolish question, and she felt ridiculous for asking it of the empty air around her. Still, since she was alone here or maybe dying, it wasn't like anyone would be around to hear her make a fool of herself. At the worst, the only one to know she'd spoken to nothingness would be herself. She didn't expect an answer.

She received one.

Emotions not her own crashed down on her skull. She staggered back in shock, crying out as she felt a wave of feelings wash over her. Frustration, despair, anger and something else… it was an eclectic mix that barely made sense, but that more than anything told her they weren't her own.

Was Fate… was it trying to communicate with her?

"I… I hear you," she gritted out. "Y-You are Fate. You're the one responsible for Jaune's repeats."

The crushing sensation was replaced by one softer, as though the entity had seen what she was capable of and adjusted accordingly. This time, it didn't hurt quite so much, but it still felt alien and intrusive, and still caused her brain to throb. The emotions were jumbled once more. Sadness, despair, but also… happiness?

That didn't make sense. It was like someone trying to speak with words without knowing the language, and that something was inherently wrong with it all. Still, that it felt the need to respond at all suggested she was on the right track.

"Why?" she asked, rage tinting her words. "Why are you doing this to him? Why are you putting him through all of this?"

No answer. Perhaps the question was too complicated, or maybe it didn't have an answer to give. Maybe it just didn't care to talk with her anymore. She had no idea what she was dealing with, and there was no physical being to look at.

"My glyph failed because I didn't have the power to fuel it, but it was _you_ who took over, wasn't it? You used my glyph to bring me here."

Happiness, joy, pleasure…

That was probably as close to a "Yes" as she would get.

"Why bring me here?"

Despair, anger, frustration – and also a voice. Cinder's voice. _"H-How…? Impossible…"_

"Yes." Weiss smiled grimly. "I beat you. I fought against Fate – I changed the way things were supposed to be."

Anger, rage, frustration, despair. Fate wasn't happy about it, that much was clear, but for her to be here instead of dead… was it unable to harm her directly? Come to think of it, although Fate had made small changes to events, as Jaune's stories suggested, it had never made any overt changes. At least in terms of outright forcing her hand…

 _It convinced my show organisers to run a competition so that Jaune and I would meet, but it couldn't control what we said to one another. As for an attempt to force Jaune into Beacon, that one failed. It wasn't until he fought Yang and was forced in by Ozpin that Fate's interference achieved any discernible results. Does that mean it can't influence all things?_

Fate was not all-powerful, but then… she should have known that. If it were, then none of this would have ever happened, because Jaune would not have been able to make some kind of mistake to _be_ sent back in the first place. And she wouldn't have been able to defeat Cinder.

A memory assailed her. It was the only way to describe it, because the memory wasn't hers. She caught brief snippets of a struggle, of a silver blade clashing against a crimson one. Her eyes widened when she realised it was Jaune's, and she screamed in despair when she saw Adam's sword flicker and imbed itself in his chest.

She fell to her knees.

She'd… she'd been the one to kill Jaune. Was that what Fate was saying?

"You killed him," she accused.

Sorrow…

"Don't act like you didn't want to! You killed him. You killed him because of me, because _I_ went against what _you_ wanted to happen. Is that it!?"

There was another mix of emotions. What stood out was a sense of reluctant confirmation, a sense that it had, but that there had been no joy in it. No desire.

It didn't change anything. Whether Fate enjoyed this or not, it was still putting Jaune through this nightmare, and it had still killed him because of her… punished him for daring to tell her the truth about what was going on, to give her the means to defeat Cinder.

"I hate you. I hate what you've done to him."

Fate's rebuttal was immediate. Images flashed into mind, and this time they were her own. She saw Jaune smile at her, saw him laugh, saw her get angry – saw them dance, hold hands, kiss. The memories faded quickly, leaving her with tears running from her eyes.

"Are you… are you saying I should _thank_ you?" she asked, voice pausing as she gasped for air. It was true that if he hadn't been through this, she wouldn't have ever been with him. He'd told her how in the early lives, she'd despised him – but did that really mean she should be grateful for Fate's cruel torture?

It felt incredibly selfish, but there was no denying it.

There was a faint trill in her ear, followed by several emotions; sympathy, pity, happiness and maybe even hope. Ha, so Fate could read her mind now as well? Or was she just that obvious? Probably the latter.

"So, I was right about there being some plan you're working towards. Jaune would have been safe if I'd allowed myself to die atop the tower, wouldn't he?"

The swirl of emotions confirmed it.

"And because I didn't… you killed him."

There was confirmation again, but also a strange sense of… doubt. It took Weiss a second to piece together what that meant.

"Are you saying you _didn't_ kill him?"

Confirmation again, and more doubt.

"You're responsible for his death…"

Fate agreed.

"But you _didn't_ kill him?"

Fate agreed again, not that it mattered. It was probably some technical thing she didn't understand, but it might also have explained why Fate couldn't have just killed _her_. Then again, maybe it had. Cinder had seemed unusually strong, so perhaps she had been getting some kind of boost. According to Jaune's story, the usual fights between Pyrrha and Cinder were close, but that even when _he_ fought alongside her, Pyrrha and he still lost. More than that, Weiss liked to think that she, Yang and Blake could have defeated Pyrrha with ease. She was strong, yes, but so were they and numbers played a big part in a fight.

Yet Cinder had almost dominated them. Had Fate been interfering there as well? It was possible, but if so, then it again showed there was a limit to how much it could interfere. Her eyes widened. _What if its power was weakened because it had to split in two directions at once? It had to maintain Adam and Jaune's fight, but also mine with Cinder. Could that have led to it being distracted, or somehow unable to force its will on us?_

"You still facilitated his death, no matter how much you might say otherwise." She paused, but there was no denial from Fate. "Either way, there's something I don't understand. The future you want is one where Beacon falls and the maiden dies, isn't it?"

A swirl of excitement and pleasure shot through her. It was so sudden that it forced Weiss to her knees, and also made her lick her lips. This… this way of communicating felt more intrusive than she liked. Regardless, it seemed she'd hit the nail on the head there.

"Then the one thing I don't get, the big thing that eludes me… is why this is even happening in the first place? That _was_ the original time line! For Jaune to even know that happened means he's been through it before. If that's what happened in the first place, then why send him back in time at all?"

Fate should have already won the first time.

There was no immediate response from Fate, but the fog around her swirled into life. It formed a strange tableau, an imaginary stage with a figure hunched against the floor.

 _"Why did you send me away, Pyrrha?"_ Jaune's voice emanated not from the tiny figure, but the world around her. It was weak, and filled with grief. _"I could have fought alongside you. I could have helped. Why did you send me away?"_

He sobbed angrily, and she felt an immediate urge to find and comfort him. Were these words he'd uttered before? It seemed likely.

 _"You sent me away because I was weak… because you knew I'd only drag you down. If it had been someone else, if it had been Ruby, then you wouldn't have faced her alone. You wouldn't have died."_

Weiss looked away. She knew what would come next before he spoke. It was obvious… painfully, horrendously, obvious.

 _"It's my fault,"_ he whispered. _"You died because of me."_

"No she didn't," Weiss argued. She took a step towards him, but he didn't hear her. She had to tell herself it wasn't real, but even then, she was wrong. It was real, and it was something which had happened a long time ago. Weiss' hands fell to her side, useless. "She sent you away because she loved you… because she thought she would be enough to deal with Cinder."

Jaune didn't hear her. He staggered to his feet and swayed to the side. It looked like he might fall, and she instinctively reached out to steady him. He caught himself. His body paused, looking down at the sword in his hands.

"Jaune…?"

" _I can't even do this,"_ he whispered. _"I really am useless…"_

The sword fell from his fingers, clanging loudly against the ground. He took the scabbard off his belt too, expanding it into a shield and then discarding that. With an audible sigh, he trudged ahead, towards what looked like a set of trees.

Where was he going?

Weiss jogged after him, trying to read his expression, but the figure was made of dark clouds, and it didn't give anything away. It was more an indistinct shape with his voice than anything. She waved a hand before his face, but he didn't see it.

There was a growl ahead of her.

Her heart leapt into her throat, and she spun on the spot. Red dots glowed in the dark, among the trees formed of dark fog – and she watched in horror as one stepped forth, the vague shape of a Beowolf, its arms poised to rend and tear. She glanced back. Jaune had his head low, his hands empty. He had nothing to defend himself with.

And he didn't stop walking forwards.

"Look out!" she hissed. "You idiot, look out!"

The Beowolf let out a ferocious howl and darted towards her. Weiss growled back and lunged forwards, Myrtenaster aiming for its throat. She pierced it dead-on, but there was no resistance, and no contact. The cloud dispersed around her, and then reformed behind.

It stormed on, roaring its victory.

There was a sound like tearing flesh – and a long, relieved, sigh.

Weiss' body shook as she stared forwards with wide eyes. She didn't dare turn around, even as several other Grimm shapes poured from the trees, rushing through and around her. Snarls, growls and roars filled the air… along with the sound of something far worse. Myrtenaster clattered to the floor.

Her knees hit it a second later, one hand clamped to her mouth. Tears leaked from her eyes, and she clenched them shut against the terrible sounds.

"Stop it!" she cried. "I've heard enough, please!"

The noise vanished. The clouds wafted away too, leaving her alone and free. Despite that, there was no banishing the memory, the sound and… and what had happened.

"He… He killed himself," she whispered.

Fate confirmed it with a barrage of emotions, all of them bad.

Suicide, Jaune… she couldn't believe it. No, she could, not in terms of him, but at least in what took place at the time. With the fall of Beacon, the death of a loved one, and the world being ripped out from underneath you, it seemed more than reasonable for someone to feel that way. Not to ever go through with it, but…

Her eyes widened.

Jaune had always told her he couldn't remember his first life. No matter how much she asked, how much she pried, he always claimed it was too far away, too far back, and that the memories had faded long ago.

She wasn't even sure if he was lying or not.

"Did he repress those memories, or did he really forget them? I… we always knew he had problems, traumatic problems..." It explained the nightmares, too. Particularly the ones about Pyrrha… "He's still blaming himself for what happened. _He_ might not remember, but his heart does." She looked up, even though her unwelcome companion was not in any given direction. "That's why you had to bring him back, isn't it? He died, and that wasn't part of your plan. Still, for you to let other people die instead of Pyrrha, someone like me… that means there was something about him that couldn't be replaced."

Her eyes narrowed as Fate sent a wave of feelings through her. Most of them were positive ones, likely hinting that she was correct.

"You need him," she realised. "He's necessary for something, something in the future which would go badly if he wasn't alive. Of all the things you can influence and change, his survival isn't one of them."

She felt Fate's frustration, but also its acceptance. Before her, another scene swirled to life. This time, the figure lurched up from a position where it had been laid down. Its hands flew to its chest, the head turning left and right.

 _"B-But I died. How am I here? Is this a dream?"_

The moment he first woke up. The scene swirled again, this one to where he was down on one knee, sword held before him.

 _"This is incredible. Is it my Semblance, some kind of God? Thank you, thank you! I'll make the world better, I'll make everything better. I'll save you, Pyrrha. I promise!"_

It swirled again, and although the pose was the same, it felt like the figure's feelings were different.

 _"I failed again. Okay, that's fine. As long as I keep going back, I'll find a way eventually. I won't let you down, Pyrrha. I won't let anyone down."_

The foggy depiction was dashed away, and a wave of frustration, anger and despair struck Weiss like a truck, driving her back a pace. It was so sudden that her head seared with agony, and blood ran from her nose. Despite that, she smiled grimly.

"Did you expect anything different? This is Jaune we're talking about. He's a stubborn as a mule, and twice as determined. You might have wanted him to do the exact same as he did in the first life, but not kill himself. The thing is that _he_ wouldn't sit back and do that. If he hated it the first time, he wouldn't let it repeat the second."

Or the third, or the one hundredth, or a thousand times later. Fate's explanation was clear. It wanted to achieve the original – the expected – result. However, it wanted one thing to change. Jaune had to live.

Jaune, on the other hand, wanted nothing to do with that, and refused to waste what he saw as an opportunity to save the people he loved. Fate wasn't the one fighting against Jaune; he was the one fighting against Fate. It was enough to make her smile.

But only for a moment…

If Jaune continued to fight, and Fate continued to send him back, then this would never end. Neither would give up, and there would be no resolution. He'd held on for a thousand years or more, but would that last forever? He was already deeply traumatised. What would he look like in ten thousand years' time?

He was going to break. Jaune was going to snap… and then what? What happened when he couldn't fulfil his apparent destiny? Would the world end? How many people would die as a result? It was unreal. After so many failures, a part of her wondered if she would be the same as him or if she'd have given up and accepted sacrifices. It was the rational choice, after all. The definition of insanity was doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. In a way, he was being irrational – and that was likely why Fate didn't understand his actions.

It worked on the principle of the rational mind.

Weiss' stomach fell.

"That's why I'm here, isn't it?" she asked. "You've realised that he isn't going to last. You know something is wrong, and you don't know what to do. If he breaks, you'll not get the future you want. You have something you need of me."

Sorrow, grief… but also an incredibly reluctant sense of agreement. Why else would she have been brought here otherwise? If Fate didn't care for her, it could have let her kill herself on that glyph. She let out a long sigh.

"What is it you want of me?"

White light shone beneath them, and Weiss looked down in time to realise her glyph was still in place. It still wasn't she who fed it with power, and now it was moving once more, moving backwards. It was what she'd wanted, but not had the power to achieve. Of course, Fate would. It had already been sending Jaune back in time, so the power wasn't beyond it. It might not have had the same _means_ to send Weiss back as it did Jaune, but she'd provided it with a method when she'd summoned her glyph. Weiss watched with bated breath as the fog around her dispelled, revealing the world – and Fate's answer.

It was predictably rational.

She was back in the tower, and Cinder stood on two feet, frozen in time along with Blake and Yang, but clearly alive. Weiss looked out the window, and swallowed when she saw the dragon still in the sky.

She'd really travelled back in time. That meant Jaune was still alive, and also that she had now experienced a fraction of what he went through. Such thoughts were quickly tempered as she realised what it was Fate expected of her.

"You want me to die…"

Fate confirmed it a second later.

"I see…" Weiss' shoulders slumped. It was what she'd asked of Jaune before, but that had been so easy. Now, faced once more with this… she had to let herself die. "What about Yang and Blake, though? I can't let them die."

A memory was forced into her head, or perhaps this one might be more accurately called a premonition. In it, she saw her death, impaled on one of Cinder's blades. She saw the woman turn to Yang and Blake, but also saw the elevator open. There was a flash of red as Ruby screamed her name, and then it was washed away in an explosion of silver light.

Weiss gasped for breath when it passed.

"Ruby saves them…?"

Fate agreed.

The relief she felt was tempered by despair. There went another excuse she could cling to, another reason not to go ahead with this. Wasn't it unfair that Jaune was necessary, that his life held some greater promise, but that hers did not? It felt unreasonably cruel. _My life feels important to me… but I suppose that Pyrrha's did as well._

If Jaune was being irrational because he refused to accept Pyrrha's death, then wouldn't it be irrational of her to not accept her own?

This would save him, after all. It would save all of them.

"Why not just kill me yourself?" she asked. "You could force Cinder's swords into me like you did with Jaune."

There was no answer.

That was an answer in itself. If Fate could have done as such, it would have. Whatever limits it ran by, that option seemed beyond it. Maybe it only had a limited ability to interfere in any one life. Maybe it could only do one _big_ thing in a single life. Everything else had been subtle, but forcing Adam's blade into a new place had been a concrete change to reality. In the end, she didn't know what the rules were, and Fate couldn't – and likely wouldn't – tell her.

It required her to kill herself… and she knew what the punishment for failure would be. Jaune would die and time would reset, and this time there would be no second chances. If she tried to use her glyph again, Fate would not intervene, and the attempt would kill her.

There was only one option, as agonising as it seemed.

"Do you promise Yang and Blake will live?"

Emotions rushed through her, and although she couldn't place them together, she got the vague sensation that both were important in some way. Like Jaune, they were not expendable. Unlike her, Fate could not afford for them to die.

Not yet.

Weiss closed her eyes, and thought of her girls and Jaune, and knew what she had to do to protect them. She opened her eyes, and composed herself with all the Schnee decorum she could muster.

"I'll do it."

The fog, what little remained, swirled around her once more, but this time it caressed her softly. If it was Fate's attempt at gratitude or comfort, she didn't know. It faded away soon after, and the glyph beneath her started to pulse slowly. The power was waning from it, and soon time would snap back into place.

Jaune would be so angry if he ever found out. He never would, of course. She just hoped he would look after Yang and Blake. Weiss looked down to them, frozen in time, and smiled. Gods, they'd both annoyed her at first.

Now, she knew she would miss them. What little time she had, she used to remember the happier moments they had together, of them chatting in their dorm, of training as a unit, even those damned moments where Jaune electrocuted Cardin on stage. She recalled the dance too, and their heated kiss – and then their later ones, far more desperate, but no less special.

Sound snapped back into place.

"I won't let you hurt them!" Yang snarled. Her hand had caught Cinder's wrist, and Weiss watched as Blake's ribbon snagged the other. It was a moment's opening, the point at which she had killed Cinder.

This time, she didn't.

Cinder broke free from their grasp, rushing forward with pure triumph on her face. In her ear, Weiss could almost _feel_ Fate's triumph as well, the two of them in perfect concert as everything finally clicked into place. Yang screamed her name, both in warning and in terror. All she had to do was stay still and it would be over. She would die, her team would survive, and Jaune would live. It was the right choice.

It was the rational choice.

That was why Fate had never been able to influence Jaune… because it always expected him to act rationally, to act with perfect objective thought and react in a predictable manner. It couldn't understand why he continued to rail against it, or why he never gave up. He was a fool like that, so brave and stubborn. She loved him for it, even as she hated him for it. Love was irrational too, and something she'd thought she would never truly experience. He'd made a fool of her there, and she loved him for it. Like love, and like their refusal to give up, humans were irrational creatures.

Weiss was human, too.

And Jaune wasn't the only one who could be a stubborn fool.

Weiss smiled.

"Not this time, Fate."

Her body moved at the last second, twisting to the side and dodging the blow as her arm came around in a long arch. Myrtenaster bit home, through flesh, muscle and then organs. Her eyes snapped open, staring into shocked amber orbs that could not believe what had just happened.

"H-How?-" Cinder began.

Weiss didn't stay for the rest.

The taller woman struck the floor as Weiss let go, abandoning her rapier and everything else as she dashed across the room and hurled herself at the windows. What little glass there was gave way and shattered before her. The wind took her a moment later as she hurtled towards Remnant.

"I'm not rational either," she screamed, voice muffled by the wind. "None of us are!"

Her hands came down before her, and white glyphs shimmered to life in the air. The wind pressure almost snapped her arms back, but she held strong – hurtling towards the glyphs.

"Humans believe they have the right to decide their own fate. If you try to take that away from us, we'll always fight it. Jaune never stopped, and I'll be damned if I do either!"

Fate didn't answer in words, but Weiss felt she could hear it in the agonised whistling of the wind in her ears. It was fast and rapid, filled with an anguished, almost angry tone. Up ahead, a Griffon wheeled off from the pack, drawn towards her.

Her eyes narrowed. It was a weak attempt, and with all the negativity in the air, the fact it would specifically single her out was suspicious enough. "If you think that's enough to stop me, you're wrong," she growled into the wind. Her weapon was still lodged in Cinder's heart, but that didn't mean she was defenceless. As the monster hurtled towards her, Weiss spread her arms wide and accessed the maiden's powers. They were stronger now that Cinder was dead, and she felt revitalised. As the monster closed in, she brought her arms around and pointed towards it.

An explosion of fire lit the air. The force of it blasted her off-balance, but sent the dead Grimm hurtling towards the ground. Weiss caught herself in the air, firing off a glyph below her as she had so long ago in initiation. The wind tugged at her clothing, trying to hold her back. It felt like the hands of Fate trying to drag her away.

"Even if you stop me, you won't ever stop him," Weiss hissed. "Do you think anything will ever change so long as you keep trying to force this on us?"

Frustration and despair washed over her, none of it her own.

Weiss slammed into the first glyph and grunted as her momentum was halved. All the force went straight to her ankle, which would have snapped like a dry twig if it were not for her aura. She bounced off at an angle, striking another and then another, bleeding away her momentum so that she struck the ground hard, but not hard enough to be injured.

Her left foot hit gravel first, and she cried out – rolling across the ground and pushing herself back up onto her feet with one hand. Agony rushed through her, but she ignored it, intent only on the cafeteria building she could see in the distance. She'd cut minutes off, but had no idea if it would be enough or not. It had to be enough. Fate wouldn't give her another chance.

Another Grimm tried to get in her way. Weiss growled and darted under its guard, slamming a hand into its ribcage.

"All you're doing is making us fight back harder," she said.

A spike of ice erupted from its back, dyed crimson from blood. The Grimm gurgled and fell aside, already disappearing. Weiss hopped over it and continued on.

"Don't you see? If you keep trying to force Jaune to do something he can't, or won't, accept, then it won't ever end. The future you want is impossible because you expect us to settle for it." Weiss shoulder-charged a White Fang grunt out of her way, the man crying out as he was knocked back. She ignored him. "If you stop me now and reset, then nothing will change. Jaune will fight just like I'm fighting now. No matter who you use, it'll be the same outcome."

Fate disagreed. Images and thoughts flashed through her mind. It was a jumbled mess she could barely understand, but it hinted at a level of desperation – or Fate trying to convince her.

It spoke of weakness.

"Eventually, it will be too much though, even for him!"

Her path took her by a swirl of melee, in which a woman with black hair pinned a green-haired girl to a tree with her blade. The girl cried out.

Weiss didn't pause.

"Jaune will break sooner or later. He'll snap under the pressure, and then you'll have nothing. What happens to your precious future if he dies inside?"

Uncertainty, fear… denial…

"You've got your choice!" she howled. "I live and save him, or he loops and falls to pieces. People say you can't fight fate, but that never stops us trying! Let go of him. Accept this future. Leave things in _our_ hands." Tears bit at her eyes. The cafeteria was right there. The moment of truth was now. "Trust us. Trust us to make it work."

Weiss pushed off the ground and towards the cafeteria.

"I beg you…"

She crashed through the window.

"How…?" Adam Taurus asked, echoing the words she'd never given Cinder a chance to utter. The similarities were obvious, right down to the sword lodged inside of him.

But also, the one that pierced through Jaune's chest.

He staggered back, gripping it.

His fingers tightened around the blade, and he tugged.

Weiss' hand held it in place.

"W-Weiss…?"

He was there. He was there in front of her, his beautiful eyes filled with pain and shock, but also bright and vivid, filled with life. His face was beleaguered and twisted in agony, but his chest rose and fell, and his heart continued to beat. As she gently pried his hand away from the sword, she allowed her fingers to splay out against him, feeling it.

"Don't pull it out, you idiot." she whispered, choking slightly. "You'll make the wound worse."

"Jaune!" Sun cried. "I didn't… how-?"

"Sun, Neptune." Her voice was clipped, and they stood to attention. "Run back to the main building and find a fox faunus named Kitsune. She's the doctor. Tell her what happened here and make sure she gets here immediately!"

They both jumped into action, Neptune rushing off, while Sun tore off his shirt and threw it to her, "Here, use this to bandage him!" he shouted, rushing after his partner a second later. Weiss caught the clothing with one hand, and pressed it around the sword, slowing the flow of blood. While Jaune wasn't looking, she also traced a small glyph around it, subtly adding pressure and slowing the flow even further.

"Where's… Cinder…?" Jaune rasped.

"Dead, Jaune. She's dead."

His eyes, exhausted as they were, widened, "H-How?"

"Organ failure," Weiss quipped. "On account of the dust rapier buried inside her. It looked fairly serious. I don't think she's going to make it."

He laughed. His body shook, and was quickly wracked with coughs.

"Don't move so much, you idiot. We need to wait for a doctor."

"I guess you did it," he breathed. His eyes were lidded, almost closed. "You beat Fate where I couldn't. Maybe… maybe things would have been better if it was you who'd gone back instead of me."

"Not yet, I haven't…"

"I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise."

Weiss choked back a sob. She smiled through the tears, touching his cheek with one hand. "What are you talking about? You're here. That was the promise. You were going to wait to see me beat Cinder."

"And… and the other thing?" he asked weakly.

"I've not given up on that, Jaune. We'll handle it once you're healed."

If he could be healed, that was. Neither of them said it, but both knew. He stared up at her, eyes heavy, but also soft. At the very least, he seemed happy to see her… content that it might end like this and not with him alone.

She was too, even if she might never remember it.

She pressed her lips to his.

He kissed her back.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I… I think I love you, too." He laughed painfully. "I guess you were as good as your word. You'd never return my feelings, not in a thousand years."

Weiss giggled bitterly. "Sorry I made you wait that long."

"It was… worth it."

Jaune's eyes drifted shut, the last of his strength fading. One of his hands came up to touch hers, even as she pressed down harder, keeping Sun's shirt against the wound. She could feel his heartbeat still. He was still alive… just too weak to remain conscious.

"I guess this is it," she said out loud, eyes towards the ceiling. "This is the moment of truth, and… and I guess it's your call. You can let him die now, and keep fighting against him until he breaks… or you can let it go and let us forge our own future. Those are the only options available."

Weiss' eyes clenched shut when there was no answer from Fate. What had she expected? Her shoulders shook as she drew his face against her chest and wept.

Glass crunched behind her.

"Over here, they're over here," Sun yelled. "Come on, hurry!"

Weiss' head rose. Lost and afraid, she turned towards the back wall, in time to see Sun Wukong dash in with a brown-haired figure in white behind him. It was Beacon's doctor and chief medical officer, Kitsune, but how? She'd been all the way back at the main building.

"I found her," Sun laughed hysterically, "She was on her way here. She was already halfway here."

"I just had a feeling…" the faunus doctor said. "It's hard to explain, but I just sort of… felt I should be here." Her eyes widened as she saw Jaune, and she stepped forwards. "Is he…? His vitals are weak, but if he's still alive I should be able to do something. Hold his head for me! You, monkey, come and press the wound down!"

Tears ran down Weiss' cheeks.

"Thank you…"

"Don't thank me yet," Tsune growled, ripping the bandage free and drawing some syringes from her white outfit. "Thank me when he's alive."

Weiss laughed. She hadn't meant Tsune, and not for this – though she would make sure to thank the woman later. She'd meant Fate. Weiss looked up towards the ceiling and swallowed. "Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you…"

The wind rustled through her hair, but other than that, there was no answer… only a weight lifting off her shoulders.

/-/

His eyelids felt heavy.

He grunted and held them shut for a few seconds, before he took a long, rattling breath, and opened his eyes once more.

Light invaded them.

White light, bright light, from the sun that burned the sky, cutting through synthetic curtains and down onto a bed of white sheets. Jaune Arc blinked and looked around. Panic rose within him, and his heart burned. He tried to move a hand up to touch it, but couldn't.

There was a girl with white hair asleep atop it.

His eyes watered.

His other arm was trapped, too. This time under yellow and black, though he had no idea whose fingers were intertwined with his, as it looked like they had fought for the position, and ultimately come to some kind of truce.

His chest still burned, and now with the fear dispelled, he realised it was a familiar burn. That of a wound not quite healed, of stitches and disinfectant, of blood pumped into him through an IV, and of the dulling scent and feeling of painkillers in his system.

He was crying. He wasn't sure why the revelation shocked him, but it did. How long had it been since he found himself actually capable of shedding years? It felt like a hundred years or more. A hundred years of iron-clad control and discipline.

Weiss shivered, and whispered something under her breath. She calmed when he squeezed her hand in return, and he smiled when the girl settled back down into a peaceful slumber. It didn't seem possible, yet he was here.

He didn't know how, and a part of him felt like he could remember dying… remember the white sheets of Ansel, and waking up to no injuries… of falling apart. The memory was hazy even as he thought of it, and it drifted through his fingers before he could grasp it. All that was left was the near-silent medical room, and his head falling back against the soft pillows.

He was… alive?

* * *

 **/-/ C-E /-/**

* * *

Jaune's second awakening was nowhere near as peaceful. It started as such, as life came back to him and his eyes cracked open – but any semblance of peace ended when he realised he was staring into lilac eyes but a fraction of an inch from his own.

They widened dangerously.

"Y-Yang…?"

"He's awake!" Yang crowed. Her voice cracked at the end, and she struggled to breathe. "Weiss, Blake-"

"We heard you the first time!" Weiss growled, pushing past her and placing her face in front of his. Blake was behind, trying to do the same, and he flinched back from the serious looks on their faces. "You're awake," Weiss whispered, as if she hadn't believed it before. "You're awake! Oh thank God!"

"Are you okay?" Blake asked, hands seeking out his own. "Do you want some water?"

The word reminded him of just how dry his throat was, and he nodded. He wasn't quite prepared for how literally Blake took it, trying to help him drink herself. "If you let go of my hand, I can lift the glass to my lips myself…" he rasped. "I don't need you to force-feed me."

"I already trusted you to deal with Adam on your own. Look what happened with that."

"I killed him, didn't I?"

"Somehow," Blake said. She pressed the rim to his mouth to shut him up, and while it was embarrassing in the extreme, he did let her tilt it back for him. Once it was done and she'd put the glass away, she continued. "Is that better? Do you need anything else?"

"Blake, you're smothering him," Yang joked and drew her partner back. Despite the tone, there was no missing how her eyes roved over his face. She looked so relieved she might cry. "Nice to see you back, Dad. I thought you were going to sleep for the rest of your life."

 _I thought you were going to die…_

The message was clear. He caught it, even as he smiled for her benefit. "Your mother wouldn't let me do that. Besides, it's been a while since I had a chance to catch a nap. I actually woke up a bit last night."

"And you didn't tell us!?" Yang's face went from joking to furious in an instant. "What the hell? We were so afraid!"

"I could barely figure out what was going on. Besides, you all looked like you needed your rest."

"We needed to know you were okay, more," Blake whispered. "Don't do that again."

Weiss nodded along, and with the three of them against him, there was really no arguing. He laughed and laid his head back on the pillow, eyes towards the ceiling. "Sorry… I guess I wasn't thinking straight. Please forgive me."

"Only because we love you," Yang said.

Blake snorted. "And even then, only a little. You still need to make it up to us for nearly dying in the first place. You told us you'd be okay."

"And I was. I'm alive."

"Yes," Blake said. "But even then, you managed to get yourself stabbed. Tsune said if it wasn't for Weiss' intervention, you'd have surely died."

He glanced to Weiss, and she looked away. Her hand was still wrapped around his, their fingers joined. She hadn't let go since he'd woken up, and he couldn't really bring himself to care about that. Even so, he had a feeling there was more to the story than met the eye. _I'm sure I died. I'm so used to the feeling, I know it by heart. I clearly remember waking up back in Ansel._

Weiss knew something, but she wasn't telling, at least not in front of the others. All she did was squeeze his hand a little tighter and whisper something under her breath. Someone he only just made out, but which he knew neither Blake nor Yang did.

"It's over. You're free."

For a moment, he forgot how to breathe.

Fortunately, the door to the infirmary slammed open, silencing it once and for all. "JAUNE!" Ruby cried. She darted in, paused before his bed – and was quickly wrestled back by her sister. "Yang, let go! What are you doing?"

"Stopping you from jumping on him and making things worse. He's just been stabbed. Give him some time to heal."

"I wasn't going to jump on him," Ruby complained once she was freed. Her frustration evaporated a second later as she rushed over to his side, her hands on the railings of his bed. "How are you? Are you okay? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine. Blake already got me some water."

Ruby's face fell, and she looked positively betrayed as she turned to Blake. "But… but…"

"Some food, if I'm allowed it," he amended with an amused sigh. "I'm not even sure what's going on. I wouldn't say no to a newspaper, or-"

"No solid food, no newspaper, and no exercise," a curt voice listed. Glynda stepped into the room, and her eyes zeroed in on him immediately. "And I mean it, Mr Arc. If you so much as _breathe_ in a way that jeopardises your recovery, I shall personally make you regret it."

He rolled his eyes. "Good to see you too, Glynda."

The woman tossed her head, unamused at the familiar use of her name, but no doubt knowing there would be no point in arguing against him. She strode up to Weiss' side of the bed, and although everyone else gave way, the heiress did not. Glynda didn't seem to mind, and instead stood politely behind her.

"Tsune tells me your recovery is coming along well, and you should be allowed out of here today, albeit on a wheelchair."

"Can't I have crutches?"

"On a _wheelchair_ , Mr Arc…" She glanced down. "Miss Schnee, if I see him with crutches-"

"You won't," Weiss promised. "Don't worry. He'll follow the doctor's recommendations to the letter. I'll make sure of it."

Well, that wasn't ominous at all.

"I'm pleased to hear it. Now, I understand this may not be the most popular of things to say, but the headmaster has requested a meeting with Mr Arc on his own." Glynda broke off as loud protests came from the others in the room, with even Pyrrha and Ren looking upset. "It is not my decision," the teacher spoke over the top of them. "Regardless, if you can all vacate the infirmary for ten minutes. Why not go and fetch him something to read?"

"I'm staying," Weiss said.

"Miss Schnee…"

Jaune shook his head. "She can stay. Tell Ozpin I won't speak to him otherwise."

"I'm staying too," Yang said.

"No." Glynda growled under her breath. "My instructions-"

"It is fine, Glynda," Ozpin interrupted, stepping into the room. Beside him stood Qrow, the man now with a bandage wrapped about one arm. "Miss Schnee can stay, but the rest of you will have to give us some space. Rest assured that I'll only be filling him in on things you already know." He chuckled. "I'm hardly going to steal your friend away now that he's finally recovered. You've been without him for three days… another ten minutes won't hurt."

It wouldn't hurt him, but it looked like it did them, for they all grumbled under their breath and glowered at the teachers as they made their way out. Once they were alone, Glynda departed as well, but that still left the four of them huddled around his bed.

He couldn't say he liked the feeling of being so helpless, but he was thankful for Weiss' presence.

"Three days?" Jaune asked warily. "Is that how long I've been out?"

"You've been asleep for three calendar days," Ozpin explained, "but more akin to two and a quarter in terms of time. Your body needed time to heal, although your aura seems to have helped to speed up your recovery. Miss Schnee has rarely left your side in that time."

That went without saying. He had a feeling she wouldn't have moved, and it wasn't like he'd have done any less in return. "What happened?" he asked.

"I was hoping you might better explain that to us, Mr Arc. The attack on Amity caught us all off-guard, but there was a far larger one in Vale. I, along with most of the staff, were forced to leave Beacon to attend to that. By the time I returned, most of the school had been badly damaged."

"And he had a dead woman in his office." Qrow cackled. "And not even a carpet to roll her up in."

Ozpin rolled his eyes at that, not quite as amused at the image. Still, it confirmed the words he vaguely remembered Weiss whispering. She'd killed Cinder. She'd actually managed to kill her. And he was still alive to tell the tale.

"How did Vale fare?" Jaune asked. "Was there any damage?"

"In such an attack, there is always damage, not to mention casualties." Ozpin took a deep breath and let it go. "Things could have been far worse. James, General Ironwood that is, moved quickly to take control of the emergency services, commanding them like his own military. His quick thinking and discipline allowed us to rescue more people than we should have been able to. Some are calling for him to receive a medal."

That was new. After the fall of Beacon, Ironwood normally became someone hated by the people of Vale, and the man went through his own marked changes. Would that happen now? Come to think of it, part of Cinder's plan had been to drive a wedge between Atlas and Vale, to weaken the Kingdoms for her forces to take advantage of. With Ironwood's Paladins absent, and the man himself considered a hero, none of that would happen. Relations between Vale and Atlas would be stronger than ever.

Jaune closed his eyes and smiled at that.

"It sounds like he deserves one," he said. His eyes snapped open. "My family! Did they-"

"Safe, alive, and here in Beacon..." Ozpin rattled the information off quickly, cutting into Jaune's panic before it could truly take hold. "Do not worry about the newest arrival either. She is perfectly healthy, as, I'm sure your sisters are being reminded each and every night." The headmaster smiled coyly. "She has quite the healthy set of lungs on her. Your mother is fine as well, and suffered no ill effects from her difficult labour."

"Thank god…" he whispered, relaxing.

Weiss squeezed his hand. "They've come to visit a few times," she said. "Never with the baby, since they didn't want to disturb you, but they've all visited at some point or another. I promise they're all perfectly safe."

He nodded, trusting her.

"If we can move back onto other topics," Ozpin continued. "I don't want to take this meeting on for too long, or I fear your friends might break past Glynda and bring the wall down."

"Ruby wouldn't," Qrow said. "Yang? Ah… maybe?"

"Quite. Mr Arc, we wanted to ask you about the events that transpired. Much of the night is still shrouded in mystery, and we have little understanding of _why_ this attack was perpetrated. We were hoping you might have answers."

"Why would he?" Weiss asked.

It wasn't Ozpin who answered, but Qrow. "Because he had them before. Isn't that right, Silver?"

"I think you've had too much to drink, Mr Branwen. Jaune isn't-"

"Your partner is in no danger, Miss Schnee," Ozpin hurried. He smiled and raised his mug in a quick salute. "Although James has expressed a desire to hunt down our friendly informant, we believe he was quite the asset to ourselves, and would be willing to let him retire in peace – even anonymously. We simply want to know what it is we're dealing with here."

Weiss looked his way in worry. The message was clear; if he wanted to play dumb, she'd support him.

He smiled back and shook his head.

"Her name was Cinder Fall," he began, "and her plan was much bigger than just grabbing the Fall Maiden's powers…"

He filled them in on everything he knew, every piece of knowledge gleaned over a thousand years or more of direct experience. There was nothing that hinted at time travel, of course. He simply laid out what he knew, and let them make up the reasons why. Whatever those would be, it would be more easily believed than the truth. Once he was done, the headmaster nodded, while Qrow stroked his chin curiously.

"Huh, I always knew you were resourceful, kid. I just have no idea how you managed to figure all this out, not to mention ruin the White Fang's day, all while we barely picked up on what was on the surface."

"Let's just say I had a lot of time to think and plan. It was my life's work."

Ozpin frowned. "Someone so young should not have such a goal."

"If you guys look after things on your end, then I won't have to." He breathed a sigh of relief. "Not anymore."

"And what will you do now, Mr Arc?" the headmaster asked, smiling. "Before, I had to force your hand on entering Beacon, but after all the services you've done, I would feel a monster to do that again. The choice is yours."

A choice… the freedom to make his own choice…

He hadn't considered that, and the realisation hit him harder than it should have. He had no drive, no ambition, and no real reason to continue on in just about anything. Before, there had always been Cinder and Beacon. He had to save them, kill her, and make a future where no one had to die. Now, against all odds, he had.

What did that leave him with?

He wasn't sure. He didn't know what to do. It felt like everything that had ever mattered had been ripped out from under his feet. He tried to think of something, but his head hurt. Perhaps it was the drugs making things hard. Either way, he had nothing, and shook his head.

"I don't have anything else," he admitted weakly. "If you'll still have me here in Beacon-"

"You never left, Mr Arc," Ozpin interrupted, placing a hand on his arm. "We would be honoured to keep you, and I'm sure your team will be relieved to know they will still have their leader." He rose to his feet, moving away. "Thank you for your time, Mr Arc, and for the work you've done. If you'll leave it in our hands from here, I think it would be wise to focus on yourself for a while… both in terms of your recovery, and also enjoying your time at Beacon."

"I'll do my best."

"I'm glad to hear it, Mr Arc."

"Heh, see you later, kid." Qrow followed the headmaster out, but couldn't refrain winking at Weiss before he left. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do~"

He left behind an air that was predictably awkward.

"So…" Jaune began, not sure where to look. He chose the top of her hair. "What happened? I remember dying, Weiss. I know I died."

"You did. I brought you back."

He was right, then. He _had_ died.

"How…?"

"The how isn't important. I'm not sure I could even explain it if I tried. All you need to know is that it's all over." She let go of his hand, then moved closer to place it on his cheek. Her breath brushed against his lips, and his eyes became lidded as heat washed over him. "You're free," she whispered, moving closer. "Fate doesn't hold you anymore."

Her lips touched his.

The door slammed open.

"Hey, we're ba- and _okaaay_ ," Yang did a quick one-eighty and held her arms out, preventing the others from entering. "I think they need a little more time, guys! L-Let's give them another minute or two. Back out. Come on…"

"I hate them," Weiss whispered, her forehead pressed against his. "I really do hate them sometimes…"

He wasn't sure he could bring himself to disagree when Yang's efforts proved for nothing, and they all came crashing back in regardless.

/-/

"Here, you can hold her."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am," Juniper said, smiling as she moved the tiny bundle into his arms. He shifted awkwardly, sat in his wheelchair and trying to find a good way to hold the little girl against his chest. She was pudgy and red-faced, but had blue eyes which looked up into his curiously, and a tiny mop of blonde hair. "Aww look," his mother cooed, "she recognises you."

He wasn't so sure, and apparently neither was his youngest sister, for she promptly pushed her head back and screeched like a Nevermore. He winced, and Juniper quickly took her back, crooning to the girl, who quickly went silent and fell asleep.

"Adorable, huh?" Jade groaned. "She does that with everyone, the little brat. You, us, even Dad… talk about spoiled."

"Jade," Lavender hissed, "don't talk that way about her!"

Jade rolled her eyes.

It was the same day as he'd woken up, though after the barrage of questions, his team had been sent off to give him some rest. Weiss had wanted to stay, but a stern word from Tsune about how little she'd taken care of her own health had forced her away. In turn, he'd been left to be pushed about by the Doctor, who for once hadn't taken the chance to push him down some stairs of add to his injuries. That was probably just a sign of how bad they'd been. Instead, she'd brought and left him with his family, which only led to injuries of the ear variety.

He wriggled one finger into his left ear to try and clear it right then, wincing at the ringing that still persisted. Ozpin wasn't kidding when he said she had a healthy set of lungs. Was that a Semblance or something?

"What's her name, anyway?" he asked. "I didn't exactly stick around to hear it."

"You didn't," Juniper said, and he had an inkling she'd have made her displeasure clear if it wasn't for him being wheelchair-bound. Her eyes trailed down to the bandages about his chest once more, and she cringed.

"I'm fine," he said. "I'm going to make a full recovery."

"I think it's more how you're barely reacting to it," Sapphire said. "You nearly died, Jaune. Again, I might add. I hope this isn't going to be a recurring theme."

"No, I…" he paused. "I think I'm going to take a break from it, actually."

To do what, he still wasn't sure. There was a strange emptiness inside him, like his life had was bereft of meaning or purpose. Victory felt good, incredibly good, but when it came to plans for the future, his mind came up blank.

"I'll think of something," he said.

"That's wonderful," Juniper said. "I spoke to Weiss earlier. She's such a lovely girl. She kept us up-to-date on everything that happened, and even made sure we could come and stay at Beacon to see you." She paused suggestively, no doubt hinting at what he should be doing with such a lovely girl. He rolled his eyes. "Either way," she went on, "we didn't plan a name for her because we were still undecided. After the birth, though." She looked to Nicholas and smiled. "One name came to mind."

"We've decided to call her Joan," his father said.

"Huh… weird name."

"It's after _you_ , dummy," Juniper laughed. "You're the one who helped bring her into the world, so we thought she should share a name with you. Though hopefully, she won't share any other habits with you."

"I'm right here, you know…"

"I know," she growled. "It was a hint. Look at you, you're injured and in a wheelchair. Don't you think it's time you settled down with a nice girl?"

"I'm seventeen, Mom."

"And judging from how you live your life, there's no telling if you'll reach eighteen! You need to slow down, maybe get together with someone calm and smart. Someone who won't let you rush off to do dangerous things or-"

He rolled his eyes. "Someone like Weiss?"

"Oh my, what an amazing idea…" Juniper crowed – very unconvincingly. His sisters laughed at his expense, even if none of them offered any kind of argument against the idea. That was very telling from them, especially from Coral. "You know, she's been at your bedside every day since you were injured, plus she was the first to find you, and if it wasn't for her, you might have died. She's also very reliable, beautiful, and the two of you get on well with one another."

"I get the hint, Mom."

"Good." She patted his arm and smiled condescendingly. "In that case, I'll only need to keep driving it home for a few more weeks."

Sheesh, what a terrifying woman he had as his mother.

"If it had been a boy, we might have named him James, since that nice man lent us the use of his Bullhead."

"James," he whispered. "Nice man?" His face turned a horrid shade of puce. "You mean _Ironwood!?_ "

Juniper blinked at him. "Yes. Is that a problem?"

"No, no," he said, shaking his head. "I'm just… rethinking my little sister. Joan Arc is a lovely name. I like it."

Because frankly, he'd rather eat his own foot than have a little brother who might grow up anything like General Ironwood. No… just no. Life could not be that cruel, not after he'd just won his own back once more.

"Here, try holding her again," his mother whispered. "She's asleep now."

"What if she wakes up?"

"She won't," she laughed. "She's just fallen asleep. Come on now, I want Nicky to take a picture of you holding her. How hard can that be?"

She shouldn't have tempted Fate. Maybe it was angry or still a little upset. Either way, Joan seemed to sense the transition, and her eyes snapped open the moment she was in his arms.

She was quick to let him know what she thought of that.

/-/

"Are you sure you're allowed out of your wheelchair?" Blake asked.

"My legs weren't injured. I was only weak due to blood loss. Tsune said I would be fine." So long as he didn't push himself, that was, but he didn't feel the need to remind Blake of that. "How are you?" he asked instead.

"Me? I'm fine. I wasn't badly hurt."

"Not physically, mentally. I know it must have been painful to have your old friends come here and do what they did." He sighed. "And despite how it ended, I know it can't have been easy to learn I killed Adam."

Blake's eyes slipped from his and out towards the Emerald Forest. She clutched at her arms, and let out a short sigh. "It's not," she admitted. "Adam… I suppose now that he's gone, now that the fear is gone, I've started to remember the good times. And there _were_ good memories," she added. "He… he wasn't always like he was. He used to be a good man. A wonderful man."

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "Don't be. You did what you had to do, and I'd have done no less if I were able, it's just… I suppose it's the nature of people to forget the faults of others once they're gone. I can't help but think of all the times he helped me, or protected the innocent, or when he'd talk and laugh with the new recruits." Blake looked down at the floor. "He changes, though. At the end, he wasn't the man he used to be, and I guess that's why this happened."

"I don't think that's unusual. We all change over time. Adam had something he wanted, a purpose he was working towards, that he was willing to give his life for. Seeing that goal ripped from your fingers time after time changes a person… not always for the better. We _need_ it, though," he said, with a sad smile. "We need that ambition, that goal, otherwise we're lost and adrift."

Like he felt now, with no direction available. It was why he'd sought Blake out, after all.

"What do you intend to do now?" he asked. "The White Fang are gone, or at least as good as. The Vale branch has been destroyed, and even if the others rally, I don't see them staying under the radar. If they can do this, then the other Kingdoms will have taken note. They're not going to stand by and let it happen to them. What are your plans, Blake?"

"I… I don't know." She glanced away once more, but then looked back with a tiny smile. "I guess I'll stay here for now, obviously. There's still a lot to be done in terms of faunus equality, but I'm selfish too. I want to enjoy being part of a team for a few years. I also… I also need to reconnect with some people when I can build up the courage. There are some apologies I need to give."

"Your family?"

"How do you-?" Her eyes were wide, but she laughed it off a second later. "I have no idea how you know these things, but I'm not even surprised anymore."

"A good father always knows."

"I suppose so…" She rolled her eyes, but there was no hiding her smile. "Yes, I need to apologise to my family. I feel like I can do it now without backing down, but it can wait. I might try to call them first from the CCT, and maybe even suggest they come here. They could meet you all."

"Would your father appreciate the competition?"

"Depends what you mean by that," Blake said, eyes narrowed. "If you take a step towards my mother…"

"I'm not trying to make it official," he laughed. "I was joking, Blake. I'd be happy to meet your family, and I'm sure Yang and Weiss would be, too."

"I'd be happy for you to meet them as well." She sighed and looked around, then quickly stepped forwards to give him the shortest hug he could imagine. When she backed off, her cheeks were red. "I really am grateful for what you did. I'd have never been enough to stop Adam, and… and I really am glad to be on the team."

"And you really do love me?"

"I didn't say that."

"No, but you meant it…"

She glowered at him, face red. Oh dear, she really was adorable at times. He chuckled and stepped forward to enfold his arms around her, and although she struggled for a moment, it was half-hearted at best. It felt more like she just wanted to be _seen_ to struggle.

"Besides, I should thank you for saving Weiss. Cinder was far stronger than Adam, and I'd have had no hope against her."

"You'd have thought of something," Blake mumbled. "You usually do."

"Not this time, Blake. I don't have the answer to everything."

So, Blake still had her own goals to work towards. He supposed that made sense. She had a full and busy life ahead of her, especially if she wanted to bring equality between faunus and humans. It was a big ambition, a good ambition.

"What about you?" Blake asked.

"Hm?"

"What do you intend to do now?"

Wasn't that the question…

"This is one of those times I don't have the answer," he admitted, stepping away from her. "Who knows. Maybe I'll get some rest."

"You and your sleep," Blake laughed. "I suppose it's been a while since you napped through the day. Don't sleep for too long though, lessons will be back on before you know it."

"I'll keep that in mind," he said, strolling away.

Blake's answer hadn't given him the inspiration he really needed. Her purpose was absolutely her own, and he wasn't sure what to do about his. Honestly, he'd never thought about what might come _after_ Cinder. Maybe a part of him had never truly believed there would be an after. That sounded cynical, but after so long having his hopes and dreams crushed, it had been more pragmatism than anything.

His feet took him to the gardens before a voice interrupted.

"Should you be walking?" Yang asked, arms crossed. Her expression said if he didn't have a good answer, she'd carry him back to the infirmary. "Where's your wheelchair?"

"Two for two," he chuckled. "Tsune said I can walk now. It's fine."

"Do you have a note?"

"She didn't give me a sick note for my friends, no."

"Hmm…" She looked him up and down. "You _do_ look steady… I suppose I can trust you, but only this one time."

"Such a gracious daughter I have. What are you up to?"

"I was just helping with some rebuilding." Yang nodded to the devastated cafeteria, now surrounded with scaffolding and construction workers. She then sat down on a low wall and motioned for him to do the same. "Just lifting and carrying things around, but it makes me feel busy. It's funny how I've always wanted a break from lessons, but now that it's here, I'm bored."

"Can't you go off into Vale?"

"Things are awkward there as well. I heard from Coco that anyone from Beacon gets harassed by reporters the moment they step off a Bullhead." She sighed. "I can't be bothered with that." She glanced at him. "What about you? You look… lost, I guess."

As ever, Yang was more perceptive than she let on. He shrugged weakly and looked out over the school.

"I guess I'm just trying to understand what comes next, what it is I'm supposed to do."

"Do?" She laughed. "Just do what you always do."

 _I can't, Yang. That's the problem._

He faked a smile for her. "I suppose so… what is it you'll do?"

"No idea. I guess I'll keep on studying and keep on kicking ass. I… I want to continue trying to find my Mom, too. She helped us out, you know? She came and killed Cinder's teammates – buying me and Blake time to get to Weiss. I want to find her and ask why."

"What are you hoping for?"

"I dunno." Yang kicked her legs and smiled. "Not that she'll be my Mom, never that. Summer was my mother, and now I've got you and Weiss as parents, too. I don't need another Mom. I just want to _know_. Even if it turns out she just didn't want me, I want that certainty, the closure. I just don't want to be sat asking myself a question for the rest of my life. I hate that."

"I don't think it's a bad goal," he said. "Just be careful. I've no idea what's going on with her, but you might not like what you hear."

"Oh, I know I won't. Hell, there's no answer she could give that would make me happy, but I still want to hear it. Once that's done, I can move on, relax, maybe even find a boyfriend and start my own family – and I won't be going anywhere once my kid is born. I'll be the best damn mom ever. They'll call me Supermom."

"They'll be horrified by your puns, more like."

"That too," she said, grinning. "It's a parent's right to embarrass their kids, right? I intend to make full use of that."

"Kids and a family, huh? I'd have never thought of you like that."

"Hey, I won't be seventeen forever, you know?"

No… she wouldn't be.

Funny that he'd never thought of that. His existence for the last thousand years had only ever known a Yang between the ages of sixteen and eighteen, with the occasional nineteen. They'd changed much in that time, but who could say what Yang would look or act like in ten years' time? It was a shocking thought.

How would any of them look? Would he even recognise them anymore?

It felt like he was saying goodbye to an era. An era that he'd known for so long… so long that he couldn't even remember a time when he _wasn't_ the man trying to save his friends. In terms of his own life, he only knew of it between the ages of fifteen and nineteen. Never anything more or less… not even distant memories of his childhood.

That… was actually quite sad.

"Hey, you okay?" Yang nudged his arm with her elbow. "I didn't say anything to upset you, did I?"

"No, no… I'm just thinking."

"About?"

"Time," he said, slowly rising. "Just about time."

/-/

It was inevitable that the people of Vale would find out the true story sooner or later. He wasn't sure who leaked it first, or whether they'd put the pieces together themselves, but the media and news outlets had somehow found out about Cinder Fall, or at least failing that, they'd found out that the attack was orchestrated between the White Fang, and a student from Mistral. The fallout was predictable, but there were subtle differences.

Atlas and Vale had strengthened their bonds. Without the Paladin attack, the quick thinking and action of General Ironwood had made him something of a celebrity figure, and his casual dismissal of it all as being `just his duty` only enamoured him more in the eyes of the general public. His offer to aid in the repairs of Beacon and Vale became the final nail in his coffin, cementing him as being just as much a hero as the teachers of Beacon, all of which had rushed to the streets of Vale to protect the innocent. In all honesty, Ironwood looked more irritated at the attention, which made Jaune's day every time he saw that face on the television.

It was good news, though. Stronger ties between Atlas and Vale would mean Cinder's plan to fracture the Kingdoms would fail. In fact, she'd achieved the exact opposite, and cemented them as firm friends and allies.

But it wasn't only Ironwood's achievements which had spread. With the reveal of the woman behind the attack, the focus soon turned to questions of _who_ had been responsible for stopping her. Who was the mystery hero who had challenged the monster and slain her, saving the Kingdom and Beacon in one fell swoop?

Well… it had been inevitable, really. There had been far too many witnesses, and someone was bound to talk sooner or later. It was for that reason that Jaune leaned against side of Beacon's main building, watching the raised white stage surrounded by reporters and journalists. Lights flashed and cameras clicked, while questions flew and the woman stood on the stage struggled to deal with the barrage.

Weiss Schnee sighed dramatically and pointed to a journalist, giving him time to ask a question.

A part of him wondered if he should have felt annoyed at it all. There he was, the one who had gone back time and time again, dying and looping in what he'd feared was a never-ending battle, and now, at the end of it all, it was Weiss who got the glory.

He thought he _should_ have been annoyed, but he wasn't. As he watched her smile for the camera, he was able to pick out the subtle signs that she was biting down on her annoyance, not to mention how white her hands were, showing that she was clenching them hard together. She hated this kind of thing, and so did he, really. Weiss was the best person for this, and she deserved it, too.

She'd been the one to slay Cinder, the one to somehow convince Fate to stop. She'd been the one to achieve the impossible.

She was better for the role in other ways, too. The people needed a hero, and while they'd latched onto Ironwood, and the man would do well in the role, they also needed someone for the future. Someone who could inspire and deliver results, who could lead by example and build morale…

He wasn't the right kind of person for that. He was too jaded, too broken… too tired…

"Miss Schnee, Miss Schnee," a reporter called. "The reports so far state that Cinder Fall was a student of Mistral. Do you believe this was a hostile move against Vale from said Kingdom?"

"I do not, no," Weiss said, leaning forward on the wooden podium. Her voice was calm, neutral. Anyone else might have been nervous, but she looked as confident as she had in that concert he'd watched months ago. "It became clear in our fight that her skills were far beyond what any student might have been expected to have, and she also showed disregard for the lives of other students from Mistral. It is my personal belief that she was a rogue agent working for her own gain, and nothing to do with the Mistral Government."

"What about the strange phenomenon several witnesses claim to have seen?" a different journalist asked. "There were reports of you using ice powers in your fight, and of another woman conjuring fire."

"Simple dust manipulation," she said, lying easily. "Cinder was skilled in it, along with other forms of combat, while my own dust rapier allows me much the same. Next question?"

"Do you believe the White Fang will try another attack on Vale, even though this one failed?"

"The White Fang have lost many of their troops, along with one of their most valued leaders, who was slain by my own partner in the attack. Although I'm sure they will be looking for revenge, they would be foolish to try anything so soon after this one, and I anticipate that the brutality shown here will have done much to erode their support base." Weiss looked out over the reporters and nodded at several faunus ones. "Innocent faunus lives were lost in this attack, and by an organisation which claims to work in their best interests. It would seem that the White Fang has changed much from the honourable organisation they once were."

Her words, particularly the latter, caused a stir among the crowd. Several journalists started to look at her in a new light, and it was the faunus ones especially who seemed to perk up. Blake stood a little taller beside Weiss, both she and Yang also being presence since they had fought against Cinder.

Weiss was going to use this platform to throw her support in for the faunus, huh? He couldn't blame her, and it would hopefully nix any ideas people had to take out their grief on people who didn't deserve it. He chuckled to himself. "Clever move…"

"Lisa Lavender here," said woman called, hand in the air. "I have to ask, Miss Schnee. With the recent attack, and the impact that has had on Beacon itself, what are your plans for the future? I do believe your father has already issued a statement saying you will be returning to Atlas. Do you intend to finish your studies there?" The woman held one arm out. "What happens now?"

What, indeed. The question was for Weiss, but it struck him too. An exhausted sigh escaped him. What now, Arc? What was his plan for the future? Was there even a plan? Unlike Weiss, his entire life – his entire purpose – had been focused on stopping Cinder. Well, now she'd been stopped, and suddenly, there were no more battles to fight. No one that needed saving. With Weiss here as the maiden, Cinder dead, and her conspiracy crushed, there was no real need for him anymore.

He felt incredibly old.

But it wasn't a bad feeling.

His life's work was done. Jaune let out a shuddering breath and looked down at his hand. The skin was tight, his hands young, but he didn't _feel_ young. He felt like a man over a thousand years old, and one who had just felt his years come crashing down on him. He felt exhausted.

With a smile, he turned away, pushed off the wall, and walked back towards the main buildings. He just wanted to curl up under some covers and rest. It had been so long, after all. Maybe he could finally have the rest he craved.

He felt so tired, he wasn't sure if his eyes would ever open again.

/-/

"The future…"

Weiss looked out over the bright lights and expectant faces. Her hands gripped the podium before her, but the words had cut straight through her. It was only when she noticed Yang and Blake shuffling awkwardly beside her that she realised her silence had dragged on. She swallowed and lowered her mouth to the microphone.

"I don't know."

The crowd stirred. Several journalists began to call out, while Lisa Lavender shouted to have her questions heard. Weiss ignored them all and spoke again.

"I don't know, because that's the thing about the future. It's a mystery. We never know what's going to happen, and that's what makes it exciting. That's what makes us alive. Humans crave knowledge, but if we knew everything, then there would be no more questions, and no reason to keep on striving for answers." She paused, and so too did the audience, hanging on her each and every word. "Any one of us could be anything, and we'd have no idea if it would work or not until we tried it. One thing I can say however is that we make our own futures. We are the only ones who can decide what comes, so we'll just have to wait and see what we decide."

The words trailed off as she scanned the crowd. She looked out over them, past them, first to her sister, who stood at the back with a proud expression and crossed arms, and then to the headmaster, who nodded his support. Her eyes trailed further however, and her breath caught when she saw him walking away.

"I…"

Her voice broke. She didn't know what to say or do. They'd been dancing around one another for days now, and things had seemed so much easier with the threat of death over their heads. The words had come so much easier.

Something within her gave way.

"I will not be returning to Atlas."

The words had the expected result. There was silence for a brief second, and then a whirr of activity. "But Jacques Schnee-"

"Is not Weiss Schnee," she interrupted. Her body shook, but she forced herself on. "We decide our own fate, and I decide mine as well. It is my decision as to where I study, and I believe my father has misunderstood that."

The journalists seemed shocked. Over their heads, Weiss nervously met the eyes of her sister.

Winter Schnee smiled.

And nodded…

"I will remain in Vale," Weiss continued, her heart resolute. "I will continue my studies here because I have a team I do not want to leave, I have friends I won't abandon." She took a deep breath and stepped out from behind the podium. "E-Excuse me one moment..."

Predictably, the crowd did anything _but_ stay calm as she jumped off the stage. Cameras flashed wildly, and several tried to get in her way, but she pushed past them without thought. The teachers could have stopped her, as could Winter, but they all stood still and watched, the latter with a small, pleased smile on her face.

She reached her target before he could pass around the corner, and hooked her hand into the back of his collar. "Where do you think _you're_ going?" she snarled.

"Ha?" Jaune glanced back, eyes wide and shadowed. "Weiss, what are you doing?"

"What am _I_ doing? The question is what were _you_ doing?"

"I was tired," he said. "I… I was going to go rest."

Oh, he was tired, was he? He wanted some sleep? Well, so was she! She was tired of the dancing around, the pussy-footing and the awkward silences. She dragged him behind her, one hand on his collar and the other swaying at her side as she marched back to the stage with him in tow. Blake looked terribly amused at the whole thing, but Yang felt the need to whistle.

"You go, girl!"

"Up on the stage," she ordered, pulling him before her and pushing him up. The press were going nuts, many clamouring for answers and more streaming the affair live over the television. Tens of thousands of people would be watching, perhaps more… and she knew her father would be watching, too.

"W-Weiss, why…?" Jaune asked nervously. "What are you doing?"

"What I should have done the moment you woke up," she hissed back. She took him to the podium and leaned forward. "This is Jaune Arc," she said. "He is the man who killed Adam Taurus. He is my partner, my team leader, and… and he is the reason I'm staying in Beacon."

She took a deep breath.

"He is my fiancé."

The reaction was… loud, to say the least. There were no words she could make out, only the angry squabbling of fifty people trying to ask questions at once, and then shouting over one another when it wasn't heard. The cameras recorded all the way through it, even as she ignored them entirely and turned to face him.

Jaune stared at her.

His mind whirled, unable to come up with the thoughts or words necessary, and unwilling to look away from her bright eyes, her coy smile – or the desperate glint of hope in her smile. Something nudged him from behind, two hands pushing him forwards – Blake and Yang subtly telling him not to repeat the mistake of the dance.

His hands caught Weiss' hips, and then wound about her waist. Hers wrapped about the back of his neck, hands joining together.

He _was_ tired. He _was_ without purpose, and he had no idea what the future would bring… but maybe she was right. Maybe that was the beauty of it, the joy that he had long forgotten. There was no telling what the future would bring, and this time, nothing to hold them back from it. One thing was sure, however, even as his lips claimed hers and the crowd cheered.

This time…

It wouldn't be quite so lonely.

* * *

 **I'm sure some people will cry about a Deus Ex Machina, but did you expect a story about time travel to** _ **not**_ **have an ending that was resolved by time travel? I mean, that would kind of ignore the elephant in the room.**

 **I don't really have much to say here, due to some personal things going on at the moment.**

* * *

 **Beta's Note:**

* * *

Howdy. College Fool here, beta for this formidable fic, with some final beta-like thoughts for posterity.

Some game developer once said that game designers always have a bit of shame about their product on release, because they can see or remember all the things that got cut or changed in the creation process. To a content creator, everything that was good often gets cut out, and it's a surprise when people like what remained. That's definitely the case here. Not This Time, Fate, is nothing like what Coeur and I first started conceiving it as.

Would you believe that, at the start, we talked about it as a pure-comedy story? That Coeur had no idea how the time loops worked, or what Fate was aiming towards? That even the pairing of Weiss and Jaune was in no way central to the premise, despite Weiss being the only character in a time-travel story to be able to manipulate, well, time?

All true. All things changed. And sometimes, that was for the best. Drama was/is kinda necessity for time-travel loop fiction, because without drama or some sort of objective... what's the point? Where's the plot? Time loops got worked out pretty early, but some elements only got finalized at the very end. For about 9/10ths of the story, Fate's motive wasn't set in stone. Weiss as a pairing... well, I'll alwayse regret the dropped plot threads of Jaune's previous-loop paramores causing him guilt (once upon a time, Ruby was Really Important), but I'll also remember how the Weiss romance arc in many respects went from 'When are we going to start it, Coeur,' to thinking 'damn that's going fast.' Plans are fine and all, but sometimes you have to be flexible on the fly for what works in context.

If that sounds like we made it up as we went along... that might be half-right. Things change in the process of creation. Some plot threads get dropped for whatever reasons, and some good ideas come that are worth including. Then there's the simple practice of writing. Coeur went through a number of iterations of how he approached each chapter- different word targets (fixed word count to big word count to flexible), pacing experiments, and so on.

But then there are the things that aren't really making it up as you go along. They're not arbitrary, per see- just part of the conceit of the genre you aim for. Time travel fiction where the time traveler isn't readily believed. An interventionist entity of Fate, who balances somewhere between fallible but also 'But Thou Must.' A timeline structure of, as one mediocre video game once put it, 'variables and constants.' Sometimes, those are frustrating. Sometimes, fiction can be frustrating when things don't make sense/people are stupid/who do people forget the laws of conservation of energy or thermodynamics or anything else 'real.' But if you can accept them, and go with the ride, you can have a good time.

And in the end, I guess what I'd like to say is... this was an experiment, for both Coeur and me, and one that we hope you (mostly) enjoyed. Or at least relished the misery. Coeur tried writing continuous drama. And long chapters. And god damn can that be a slog to not just ready, but try to edit or remark on. And thus we get to things like pacing, and accelerating plot arcs, and so on. Coeur learned some things about writing drama, including that big chapters suck for it and that the last note you end on is always the strongest. I learned some things about being a beta, including burn-out and actually raising uncomfortable thoughts. And hopefully you all learned some things too- if only about how much of a troll Coeur can be. Better keep that in mind for the future, yo... but don't get too comfortable, cause one day he might NOT give you a happy ending.

But today there was one, and I hope you enjoy it. Give credit where credit is due, and Coeur the accolades he's due.

(Accolades, I said. Accolades. Constructive criticism if you prefer. But the people who sent death threats over last chapter should chill out and stop taking fiction so seriously.)

Cheers,

C.F.

* * *

 **Coeur's Addon:** Just for those wondering, the story would never have worked as a pure comedy, which is why the change to being a serious fic had to happen. There are actually quite a few "time traveller decides to mess around and have fun" stories, but they never get finished. That's because sooner or later, the author has to face the issue of "what concludes this". What fulfilling ending can there be when the main character has ignored the story? Sooner or later time will catch up – and the original future he's ignored MUST happen again. How fulfilling could it be when the fact they have ignored the impending disaster causes it to strike again? It would end as a tragedy, with the moral of the story being that you can't ignore terrible things (which is a pretty sad story ending!)

Most of those fics never get finished because of that. Not unless you just run off in a random direction and change the canon story entirely, in which case it almost stops being a time travel fic anyway.

* * *

 **Next Fics**

 **The next fic will be released in three weeks' time. As people know, I normally have a two-week break after a story ends, basically an empty update slot with which to plan. I need that here as well, but I'll also be taking an additional one to set some personal things in order on my side.**

 **Also, this could have easily been two separate chapters too, so it should be fair. You get two now, but an added week with no update.**

 **All my other fics will continue as normal. Two fics will replace this one; "The Beacon Civil War", and "A Hunter or Something." Sorry for the extra week, but it should help with quality, and will at least stop something shitty being written because I'm too busy feeling miserable to write properly. The release dates are as follows:**

* * *

 **The Beacon Civil War: 2** **nd** **September**

 **A Hunter or Something: 9** **th** **September**

 **Thank you for reading this story, and a thank you to College Fool for being there to work with me on such a demanding project.**

* * *

 **P a treon . com (slash) Coeur**


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